I 


PRINCET  ON.  N.  J. 


Part  of  the 
A1)I>IS0K    ALEXANKKR  I.IBKaRT. 
which  was  presented  bv 
Mksskr.  R.  L.  and  a.  Sti  art 


•  ■f  mi: 

Theological  Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N  J. 


DS  107    .R649  1856  v. 2 
Robinson,   Edward,  1794-1863 
Biblical  researches  in 
Palestine,  and  in  the 


I 

Digitized  by 

the  Internet  Archive 

in  2015 

https://archive.org/details/biblicalresearch02robi 


BIBLICAL  RESEARCHES 


IS 

PALESTINE, 


AND   IN   THE   ADJACENT  KEGIONS. 

A 

JOURNAL  OF  TRAVIiLS  IN  THE  YEAR 
1838. 
BY  E.  ROBINSON  AND  E.  SMITH. 

DRAWN  UP  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DIARIES,  WITH  HISTORICAI.  ILLUSTEATIONS, 

BY 

EDWARD  ROBINSON,  D.  D.  LL.  D. 

rBOFBBSOB   or   BIBLICAL   LITEBATUBE   IK   THE    VMIOH  THBOLOOIOAL 
BEUIMABT,   NBW  YOBK. 


WITH   NEW   MAPS   AND  PLANS. 


IN   TWO  VOLUMES. 

VOL.  II. 


BOSTON  ; 

PUBLISHED  BY  CROCKER  AND  BREWSTER, 

No.  47  WAsniNQTON  Stkeet. 

LONDON  JOHN  MURRAY. 

1856. 


<■ 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1866, 
By  EDWAED  KOBINSON. 
In  the  Clerk's  OfiBce  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


JOHN  F.  TKOW, 
BINTIR,  6TKRK0TYPKE,  AND  ELtCTEOTTPEE, 
87T  AND  379  BKOADWAT,  N.  > 


CONTENTS. 


SECTION  XI. 

From  Jeetisalem  to  Gaza  and  Hkbeon. 
Pages  1-94. 

Shuttirig  up  of  Jerusalem,  1.  We  stop  but  a  single  day,  1,  2.  Preparations,  guide, 
etc.  2. — May  Vlth.  Departure  ;  go  round  by  Beit  Jala,  2.  Statistics  of  the  village, 
2-4.  Way  to  the  village  el-Khiidr,  4.  View  from  high  point  beyond  Wady  Bittir, 
and  notices  of  the  country,  4-6. 

Kustul,  probably  Lat.  '  Castellum,'  6.  Soba,  its  situation,  6.  Not  Modin,  6,  7. 
Possibly  for  Zuph,  Zojihim,  the  ancient  Ramathaim-Zophim  of  Samuel,  7,  8.  Objection 
from  the  position,  8,  9.  Objection  as  being  on  Mount  Ephraim,  9,  10. — Boundary  be- 
tween Benjamin  and  Judah,  10.  It  passes  KirjcUk  Jearim,  probably  the  present  Kur- 
yet  el-'Enab,  10-1 2.    Its  farther  course,  12. 

Way  to  Beit  'Atab,  13.  Beit  'Atab  and  wide  view,  13,  14.  Way  to  Beit  Nettif ; 
ancient  road,  14,  15.  Beit  Nettif  and  country  around,  15.  Climate,  15.  Wide  view 
of  many  ancient  places,  16,  17.  Inhabitants;  the  parties  Keis  and  Yemen,  17,  18. 
Hospitality  of  the  people,  18,  19.  General  hospitality,  the  Medafeh  or  Menzil,  19. — 
3Iay  18th.  Fog  in  the  valleys,  19.  Proposed  search  after  the  site  of  Eleutheropolis  ; 
reported  ruins  at  Beit  Jibrin,  etc.  19.  Wady  es-Sumt,  20.  Socoh,  21.  Place  of  Da- 
vid's combat  with  Goliath,  21.  Well  with  flocks;  drawing  water  "with  the  fgot,"  22. 
Remarkable  excavations  near  Deir  Dubban,  22-24.    Way  to  Beit  Jibrin,  24. 

Beit  Jibrin,  ruins  of  a  strong  Roman  fortress,  25,  26.  Ruined  church,  Santa 
Hanneh,  26.  People  wish  the  Franks  to  come,  26.  Former  Sheikhs  of  the  district, 
27.  Beit  Jibrin,  if  not  Eleutheropolis,  is  certainly  the  ancient  Betogabra,  27,  28.  Hist, 
notices,  28,  29.  Way  to  Tell  es-Safieh,  29.  Dhikrin,  29.  Tell  es-Safieh,  29,  30. 
The  Blcmchegarde  of  the  crusaders,  31,  32. — May  \9th.  Leave  for  Gaza  ;  fertile  coun- 
try, 32,  33.  Siimmeil,  deep  well;  error  of  Breydenbach,  33.  General  wish  for  the 
Franks,  34.  Bureir,  35.  Threshing  and  winnowing,  35.  Lively  harvest-scenes,  35, 
^mense  olive  grove  near  Gaza,  35,  36.    Quarantine  guard,  36. 

May  2lgt.    Gaza;  letter  of  introduction,  36.  Visit  to  the  mosk,  an  ancient  church,  • 

36.  Governor's  secretary,  Tezkirah,  37.    Remains  of  antiquity,  places  of  former  gates, 

37,  38.  Geogr  position,  38.  Daron,  38.  Sandy  tract  along  the  sea,  38.  Fertility, 
39.  Population,  39.  Trade,  39.  Hist.  Notices,  40-43.  Gaza  probably  not  "  desert," 
when  the  book  of  Acts  was  written,  41. 

Region  S.  E.  of  Gaza,  Gerar,  43,  44.  Leave  Gaza  for  Beit  Jibrin  by  a  more 
southern  route,  44.  Huj,  recently  built  up,  44,  45.  Return  to  Bureir,  45.  Agricul- 
ture ;  all  the  rich  plains  held  by  the  government,  45,  46. — May  22d.  Um  Lakis,  not 
Lachish,  46,  47.    Turn  off  to  Tell  el-Hasy ;  harvest-scenes,  47.    Wady  el-Hasy,  47, 


iv 


CONTENTS. 


48.  The  Tell  and  region,  48.  'Ajlan,  Eglon,  49.  Es-Sukkariyeh,  probably  an  an- 
cient site,  49.  Difficulty  for  a  guide,  laziness,  50.  Reapers  and  gleaners,  "parched 
corn,"  50.  El-Kubeibeh,  51.  Beit  Jibrln,  61.  Men  of  Beit  Jala,  51.  The  Sheikh 
takes  us  to  three  clusters  of  very  remarkable  excavations,  51-53.    Cufic  inscriptions, 

62.  Sepulchres,  62.    The  Tell,  52.    Singxilar  excavated  labyrinth,  53. 

Not  yet  satisfied  as  to  Eleutheropolis,  53.  Roads  to  Hebron  furnish  a  certain  test, 
64.  Go  to  Dawaimeh  for  the  night  by  mistake,  54,  65.  Conclude  to  visit  el-Burj 
and  hire  a  guide,  55,  56. — May  23i.  The  Sheikh  attempts  imposition ;  we  return 
towards  Beit  Jibrin,  56.  Take  the  road  for  Hebron  by  Idhna,  Jedna,  56.  Incident, 
disarming  of  the  peasants,  67.  Reach  Idhna  in  two  hours  from  Beit  Jibrin,  which 
identifies  the  latter  with  Eleuthcropohs,  57. 

Eleutheropolis,  57.  Identical  with  Betogabra  and  Beit  Jibrin ;  evidence  from  the 
specifications  of  Ensebius  and  Jerome,  57-59.  Hist.  Notices,  serving  to  sustain  their 
testimony,  69-63.  Writers  who  mention  Betogabra  make  no  allusion  to  Eleutheropo- 
lis, and  vice  versa,  63.    The  expression  "  Betogabra  of  Eleutheropolis"  probably  a  gloss, 

63.  Tradition  of  Samson's  fountain  in  the  vicinity,  64,  65.  Hist.  Notice  identifying 
Eleutheropolis  and  Betogabra,  65,  66. — Goth,  66,  67.  Maresha,  Maressa,  67.  More- 
sheth,  68.  Invasion  of  the  Edomites  ;  the  south  of  Palestine  called  Idumea,  68.  Pos- 
sible origin  of  the  excavations  we  \-isited,  69. 

Village  of  Idhna,  Jedm,  69-71.  Hospitality  of  the  Sheikh,  70.  Ascent  of  the 
mountain,  71.  Tefifuh,  Beth-Tappiiah,  71.  Violent  Sirocco ;  drops  of  rain  with  dust, 
72.  Large  oak,  72.  Reach  Hebron  and  encamp  on  the  grassy  western  slope,  72. 
Pressing  invitation  from  Elias,  73.    Delay  at  Hebron,  73. 

Hebron.  May  2ith.  General  character  and  situation,  73,  74.  Ancient  pools, 
74.  The  Haram,  description,  75,  76.  A  mere  wall  around  an  interior  court,  76,  77. 
Probably  a  Jewish  structure  surrounding  the  sepulchre  of  the  patriarchs,  77.  Hist. 
Notices,  77-79.  Jews'  window,  79. — Citadel  in  ruins,  79.  Manufactory  of  water- 
skins,  79.  Bazars,  79.  Manufactures  of  glass,  80.  Go  out  to  breakfast  with  Elias 
under  the  great  oak,  80-82.  Camel  loads  of  arms  from  Dura,  80.  Vineyards,  how 
trained,  81.  Wine  and  Dibs,  81.  The  oak,  81.  Elias  and  his  family,  breakfast,  82. 
Threshing-floors ;  scenes  of  the  book  of  Ruth,  83. — 3fa)/  25th.  Visit  to  the  Rabbi  of 
the  Jews,  83.  Synagogue  and  manuscripts,  84.  Ascend  the  western  hill ;  extensive 
view,  85.  Visit  to  the  three  governors  of  Gaza,  Jerusalem,  and  Hebron,  85-88.  Offi- 
cial dinner.  Sheikh  Sa'id  of  Gaza,  his  character  and  fall,  86-88. — Population  and 
trade  of  Hebron,  88.  Historical  Notices,  88-94.  Question  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
ancient  and  modern  site,  91,  92.  Hospital  and  former  distribution  of  bread,  etc.  92. 
Rebellion  in  1834  ;  the  town  sacked  by  the  Egyptians,  93,  94. 


m 

SECTION  XII. 

Feom  Hebeon  to  "Wady  Musa  and  Baoz. 
Pages  95-212. 

Delays  at  Hebron,  05.  Visit  from  the  Sheikh  of  the  Jehiliu,  and  bargain  for 
camels  and  guides,  95,  96.  Further  delay ;  shudling  conduct  of  Elias,  96. — Jfai/  26</i. 
Camels  arrive ;  departure,  96.    Way  to  Cannel,  97.    Ascend  the  ridge  beyond,  pros- 


CONTEKTS. 


V 


pect  towards  the  south,  97.  Country  of  the  Jehalin,  98.  Encamp  over  Sunday,  98. 
Notices  of  the  Jehalin,  98,  99. — May  21th.  Visitors  in  our  tent,  99,  100.  Engage 
five  Haweitat,  100. 

May  28th.  New  guides  and  camels,  Arab  dilatoriness,  100.  Difficulty  about  a 
head-guide,  100,  101.  We  at  length  set  ofi",  101.  Tell  'Arad,  ancient  Arad,  101. 
Rnjeim  Selameh  and  view,  102.  Upper  ez-Zuweirah,  103.  Wide  prospect  over  the 
Dead  sea  and  southern  Ghor,  103.  First  descent,  lower  tract  of  chalky  hills,  104. 
Second  descent ;  ez-Znweirah,  fort  and  reservoirs,  104.  Wady  ez-Zuweirah ;  encamp 
in  a  side  vallev,  104,  105.    Our  gxiides  less  intelligent  than  those  from  the  Tawarah, 

105,  106. 

May  29th.  Follow  down  Wady  ez-Zuweirah  to  the  shore,  106.  Sunrise  upon  the 
Dead  sea,  106.    Zuweirah  has  no  relation  to  Zoar,  which  lay  on  the  east  of  the  sea, 

106,  107.  Hajr  or  Khashm  Usdvim  (Sodom),  a  mountain  of  fossil  salt,  107-110. 
Bathe  in  the  sea,  110.  Deep  cavern  in  the  mountain,  110.  Alarm  at  an  approaching 
party,  110.  We  prove  the  strongest,  and  our  Haweitat  begin  to  plimder  ;  remon- 
strances, 111.  S.  W.  comer  of  the  sea.  111.  This  end  of  the  sea  very  shallow,  and  a 
flat  extends  far  to  the  south,  112.  Eastern  part  of  the  Ghor  (Safieh)  fertile  and  well- 
watered,  112,  113.  Range  of  cUffi  crossing  the  Ghor  further  south,  an  offset  or  step  to 
the  'Arabah  beyond,  113.  Already  known  that  the  waters  of  the  'Arabah  flow  north- 
wards, 113,  114. — We  keep  along  the  western  side  of  the  Ghor;  character,  salt  rills, 
114,  115.  'Ain  el-Beida,  115.  S.  W.  comer  of  the  Ghor,  Wady  el-Fikreh,  116.  Keep 
along  the  base  of  the  transverse  line  of  cliffs,  116.  'Ain  el-'Arus,  117.  Wady  Ghurun- 
del  and  ruins,  Arindela,  117.  Haweitat  breakfast,  117,  118.  Mouth  of  Wady  el-Jeib, 
the  drain  of  the  'Arabah,  118.  Proceed  up  this  deep  broad  chasm,  118,  119.  Eve- 
ning halt,  romantic  desert  scene,  119,  120.  Results  of  the  day,  120.  "Ascent  of 
Akrabbim,"  120. 

May  30th.  Night-travel,  121.  Leave  Wady  el-Jeib,  desert  of  the  'Arabah,  121. 
Rocks  Humra  Fedan,  and  Wady  Ghuweir,  121.  Halt  at  'Ain  el- Buweirideh,  122. 
Violent  Sirocco,  122.  Routes  up  to  Wady  Musa,  122,  123.  Base  of  the  mountains, 
porphyry  cliffs,  123.  Romantic  pass  of  Kemela,  123,  124.  Juniper  trees,  124.  En- 
camp at  the  top  of  the  pass,  124. — May  3Uf.  View  from  the  brow  of  the  mountain  ; 
the  'Arabah,  the  western  desert,  Wady  el-Jerafeh,  Mount  Hor,  etc.  124,  125.  Region 
of  Nemela,  125,  126.  Sandstone  formation,  126.  Oleanders,  126.  Sik  or  chasm, 
with  a  sculptured  tablet,  126.  Plain  Sntiih  Beida,  village  Dibdiba,  127.  Poverty  of 
inhabitants,  127.  Way  to  Eljy,  127,  128.  Saracenic  fortress,  128.  Eljy,  128.  'Ain 
Musa  and  brook,  129. 

Arrival  at  the  valley  ;  tomb  on  the  right,  129.  Enter  the  vaUey  ;  commencement 
of  the  street  of  tombs,  129.  Monolithic  tombs,  like  those  in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat, 
129,  130.  Tomb  with  pyramids,  130.  Entrance  of  the  Sik,  130.  Arch  across  the 
chasm,  130.  Width  of  the  chasm  and  height  of  the  sides,  130,  131.  Oleanders,  chan- 
nels, pavement,  131,  Magnificence  of  impression,  131,  132.  The  Khuzneh,  character 
and  imposing  effect,  132,  133.  Interior,  133.  Tombs  beyond  the  Khiizneh,  133. 
Singular  ornament,  133.  Amphitheatre,  134.  View  from  it,  134.  Encamp ;  the  ob- 
ject of  our  visit,  134,  135. — Area  of  the  ancient  city  on  both  sides  of  the  brook,  135. 
Remains  of  a  temple  and  bridges,  135.  Triumphal  arch,  135.  Kusr  Far'on,  a  late 
structure,  135.  Zub  Far'on,  column  of  a  temple,  136.  The  whole  area  once  occupied 
by  a  city  of  houses  built  of  stone,  136. — Western  wall  of  cliffs  with  tombs,  136.  Springs 
flowing  off  into  a  western  chasm ;  its  character,  137. 

Laborde's  delineations  correct,  but  convey  no  good  general  idea  of  the  whole,  138. 
The  ancient  city  not  enclosed  by  perpendicular  rocks  on  all  sides,  138.  Perpendicular 

Vol.  II.— a* 


vi 


CONTENTS. 


cMs  only  on  E.  and  W.  138.  Nature  of  the  ground  N.  and  S.  of  the  brook,  138,  139. 
Excavations  and  architecture ;  their  multitude,  139.  Most  conspicuous  tombs  on  the 
east,  140.  Character  of  the  rocks,  reddish  sandstone,  140,  141.  Varj'ing  teints,  like 
watered  silk,  140.  Two  styles  of  architecture  mingled,  Egyptian  and  Roman-Greek, 
141.  The  excavations  not  originally  made  for  dwellings,  141,  142.  Some  of  them 
temples,  142. — Silence  and  solitude  of  this  city  of  the  dead,  142,  143.  Feast  and 
mirth  of  our  Arabs,  143. 

June  \st.  Foreign  Arabs,  the  Ma'az,  now  in  these  mountains,  143.  Sheikh  of 
Wady  Musa  arrives,  143.  Visit  to  the  Deir,  143-145.  Probably  a  temple,  145. — 
Sheikh  of  Wady  Musa  demands  a  present,  etc.  145.  I  go  again  to  the  Khiizneh,  145. 
Noise  of  guns  ;  Arab  quarrel ;  Arabs  sent  to  bring  us  back,  145,  146.  Sheikh  turns 
out  to  be  the  noted  Abu  Zeitun,  146.  Discussions  and  disputes,  147-149.  We  deter- 
mine to  return  the  way  we  came,  giving  up  Mount  Hor,  149.  Attempt  to  go  towards 
Mount  Hor ;  defiance,  149.  Our  departure  unexpected  to  the  Sheikh,  150.  He  sends 
after  us  to  return,  150.  Comes  after  us  himself,  150.  We  proceed  on  our  way,  151. 
His  demand  a  new  thing,  151.  His  fear  of  Muhammed  'Aly  was  our  protection,  151. 
Regret  at  not  visiting  Mount  Hor,  152.  Descent  to  el-'Arabah,  152.  Night-travel ; 
danger  of  being  overtaken  and  plundered,  153.  Midnight  halt  and  rest  in  the  middle 
of  the  'Arabah,  153. 

Mountains  of  Euom,  154.  Formation,  height,  character,  154.  Divisions ; 
Mountains  of  Moab,  Jebal  esh-Sherah,  154.  El-Hismeh,  155.  Tribes  of  Bedawin, 
155.  The  Haweitat,  155,  156.  Fellahin  of  the  mountains,  156.  Historical  Notices 
of  this  region,  the  ancient  Edom  and  Arabia  Petraea,  156-163.  Often  visited  by  the 
crusaders,  163-165.  Since  then  forgotten,  165. — Ancient  towns :  Machaerus,  166. 
Rabba,  RMaih  Moab,  166.  Kerak,  Charac  Moab,  166.  Tiifileh,  Tophel,  167.  el-Bu- 
saireh,  Bozrah,  167.  GhuxxmA&l,  Arindda ;  Dhana,  Thana,  168.  Ma'an ;  Usdakah, 
Zodocatha,  168.    EI-Humeiyimeh,  168. 

Petea,  Heb.  Sela,  the  capital  of  Arabia  Petr«a,  168.  Historical  notices,  169,  170. 
Suddenly  vanishes  before  the  Muhammedan  conquest,  170.  Identity  of  Petra  with 
Wady  Musa,  proofs,  171-173.    Oblivion,  173. 

June  2d.  Proceed  across  the  'Arabah  to  'Ain  el-Weibeh,  173, 174.  Character  and 
position,  174,  175.  Probable  site  o£  Kadesh,  175,  176.  Marauding  expedition  recently 
encamped  here,  176.  Roads  from  el-Weibeh,  176.  Our  Arabs  take  a  wrong  one, 
176,  177.  Their  ignorance,  177.  Return  to  their  usual  road,  177.  Ascend  to  the 
first  step  or  offset  of  the  mountains,  drained  by  Wady  el-Fikreh,  177,  178.  A  more 
formidable  ascent  before  us,  178.  Three  passes  up  the  same,  178.  The  hill  Madurah; 
legend  of  the  Arabs,  visited  by  Seetzen,  179,  180.  Pass  es-Sufah,  difficult ;  ancient 
load,  Zephaih?  180,  181.  Evening;  we  continue  to  ascend  gradually  through  a  very 
broken  region,  181,  182.  Encamp,  excessively  fatigued,  182.  Other  passes,  es-Sufey 
and  el -Yemen,  182. 

Wady  el-'Arabah.  Extent,  names,  character,  183.  Depression  of  the  middle 
and  northern  part,  the  Dead  Sea  and  Lake  of  Tiberias,  183.  Water-shed,  184.  For 
the  most  part  a  desert,  184.  Fountains  in  it,  t84,  185.  Roads,  185.  Unknown  to 
occidental  geographers,  185.  Mentioned  in  Arabian  writers,  186.  Is  the  Arabah 
(plain)  of  tlie  Hebrew  Scriptures,  186.  Its  existence  unsuspected  in  modem  times 
until  the  present  century,  187. 

The  Dead  Sea  and  Catastrophe  of  the  Plain,  187.  A  lake  existed  here 
before  the  destruction  of  Sodom,  188.  Probably  less  extensive  than  the  present  Dead 
sea,  188.  The  cities  and  fertile  plain  were  on  the  south,  188.  Slime-pits  or  sources 
of  bitumen,  188.    Present  character  of  the  southern  part  of  the  sea,  189.    This  may 


CONTENTS. 


vii 


have  been  formed  by  some  convulsion  of  nature  destroying  the  fertile  plain,  189.  Per- 
haps by  earthquakes  or  volcanic  action,  190,  191.  The  bitumen  may  have  accumu- 
lated into  an  extensive  stratum,  like  the  Pitch  lake  of  Trinidad,  and  thus  have  been 
inflamed,  190.  Barrenness  would  be  caused  by  the  masses  of  fossil  salt,  190.  Letter 
of  Leopold  von  Buch,  191,  192. 

Approach  of  the  Israelites  to  Palestine,  192.  Route  to  'Ain  el-Hudhera, 
192.  Did  not  pass  on  the  west  of  Jebel  'Araif,  193.  Impassable  moimtainous  tract 
on  the  western  border  of  the  'Arabah,  193.  They  must  have  reached  Kadesh  through 
the  'Arabah,  193.  Position  of  Kadesh,  193-195.  Not  at  el-'Aiu  in  the  western  des- 
ert, 194.  n.  Twice  visited  by  the  Israelites,  194,  195.  Their  wanderings,  195. 
Their  supply  of  food  and  water  a  constant  miracle,  195. 

June  3d.  Alarm  of  a  marauding  party  behind  us,  196.  We  proceed  across  the 
tract  et-Tiiraibeh,  196.  Pass  of  el-Muzeikah,  third  ascent  towards  Palestine,  197. 
Ruins  of  Kurnub,  probably  7%amam,  197.  Kubbet  el-BauI ;  stray  camel,  198.  Wady 
'Ar'arah  and  prospect  towards  Tell  'Arad,  198,  199.  Pits  of  water;  site  of 'Ar'arah, 
Aroer,  199.  Leave  Gaza  road  and  cross  towards  el-Milh;  encamp,  199. — June  ith. 
Lose  a  camel,  199.  Wells  at  el-Milh,  200.  Wady  passes  to  Wady  es-Seba'  and  Beer- 
sheba,  200.  The  bird  Kuta  in  great  numbers,  not  the  quail,  200.  Site  at  el-Milh, 
probably  ancient  Mdadah,  Malatha,  200,  201.  Thamara  was  a  day's  journey  further 
south,  probably  at  Kumub,  202. — Our  guides  wish  to  go  to  their  camp,  and  prevari- 
cate ;  we  proceed  towards  Semu'a  and  Hebron,  202,  203.  Go  up  another  ridge  or 
step  of  the  ascent,  203.  Start  a  jackal,  203.  This  ridge  probably  the  dividing  line 
between  the  "mountains"  and  the  "south "of  Judah,  203.  el-Ghuwein,  probably 
Anim,  204.  Young  locusts,  204.  Rafat,  204.  Semu'a,  ancient  EsMemoa,  204,  205. 
Yiitta,  ancient  Juttah,  206.  Um  el-'Amad,  rains  of  a  church,  206.  Wady  el-Khulil, 
206.    Way  hence  to  Hebron,  fields  and  cultivation,  206,  207. 

June  5th.  Despatch  our  servant  to  Jerusalem  for  horses,  207.  Visit  from  the 
Sheikhs  of  the  Jehalin,  207,  208.  Arrangement  for  paying  over  ths  price  of  the  cam- 
els ;  trial  of  skill  between  the  Sheikh  and  Elias,  208.  Owner  of  camels,  208.  Natiu-e 
and  habits  of  the  camel;  not  unlike  the  sheep,  208-210.  Dine  with  Elias,  210,  211. 
Threshing-floors  near  our  tent,  211. — June  Qth.  Return  of  servant  with  horses,  etc. 
211.  Money  paid  over  through  Elias ;  his  commission,  211,  212.  His  later  for- 
tunes, 212.    Two  English  travellers,  212. 


SECTION  XIII. 

Feom  Hebeon  to  Ramleh  and  Jeeusalbm. 
Pages  213-257. 

June  %tli.  Difficulty  of  obtaining  a  guide  at  Hebron,  213.  Way  to  Dura,  213,  214 
Dftra,  Nubian  slave,  village  quarrel,  214.  Subsequent  rebellion,  215.  Ancient  Ado- 
mim,  Adora,  Dora,  215.  Proceed  towards  el-Burj  ;  Wady  el-Keis,  215,  216.  Easy 
descent  of  the  mountains,  216.  Harvest  scene,  rains,  216.  El-Burj,  216. — June  7th. 
Disappointment  in  el-Burj,  217.  El-Khuweilifeh,  a  watering-place,  217.  Caves,  peo- 
ple from  Dura,  218.  Pistol  lost,  clamour,  218.  Um  esh-Shukaf,  harvest  scenes,  218, 
219.    Indefinite  replies:  'Straight  ahead,' etc.  219.    Way  to  Idhna,  rains,  219.  The 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


Sheikh  "  saddles  his  ass"  and  accompanies  ns  as  a  guide,  219.  Terkumieh,  Tricomias, 
220.  Heat  of  day,  220.  Beit  Nusib,  A'eziS,  220,  221.  Rich  and  fertUe  region,  many 
sites  of  ruins,  221.  Wady  es-Siir  and  wells,  not  Beth-zur,  221,  222.  Immense  Butia 
tree,  Pistacia  Terebinthus,  222.    To  Beit  Nettif,  223. 

June  8th.  Warm  morning,  223.  "Way  to  'Am  Shems,  223,  224.  'Ain  Shems, 
Beth-shemesh,  also  Ir-shemesh,  224,  225.  Wady  Surar,  Rafat,  226.  Great  plain,  Khnlda, 
drawing  water  "  with  the  foot,"  226.  To  'Akir,  226.  'Akir,  Ekron,  227-229.  Yebna, 
Jabneh,  Wely  and  Wady  Rubin,  227,  228.  Ramleh  ;  lodge  with  'Abud  Murkus,  229. 
Hospitality,  upper  room,  washing  the  feet,  229,  230.  Tower  of  Ramleh,  beautiful 
prospect,  230-232.  Ancient  places  visible,  232.  Yafa,  population,  etc.  233.  House- 
hold of  our  host,  females  not  visible,  233.  Evening  upon  the  flat  roof,  233.  Restless 
night,  234. — Historical  Notices  of  Ramleh ;  not  an  ancient  town,  234-236.  The  tower 
once  a  minaret,  236-239.  Ramleh  not  RamcA ;  yet  a  Ramatha  somewhere  in  this 
region,  perhaps  Arimathea,  239-241.  Other  towns  in  the  plain,  Sariphaea,  Jehud, 
241,  242.    Antipatris,  now  Kefr  Saba,  242,  243.    Galgula,  243.    Itineraries,  243. 

June  9th.  Early  departure ;  attentiveness  of  our  host,  243.  Ludd,  Lydda,  Diospo- 
lis,  244,  245.  Ruined  church  of  St.  George,  245-247.  Historical  Notices,  247,  248. 
Daniyal,  248.  Jimzu,  Girmo,  249.  Two  roads  up  the  mountain  ;  we  cross  the  fields 
from  one  to  the  other;  el-Buij,  249.  Eharub  tree,  Ceraimia,  its  pods,  250.  Females; 
mother  of  a  conscript,  250.  Beit  'CTr  et-Tahta,  Nether  Beth-horon,  250.  Ascent  or 
Pass,  250,  251.  Beit  'CTr  el-F6ka,  Upper  Beth-horon,  251.  Notices,  251-253.  Yalo, 
Valley  of  Aijnlon,  253.  Beit  Nubah  of  the  crusaders,  254.  El-Kubeibeh,  not  Emmaus, 
254,  255.  Further  ascent,  el-Jib,  256.  Beit  Hanina  and  Wady,  256,  257.  Onr  tent 
before  the  Damascus  gate,  257. 


SECTION  XIV. 

Feom  Jerusalem  to  Nazareth  and  Mount  Tabor. 
Pages  258-367. 

Jerusalem  shut  up,  258.  Distress,  258,  259.  Market  at  the  gate,  259.  Scarcity 
of  coin,  259,  260.    Intercourse  with  our  friends,  260.    Preparations  for  our  departure, 

260.  — June  13th.  Take  leave  of  the  Holy  City,  reflections,  260,  261.    To  el-Bireh, 

261,  262.  Baking  bread,  262.  Roads  to  Nabulus,  262.  We  go  to  Jufna,  Roman 
road,  262,  2G3.  Rviins  of  ancient  church,  263.  Jufna,  Oophna,  264.  'Ain  Sinia ; 
'Atara,  Ataroth,  264,  265.  Lose  the  way  and  ascend  to  Jiljiha,  265.  Sinjil,  commo- 
tion, 266,  267.— 7une  lith.  Reports  of  Seilun ;  we  turn  off  to  visit  it,  267,  268. 
Turmus  'Aya,  268.  Seilun,  Shiloh,  268-271.  Khan,  plain,  and  village  el-Lubban, 
Ijebomth,  271,  272.  Khan  es-Sawieh,  272.  View  towards  Nabulus,  the  Mukhna, 
272-274.  Reserve  of  the  peasants,  274.  Approach  to  Nabulus,  274,  275.  Luxuriant 
verdure  west  of  the  town  ;  encamp,  275. 

Nabulus,  and  its  environs,  275.  Mounts  Gerizim  and  Ebal  aUke  sterile,  276.  Visit 
to  the  Samaritans,  276.  Ascent  of  Gerizim,  277.  Samaritan  guide  followed  by  his 
mother,  277.  Summit,  mins  of  a  fortress,  277,  278.  Sacred  place  of  the  Samaritans, 
278.  Traces  of  a  town,  279.  Wide  prospect,  279.  Small  plain  opposite ;  S&lim, 
Shalem,  279.    Other  ancient  towns,  280.    Return  to  the  Samaritans,  280.  Their 


CONTENTS. 


ix 


dress  and  language,  the  priest  and  synagogue,  281.  Professed  ancient  manuscript, 
281.  Their  number  and  observances,  282.  Jacob's  well,  283,  284.  Historical 
Notices  of  this  well,  284,  285.  Difficulties,  285,  286.  Population  of  Nabulus,  286.— 
Historical  Notices,  287,  288.  Origin  of  the  Samaritans,  289.  Temple  on  Gerizim, 
289,  290.  Called  Neapolis,  291.  Also  Sychar,  291.  Chief  seat  of  the  Samaritans,  292. 
Their  insurrections,  292-295.  The  middle  ages,  295,  296.  Modern  notices  of  the 
Samaritans,  296,  297.  Their  Pentateuch,  297,  298.  Correspondence  with  them  by 
Scaliger,  298.  By  Huntington,  299.  By  Ludolf,  299.  By  Gregoke  and  De  Sacy, 
299,  300.  Their  literature,  300.  Professed  book  of  Joshua,  300.  No  other  com- 
munities, 300,  301. — Recent  notices  of  Nabnlus  ;  war  of  1834,  etc.  301,  302. 

June  lath.  Valley  west  of  Nabulns,  skirted  with  villages,  302,  303.  Arab  mill 
and  aqueduct,  303.  Sebustieh  on  a  fine  hill,  304.  The  village  and  people,  304. 
Church  of  St  John,  304-306.  Keputed  sepulchre  of  John  Baptist,  legends,  305,  306. 
Threshing-floors;  threshing  with  the  sledge,  306,  307.  Hill  tiUed  to  the  top  ;  area  of 
columns,  307.  View,  307.  Ancient  colonnade  of  great  length,  308.  Sebasle,  Samaria, 
historical  notices,  308-311. 

Roads  to  Jenin;  we  go  by  Burka,  311.  View  from  the  high  ridge,  311.  Fende- 
kumieh,  312.  Jeba',  Geia,  312.  Sanur,  fortress  in  ruins,  312,  313.  Plain  covered 
with  water  in  winter,  313.  View  towards  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  314.  Kubatiyeh, 
314.  Jenin,  fine  fountain,  315.  Anc.  Gincea,  also  En-Gannim,  315.  Hills  skirting 
the  great  plain,  315,  316.  Ta'annuk,  Taanach;  Lejjun,  Legio,  316.  Arm  of  plain 
and  villages,  316.  Mountains  of  Gilboa,  316,  317.  Tubas,  Thebez;  Kefr  Kud,  Capar- 
cotia,  317. 

June  16(h.  New  guide,  318.  Pass  along  the  eastern  part  of  the  great  plain  to 
Zer'in,  318,  319.  It  stands  on  the  brow  of  a  deep  broad  valley  running  east  to  the 
Jordan,  a  second  arm  of  the  great  plain,  319,  320.  Mountain  of  Duhy,  or  little  Her- 
mon,  320.  Fountains  in  the  valley,  320.  City,  valley,  and  fountain  of  Jezreel,  320, 
321.  Identity  of  the  name,  321.  Historical  Notices,  322,  323.  Dead  Fountain,  323. 
'Ain  Jalud,  323,  324.  S61am,  Shunem,  .'^24,  325.— Notices  of  places :  Gilboa,  325. 
Little  Hermon,  326.  Valley  of  Jezreel,  327.  Beisan,  Beih-shean,  328.  Fuleh,  and 
the  battle  of  Mount  Tabor,  328.    Lejjto,  Legio,  Megiddo,  328-330. 

First  view  of  Mount  Tabor,  330.  Third  branch  of  the  great  plain,  330,  331.  Fu- 
leh and  'Afuleh,  water-shed,  331.  Caravan  road  from  Egypt  to  Damascus,  331.  View ; 
Iksal,  Chesulloth,  331,  332.  Ascent  of  the  hills  of  Nazareth,  and  view  of  the  plain,  332. 
Nazareth,  its  position,  333.  Call  on  Abu  Nasir,  a  merchant,  333.  Population,  333. 
Latin  convent,  334.  Maronite  church,  335.  Precipice ;  brow  of  the  hill,  335.  Le- 
gend of  the  mount  of  Precipitation,  335. — June  17tk.  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  and 
Greek  church,  336.  HiU  and  Wely  west  of  Nazareth ;  splendid  prospect  of  the  sea 
and  land,  336,  337.  Reflections,  337,  338.  Visit  at  Abu  Nasir's  house,  338.  Schools 
founded  by  him,  338.  Female  pupils,  339.  Dine  with  him,  339. — June  I8th.  Ascend 
western  hiU  ;  view  and  bearings,  339,  340.  Locusts  and  the  bird  which  follows  them, 
340. — Historical  Notices  of  Nazareth,  341-343.  Other  ancient  places  near :  Yafa, 
Japkia,  343.  Semunieh,  Simmias,  344.  Jebata,  Gabatha,  344.  SefiFurieh,  Sepphoris, 
DiocoBsarea,  344-346.    Kana  el-JelJl,  Cam  of  Galilee,  not  at  Kefr  Kenna,  346-349. 

Roads  to  Tiberias,  349.  We  go  to  Mount  Tabor,  350.  Deburieh,  Daherath,  350, 
351.  Ascent,  351.  Form  and  summit  of  Tabor,  351,  352.  Height,  352.  Ruins  of 
different  ages,  352,  353.  Churches  and  altars,  353.  View  extensive  and  beautiful, 
354,  355.  Water-shed  between  the  Jordan  and  western  sea;  little  stream  running  to 
the  former,  355,  356.  Form  of  little  Hermon ;  vUlages,  356.  Tabor  of  the  Scrip- 
tares  and  Josephus  (Itabyrion)  a  fortified  city,  356-358.    Hence  not  the  mount  of 


CONTENTS. 


Transfiguration,  358,  359.  Age  of  the  crusades,  churches  and  convents,  359,  360. 
Destroyed  by  Bibars,  360.  Other  places  visible :  Endur,  Endor,  360.  Nein,  Nain,  3G1. 
Kaukab  el-Hawa  or  Belvoir,  361. 

Plain-  of  Esdraelon,  form  and  extent,  362,  363.  River  Kishon,  now  el-Mu- 
kutta',  3C3.  A  temporary  stream  upon  the  plain,  now  dry  but  often  full,  363,  364. 
Waters  from  Tabor  flow  to  it,  364.  Former  error,  which  makes  part  of  the  Kishon 
run  to  the  Jordan,  364.  The  Mukutta'  permanent;  its  sources,  365. — Battles  in  and 
near  the  plain,  366,  367. 


SECTION  XV. 

Feom  Mounx  Taboe  by  thk  Lake  of  Tibeeias  to  Safed. 
Pages  368-442. 

June  19th,  Sunrise  and  dew  on  Mount  Tabor,  368.  Morning  mist,  368,  Descent 
to  Khan  et-Tujjar,  368,  369.  Damascus  road,  Ard  el-Hamma,  Kcfr  Sabt,  369.  Plain 
of  Tur'an  and  Kefr  Kenna,  369.  Lubieh,  370.  TeU  Hattin  and  Wely  of  Jethro  ;  sin- 
gular form,  370.  Prospect  overrated  by  Dr  Clarke,  371.  Legend  as  to  the  Sermon 
on  the  Jlount,  371. — Great  battle  of  Hattin  took  place  on  and  around  this  TeU  ;  de- 
scribed, 372-377.  Death  of  Raynald  by  the  hand  of  Saladin,  376,  377. — Village  of 
Hattin,  378.  Deep  Wady  el-Hamam  with  Kul'at  Ibn  ISIa'an,  378.  Ruins  of  Irbid, 
Arhda,  not  Bethsaida,  379,  380.    Locust-bird,  379. 

First  view  of  the  Lake  of  Tiberias ;  scenery  naked  and  comparatively  tame,  sail- 
boat, 380.  Tiberias  in  ruins,  380.  Position,  the  waEs  prostrated  by  the  recent  earth- 
quake, 380,  381.  The  Jews  the  chief  sufferers,  381.  Earthquake  of  1759  equally 
destructive,  382.  Church  of  St.  Peter,  382.  Site  and  remains  of  the  ancient  city,  383. 
Hot  baths  further  south-;  new  building,  383.  General  character,  384.  Historical 
Notices  of  the  baths,  385.  Waters  of  the  lake,  385.  Full  of  fine  fish,  386.  The  boat, 
386.  View  from  Tiberias,  386.  Southern  end  of  the  lake,  Taricluea,  387.  Semakh 
and  other  villages,  387.  Climate  and  productions,  388.  Limestone  with  basalt,  388. 
Founding  of  Tiberias ;  Historical  Notices,  389,  390.  Inhabited  later  only  by  Jews  ; 
their  celebrated  school ;  the  Mishnah  and  Talmuds,  390-392.  Church  built  under 
Constantine,  391.    Middle  ages,  392,  393.    Later  notices ;  Sheikh  Dbaher,  393,  394. 

June  20th.  Message  from  Abu  Nasir ;  insurrection  of  the  Druzcs  towards  Damas- 
cus ;  our  change  of  plan,  394,  395.  Land  of  rumours,  395.  Set  ofiF  for  N.  end  of  the 
lake,  395.  'Ain  el-Barideh,  396.  El-Mejdel,  Magdala,  396,  397.  Wady  el-Hamam 
and  Kul'at  Ibn  Ma'an  described ;  the  ancient  caverns  of  Arbela,  now  Irbid,  398,  399. 
Fine  plain  beyond  Mejdel,  the  Gennesarelh  of  Josephus,  400.  Search  for  Capernaum, 
401.  'Ain  el-Mudauwarah  or  Round  Fountain,  400,  401.  No  trace  of  Capernaum 
near  by,  401.  Wady  er-Rubudiyeh  and  Abu  Shusheh,  fine  stream,  401.  View  of  the 
plain,  402.  Ghawariueh,  402.  Khan  Minyeh  and  'Ain  et-Tin,  402,  403.  Here  prob- 
ably the  site  of  Capernaum,  403-405.  Of  Bethsaida  and  Chorazin  there  remains  no 
definite  trace,  404,  405.    Nor  of  the  name  Capernaum,  etc.  405. 

Proceed  along  the  shore ;  'Ain  et-Tabighah,  405,  406.  Volcanic  stones,  406. 
Tell  Hum,  extensive  and  singular  remains,  406-408.  Not  Capernaum,  408.  Entrance 
of  the  Jordan,  409.  Unusual  appearance,  409.  Encamp,  409.  Fine  plain  beyoud 
the  river,  the  Batihah,  409,  410.    Feverish  illness,  waut  of  shade,  410.    Excursion  oa 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


that  plain,  ruins,  Dukah,  410,  411.  Character  of  the  Batihah;  Ghawarineh,  411. 
Buffulos;  probably  the  Reem  (unicorn)  of  the  Hebrew,  411,  412.  Perennial  streams, 
412.  Tents  and  reed  huts  of  the  Ghawarineh,  412.  Et-Tell,  the  site  of  Beihsaida  of 
Gaulonitis  or  Julias,  413,  414. — Character  of  the  upper  Jordan,  414.  Its  valley  be- 
tween the  lakes  of  Tiberias  and  the  Huleh  ;  distance,  414,  415.  Shores  of  the  lake  of 
Tiberias,  415,  416.  Storms,  416.  Volcanic  appearances,  416.  Extent  of  the  lake,  417. 

June  2\st.  Way  to  Safed,  417,  418.  Damascus  road  by  the  bridge,  418.  Khan 
Jubb  Yusuf,  and  legend  of  Joseph's  pit,  418,  419.    Ascent,  view  of  Safed,  harvesters, 

419.  High  position  of  Safed  with  its  castle,  420.    Character  of  the  place  and  people, 

420,  421.  Jewish  quarter,  421.  The  castle,  422.  Earthquake  of  Jan.  1,  1837, 
causes  its  almost  total  destruction,  422,  423.  Contributions  and  mission  from  Beirut, 
423.  Now  partially  rebuUt,  423.  Destroyed  in  like  manner  in  1759  by  an  earth- 
quake, 424.  Apparently  the  central  point  of  that  of  1837 ;  phenomena,  424. — His- 
torical Notices :  Safed  probably  not  an  ancient  place ;  not  Bethulia,  424,  425.  No 
definite  notice  of  it  before  the  crusades,  425.  Its  castle  then  first  built,  426.  Rebuilt 
by  the  Templars,  427,  428.  Later  state,  428.  Seat  of  the  Jews  and  a  celebrated 
school;  its  Rabbis,  428-430.  Meiron,  Jewish  cemetery,  etc.  430,  431.  Situation 
and  climate  of  Safed,  431.  Wide  and  splendid  view,  432. — Further  information  as  to 
the  Druzes ;  disappointment  and  change  of  plan,  432-434. 

Region  of  the  Huleh.  Excursion  to  Benit,  434.  View  of  the  lake,  its  charac- 
ter and  extent,  434,  435.  Arable  tract  along  the  shore,  'Ain  el-Mellahah,  'Ain  Belat, 
435.   Canal  and  plain  north  of  the  lake,  436.  Name  el-Huleh,  436.   Castle  of  Banias, 

437.  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon,  437.  Jebel  esh-Sheikh  and  Jebel  Heish,  437. 
Gorge  of  the  Litftny,  and  Lebanon  further  south,  Jebel  Safed,  438.    Wady  et-Teim, 

438.  Merj  'Ayun,  438. — View  from  Benit,  439.  Historical  Notices :  el-Huleh,  Me- 
tvm,  Samochotdtis,  440.  Jebel  esh-Sheikh,  Hermon,  440.   Jisr  Benat  Ya'kob,  441,  442. 


SECTION  XVI. 

Feom  Sated  by  Ttee  and  Sidon  to  Beirut. 
Pages  443-500. 

June  22d.  Way  from  Safed  to  Sidon  almost  unknown,  443,  444.  Village  'Ain  ez- 
Zeitun,  444.  Volcanic  stones  and  extinct  crater,  444,  445.  El-Jish,  Giscala,  de- 
stroyed by  the  earthquake,  445,  446.  Cultivated  region,  Yaron  and  Maron,  447, 
Sarcophagus  as  a  tomb,  447.  Stop  at  Biat  JebeO ;  exposed  to  a  night  attack,  448, 
449.  Metawileh,  448.  We  lodge  in  the  house  of  one  of  the  inhabitants ;  the  house 
described,  448,  449.  Belad  Besharah;  butter  for  oil,  449.  Districts  el-Jebel  and 
esh-Shaghur,  449. 

June  23(i.  Sick  muleteer  left  behind,  449,  450.  Wooded  region,  450.  Village 
Haddata,  castles  of  Tihnin  (Toron)  and  esh-Shukif  (Belfort),  450.  Hist.  Notices  of 
Tibnin,  451-453.  Hist.  Notices  of  esh-Shiikif,  453,  454.  Brow  of  long  descent,  454. 
Magnificent  view  of  Tyre  and  its  plain,  465.  Secluded  Wady  'Ashur,  455.  Villages ; 
Kana,  Kanah,  455,  456.  Cultivation  of  tobacco  for  exportation,  456.  Tomb  of  Hiram, 
a  remarkable  monument,  456.  Ras  el-'Ain,  immense  fountains,  with  resen-oirs  and 
aqueducts  for  the  supply  of  ancient  Tyre,  457,  458.  Not  brought  from  Lebanon,  458. 
Historical  Notices,  459.  We  follow  the  ancient  aqueduct  running  towards  Ma'shuk, 
459,  400.   Reach  Tyre  across  the  isthmus,  461.  Quarantine-guard,  461.    Seek  a  place 


xii  CONTENTS. 

for  OUT  tent,  461.  American  consular  agents  in  Syria,  461.  Go  to  the  house  of  the 
agent  in  Tyre,  461.    Burdensome  hospitality,  462.    Imitation  of  Frank  customs,  462. 

June.  2^(h.  Christian  sabbath,  462,  463.  Bathe  in  the  sea,  463.  Reflections  on 
ancient  Tyre,  463.  Present  town,  463-467.  Peninsula  and  isthmus,  463,  464. 
Port,  now  fast  fiUing  up,  464.  Rocky  western  shore,  464.  Strewed  with  columns  in 
the  water,  464,  465.  Vall  of  the  port  rests  on  columns,  465.  Ruins  of  the  ancient 
cathedral,  465.  Frederic  Barharossa,  466.  Aspect  of  the  city,  population,  earth- 
quake, 466.  Supply  of  water,  467.  Historical  Notices,  467,  468.  Middle  ages, 
468^70.    Ruins  and  revival,  470.    Site  of  Palsetjrrus,  471. 

June,  2hth.  Depart  for  Sidon,  471.  Fountain,  472.  Khan  el-Kasimiyeh,  472. 
River  el-Kasimiyeh,  Leontes,  472,  473.  Great  Phenician  plain,  473.  'Adlan,  an 
ancient  site,  Omithonpolis  ?  474.  Sepulchres,  ancient  Mearah  9  474.  El-Khfidr,  Sura- 
fend,  Sarepta,  474-476.  'Ain  el-Bur^k  and  plantations,  476.  Roman  milestone,  plain 
of  Saida,  476.  Quarantine  outpost,  delay,  476.  Second  Roman  milestone,  476.  Ap- 
proach to  Saida,  gardens  and  country-seats,  477.  Stopped  at  the  gate  ;  encamp  out- 
side, 477.  Native  friend,  477.  Visit  to  the  American  consular  agent ;  hospitality, 
sick  child,  477,  478.  The  present  city,  its  position,  aspect,  buildings,  478-480.  Pop- 
ulation, commerce,  479.  Fruits  and  gardens,  479,  480.  Lady  Hester  Stanhope,  480. 
Historical  Notices  of  Sidon,  480,  481.  Middle  ages,  481-483.  Fakhr  ed-Din,  483. 
French  factory  and  commerce,  483-485.    Broken  up  by  Jezzar,  485. 

June  26tk.  Way  to  Beirut,  485.  Lazaretto  and  plague,  485.  Nahr  el-Auwaly, 
ancient  Sostrenus,  485,  486.  Mulberry  orchards,  southern  heights  of  Lebanon,  486. 
Roman  road,  487.  Sandy  cove  and  Khan  Neby  Yunas,  Jiyeh,  mulberry  groves,  487. 
Character  of  this  and  other  Khans,  487.  Site  of  Porphyreon,  487.  Roman  mile- 
stone, promontory,  488.  Nahr  ed-Damur,  a  wild  stream,  ancient  Tamyras,  488,  489. 
Battle  of  Antiochus  and  site  of  Platamim,  488.  Khans  el-Musry,  el-Ghiifr,  el-Khulda, 
489.  Numerous  sarcophagi,  489.  Promontory  of  Beirut,  sand-hills,  489,  490.  Plain 
and  immense  olive  grove,  490.  Silk,  and  mulberry  trees,  490.'  Grove  of  pines,  sani- 
tary cordon,  490.    We  encamp  for  the  night,  491. 

Enter  Beirut  June  27th ;  family  of  Messrs  Thomson  and  Hebard,  491.  Situation 
and  aspect  of  the  town,  491,  492.  Gardens  and  verdure  around ;  houses  of  the  Franks, 
492.  Prospect  from  our  windows,  492.  Nahr  Beirut,  ancient  Magoras,  492.  Leba- 
non and  its  heights ;  white  appearance,  whence  the  name,  493.  Teems  with  cultiva- 
tion and  villages,  493.  The  grove  of  cedars,  493.  Temples  on  Lebanon,  493.  Berytus, 
notBerothah,  494,  495.  Historical  Notices,  494.  Celebrated  school  of  law,  494,  495. 
Middle  ages,  495,  496.  Later  history,  496,  497.  Flourishing  state,  496.  Population, 
497.    Missionary  station,  497.    Recent  bombardment,  497. 

Conclusion.  Plans,  497-498.  Illness,  498.  Voyage  to  Smyrna  byway  of  Alex- 
andria, 498,  499.  Constantinople,  499.  The  Danube,  499,  500.  Dangerous  illness 
at  Vienna,  500. 


SECTION  XVII. 

Religious  Sects  in  Sybia  and  Palkstink 
Pages  501-512. 

Christians. — Sources  of  information,  601.  Numbers  and  sects,  501.  Greeks,  502. 
Are  Arabs  by  birth  and  language,  502.    The  high  clergy  foreigners,  502.    Clergy  not 


CONTENTS, 


xiii 


instructed,  503.  Organization,  503.  Greek  Caiholics,  504.  Clergy  are  natives,  505. 
College,  505.  Printing-press  of  long  standing,  505.  JIaronites,  505.  Devoted  to  the 
pope,  506.  Their  districts  and  power,  506.  College  at  'Ain  Warkah,  507.  Syrians 
or  Jacobites,  507.  Syrian  Catholics,  508.  Armenians,  508.  Armeni/^n  Catholics,  508. 
Latins,  509.    Convents  on  Lebanon,  509.    Protestants,  not  then  tolerated  as  such,  509, 

510.  Interest  of  England  in  affording  protection  to  Protestants,  510,  511.  This  easily 
accomplished,  511. 

McHAMJiEDANS  ASD  OTHER  Sects. — Jfuhommedans,  511.  Metdmleh,  511.  Druzes, 

511.  yusairiyehf  512.    Isma'iliyeh,  512. 


NOTES. 

Note  XXXI.       SnusiEiL,  St.  Samtjel.    Correction  of  an  error  as  to  a 

castle  of  St.  Samuel  and  Abraham,          .          .  533,  534 

XXXn.  The  "Desert"  near  Gaza.  The  "desert"  in  Acts 
viii  26,  refers  probably  to  the  road,  as  passing 
through  an  uninhabited  region,  and  not  to  the  city 

of  Gaza,   514,515 

XXXin.     CuFic  Inscbiptions,  at  Beit  Jibrin,          .          .  515,  516 

XXXTV.     Vicus  BETAGAB.EORUM ;  more  probably  Tagabceorum, 

the  present  Tubaka,         ....  516,  517 

XXXV.      ZoAR.    Proofs  that  it  was  situated  on  the  east  of  the 

Dead  sea,       ....          .  617-519 

XXXVL      Tomb  of  Aaron.    Irby  and  Mangles'  description  of 

their  ascent  of  Mount  Hor,          .          .          .  619-521 

XXXVn.    Petka.    Ancient  names ;  not  er-Raklm,  nor  el-Hijr. 

Only  one  city  Petra ;  sources  of  confusion,           .  621-524 

XXXVin.  Catastrophe  of  Sodom.     Letter  in  French  from 

L.  von  Buch,  on  the  geology  of  the  region,      .  524-526 

XXXIX.     Stations  of  the  Isbablites.    Synoptical  view,        .  526-528 

XL.  Itineraries.     From  'Akka  to  Yafa  ;   and  between 

Yafa  and  Jerusalem,   ....  528 

XII.          Earthquake  at  Safed.    Eev.  Mr  Thomson's  Report,  529-531 
YOIi.  u.  B 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

Appendix  I.  Chronological  Li.st  of  Works  on  Palestine,  etc.  533-."55 

"       n.  La  Citez  de  Jheecsalem,  etc          .          ,          .  556-562 

Itinerart,  ........  563-576 

Index      I.  Arabic  Nasies  and  Words,   ....  577-591 

"          n.  Ancient  Geography,  ANTiQunxes,  etc.    .          ,  592-598 

"         ni.  Passages  of  Scripture  Illustrated,           .          .  599,  600 


SECTION  II. 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA  AND  HEBRON. 

On  returning  from  our  eight  days'  excursion  to  the  Dead  Sea 
and  J ordan,  we  found  the  plague  slowly  increasing  in  J erusalem, 
and  the  alarm  becoming  more  deep  and  general.  The  superior 
health-oflScer  of  the  coast,  from  Beiri\t,  had  arrived  ;  and  there 
was  reason  to  suppose  that  the  city  would  soon  be  shut  up,  either 
by  drawing  a  cordon  of  troops  around  it,  or  by  closing  the  gates. 
The  object  of  such  a  measure,  in  the  true  style  of  oriental  des- 
potism, is  to  hinder  the  spread  of  the  plague  among  the  villages, 
by  cutting  off  all  communication,  and  preventing  the  egress  of 
persons  from  the  city  ;  the  inhabitants  of  the  latter  being  in  this 
manner  left,  not  only  to  suffer  the  actual  horrors  of  the  plague, 
but  to  see  them  aggravated  among  a  population  thus  pent  up  in 
misery  and  filth,  without  fresh  air,  and  without  the  ordinary 
supplies  of  fresh  provisions  from  the  country.  Some  of  the  other 
evils  attendant  on  such  a  state  of  things,  have  already  been  al- 
luded to.' 

It  had  been  our  intention  to  remain  some  days  in  Jerusalem ; 
and  we  had  planned  a  short  excursion  to  Bethany  and  St.  Saba ; 
and  thence  by  way  of  the  Frank  mountain  and  Bethlehem  to 
St.  John's  in  the  desert  and  Soba.  But  the  circumstances  above 
detailed  induced  us  to  change  our  plan,  and  depart  as  soon  as.  pos- 
sible on  a  longer  journey,  before  the  rumour  of  the  closing  of  the 
city  should  be  spread  abroad,  and  prevent  perhaps  our  entrance  in- 
to the  larger  towns.  We  therefore  now  stopped  at  J  erusalem  but 
a  single  day,  and  took  our  departure  for  Gaza  and  Hebron ;  in- 
tending to  make  an  excursion  from  the  latter  place  to  Wady 
Musa.  We  chose  the  direct  route  to  Gaza  through  the  moun- 
tains, instead  of  the  usual  one  by  Kamleh,  as  being  less  travelled 
and  less  known  ;  and  one  of  our  main  objects  in  doing  so,  was  to 
search  for  the  site  of  the  long  lost  Eleutheropolis.   Our  departure 


Vol.  n.— 1 


'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  249. 


ii.  320  321 


2 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


was  well  timed  ;  for  the  gates  were  closed  tlie  very  next  day,  and 
the  city  remained  shut  up  untU  July. 

This  journey  was  undertaken  by  Mr  Smith  and  myself  alone ; 
our  companion  preferring  to  remain  in  the  city,  and  take  his  risk 
of  a  quarantine  ;  which  might  be  necessary  in  order  to  join  us 
afterwards  on  our  journey  northwards.  We  left  our  trunks  and 
extra  baggage  also  in  J erusalem,  although  we  knew  there  might 
be  difficulty  in  obtauiing  them  again ;  but  we  regarded  them  as 
safer  in  the  hands  of  our  friends  than  elsewhere ;  and  the  worst 
that  could  happen  would  be  a  quarantiae  in  charge  of  our  fellow 
traveller.  The  part  of  the  country  to  which  we  were  going,  was 
known  to  be  comparatively  safe  ;  though  stories  of  robbery  were 
not  wanting.  We  engaged  only  a  single  guide,  a  Christian  from 
Beit  J ala,  who  had  often  travelled  the  route,  and  proved  to  be 
well  acquainted  with  the  country.  Instead  of  the  insolent.  Mu- 
kariyeh  of  Jerusalem,  we  now  hired  muleteers  from  Lifta,  a  vil- 
lage in  the  great  Wady  Beit  Hanina  ;  where  every  peasant  keeps 
his  mule  and  usually  accompanies  it.  They  brought  us  four 
mules  and  one  horse,  with  a  man  for  each  ;  we  paj-ing  15^  or 
16  piastres  a  day  for  each  animal,  according  to  good  behaviour  ; 
and  half  price  for  the  days  we  should  lie  by  ;  the  men  receiving 
nothing  extra,  and  furnishing  themselves.  Thus  with  our  two 
servants  and  guide,  we  mustered  in  all  ten  men,  and  felt  our- 
selves secure  against  all  ordinary  thieves  or  plunderers. 

Thursday,  3Iay  Vlth.  We  bade  adieu  to  our  friends,  and 
left  the  Yafa  gate  at  five  minutes  before  8  o'clock  ;  taking  the 
Bethlehem  road  which  we  had  before  travelled.  The  single  horse 
in  our  party  was  by  a  sort  of  tacit  consent  allotted  to  me  ;  but 
its  gait  was  so  hard,  and  the  animal  required  withal  so  much 
urging,  that  I  was  glad  the  next  day  to  exchange  it  for  one  of 
the  mules,  and  was  decidedly  a  gainer. 

The  proper  Gaza  road  passes  down  along  or  near  Wady  el- 
Werd  ;  but  we  made  a  circuit  by  the  village  of  Beit  Jala  in  order 
to  accommodate  oi;r  guide.  W^e  reached  Mar  Elyas  in  an  hour ; 
and  leaving  the  tomb  of  Rachel  at  9.2  o'clock,  and  crossing 
Wady  Ahmed  through  the  olive  groves,  we  ascended  along  the 
southern  side  of  Beit  Jala,  and  stopped  near  its  upper  part  at  10 
o'clock.  We  did  not  enter  the  village,  but  waited  among  the 
olive  trees,  until  our  guide  had  taken  leave  of  his  family  and 
again  joined  us  ;  bringing  with  him  a  half  starved  donkey,  not 
much  larger  than  a  rat. 

Beit  Jala  is  closely  built  on  the  eastern  declivity  of  a  high 
lull,  and  is  inhabited  solely  by  Christians.  The  tradition  for- 
merly was  current,  that  no  Muhammcdan  could  live  in  it  more 
than  two  years."    Our  guide,  in  the  course  of  our  journey,  gave 

'  Tliis  tradition  is  mentioned  in  A.  D.  149G  in  the  Jouiney  of  Alexander,  Pala- 
ii.  321,  322 


.Wat  ir.] 


BEIT  JALA. 


US  much  information  respecting  this  his  native  village  ;  the  sum 
of  which  here  follows.  Beit  Jala  belongs  to  the  Tekiyeh/  a 
charitable  establishment  in  Jerusalem,  near  the  Haram.  Its 
taxable  males,  above  fifteen  years  of  age,  are  reckoned  at  five 
hundred  ;  indicating  a  population  of  about  two  thousand  souls. 
Of  the  men,  sixty  can  read,  not  including  the  younger  boys. 

Under  the  former  government,  the  inhabitants  paid  the  Kha- 
raj  to  the  Greek  convents,  averaging  from  twelve  to  fifteen  ZuMt 
(of  30  paras)  for  each  person.  From  the  convents  of  Mar  Elyas, 
el-MusuUabeh  (the  Cross),  and  el-Khudr  (St.  George),  three  men 
received  from  300  to  500  Zulut  for  j^loughing  ;  the  convents 
owning  the  land  and  furnishing  the  cattle.  Further,  the  five 
Sheikhs  of  the  village  received  each  from  the  convents  from  100 
to  150  Zulut  per  annum  towards  their  support,  and  also  their 
expenses  whenever  they  went  to  Jerusalem.  To  the  government 
the  village  paid  fourteen  purses  tribute  ('Abildiyeh)  ;  and  to  the 
,Tekiyeh  in  Jerusalem  each  man  paid  fifteen  Zulut. — Subse- 
quently, the  village  relinquished  to  the  convents  the  sums  re- 
ceived for  ploughing  ;  and  the  convents  relinquished  the  collec- 
tion of  the  Kharaj,  continuing  to  pay  it  for  the  village  out  of 
their  own  treasury. 

Under  the  present  Egyptian  government,  only  the  payment 
to  the  Tekiyeh  remains  as  it  was.  The  convents  have  no  claims 
upon  the  village,  nor  the  village  upon  the  convents  ;  except  that 
the  latter  collect  voluntary  contributions.  The  demands  of  the 
government  are  as  follows  :  Kharaj,  twenty,  twenty-five,  and 
thirty-three  piastres  ;  Firdeh,  twenty  piastres  ;  A'aneh  (aid) 
thirty-six  piastres,  which  is  increased  to  forty-five  by  the  five 
Sheikhs  for  their  support.-  These  are  exacted  from  each  man. 
The  village  also  has  to  furnish  daily  twenty  men  for  the  public 
works,  who  are  paid  one  and  a  quarter  piastres  a  day  by  the 
government,  and  thirteen  piastres  weekly  by  the  village.  For 
each  ewe  and  she  goat  is  paid  one  piastre  ;  for  each  donkey,  ten  ; 
for  each  mule,  twenty  ;  for  each  camel,  thirty  ;  and  for  every 
yoke  of  oxen,  one  hundred  and  tifty  piastres.  This  last  is  con- 
sidered as  a  tax  upon  the  grain  raised  ;  but  the  owner  of  the 
oxen  is  responsible  for  it.  Each  olive  tree  pays  one  piastre  ;  and 
for  every  five  trees,  an  oke''  of  oil  is  paid  in  addition.  Each  Fed- 
dan  (yoke)  of  figs  and  grapes  pays  thirty  piastres.  Besides  aU 
this,  the  village  has  to  pay  fifteen  purses  on  wine  and  'Arak  for 
home  consumption,  whether  they  make  any  or  not ;  and  without 
even  the  right  of  selling  or  giving  away. — Our  guide,  who  was 

tine  of  the  Rhine;  Reissb.  des  h.  Landes  '  This  is  the  hospital  of  Helena,  so  call- 
p.  7.">.    So  too  Doubdan  p.  170.    Maun-    ed  by  the  Franks. 

drell  Apr.  2.  Pococke  Descr.  of  the  East,  About  2J  lbs.  English ;  Lane's  Mod. 

II-  >•  P-  45.  Egyptians  II.  p.  372. 

u.  322-324 


4 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Stxx  XI 


only  a  common  man,  paid  more  tlian  three  hundred  piastres,  or 
fifteen  Spanish  dollars  annually. 

We  set  off  again  from  Beit  Jala  at  10^  o'clock,  ■winding 
around  the  hill  above  the  village  towards  the  northwest  among 
vineyards  and  gardens  of  olive  and  fig  trees.  The  hill  is  every- 
where terraced  and  cultivated,  as  in  ancient  times  ;  indicating 
more  industry  and  thrift  than  is  usual  in  the  villages.  At  half 
past  ten,  we  came  out  upon  the  height  of  land,  whence  we  could 
see  Jerasalem,  and  had  also  a  view  before  us  of  the  httle  "\dllage 
of  St.  George,  and  of  Beit  'Atab  in  the  distance  on  a  high  hill.' 

Before  us  was  now  a  level  rocky  tract  of  no  great  breadth, 
and  then  a  long  descent  into  the  short  but  very  deep  Wady  Bit- 
tir,  running  northwest  into  the  Werd.  After  a  delay  of  ten 
minutes  we  set  foi-ward,  and  came  in  fifteen  minutes  to  a  small 
fountain  about  half  way  down  the  descent,  called  Hand  Kibriyan, 
"  Cyprian's  Trough,"  by  which  are  the  remains  of  a  wall  of  very- 
large  stones.  Instead  of  descending  any  further  into  the  deep 
valley,  we  now  made  a  circuit  to  the  left  around  its  head,  and  at 
11^  o'clock  were  near  the  little  village  St.  George  (Arabic  el- 
Khiadr)  on  the  rocky  land  west  of  the  head  of  Wady  Bittir. 
We  had  formerly  seen  this  place  as  we  approached  Solomon's 
pools  from  the  south.*  ^'here  is  here  a  small  Greek  church  con- 
nected with  a  convent ;  the  latter  being  a  branch  of  the  large 
Greek  convent  in  Jerusalem.  The  earher  travellers  were  accus- 
tomed to  visit  it  as  one  of  the  holy  places  around  Bethlehem  ; 
and  were  shown  in  the  church  the  long  chain  and  iron  collar, 
with  which  St.  George  had  been  bound. ^  The  land  around  be- 
longs to  the  convent.^ 

The  village  lay  somewhat  to  the  left  as  we  passed  along 
northwest  to  gain  the  ridge  west  of  Wady  Bittir,  which  we  then 
continued  to  ascend,  till  at  11|  o'clock  we  reached  its  highest 
point  ;  having  lost  not  less  than  twenty  or  thirty  minutes  by  our 
circuit.  From  this  sightly  spot,  over  Wady  Bittir,  we  had  a 
commanding  view  of  the  country  before  us  ;  and  halted  for  a 
time  in  order  to  make  ourselves  acquainted  with  its  leading  fea- 
tures. 

The  view  towards  the  right  embraced  the  whole  tract  north 
and  west  of  J erusalem,  drained  by  the  great  Wady  Beit  Hanina. 
The  Holy  City  itself  was  not  visible,  being  situated  behind  the 
high  ground  which  lies  between  Wady  Bittir  and  Wady  el-Werd. 
But  from  er-Ram  and  Neby  Samwil  the  whole  course  of  the 
great  Wady  could  be  traced  as  it  passes  down  southwest  by 

'  The  bearings  were  as  follows  :  Jemsa-  vie.  p.  240.    Qnaresmins  IT.  p.  11.  Donb- 

lem  N.  E.   M.ir  Elvas  N.  65"  E.    St.  dan  p.  171.    Pococke  U.  i.  p.  44. 

George  S  60'  W.    Beit  'Atab  N.  72°  W.  *  We  visited  this  rlace  in  1852 ;  see 

'  See  Vol  I.  p.  217.  Vol.  IIL  Sec.  VI,  penult 

'  Felix  l  abri  in  Reissb.  p.  283.  Coto- 

iU  324,  325 


May  17.] 


WIDE  VIEW. 


5 


Kulonieh  and  east  of  Kustul  and  Soba.  Near  at  hand  Wady 
el-Werd  was  seen,  here  also  a  deep  nigged  valley,  running 
nearly  west,  on  the  south  of  the  village  el-Welejeh  (the  St. 
Philip's  of  the  Latins)  ;  and  uniting  with  the  former  valley  not 
far  beyond  the  village  el-Kabu,  among  steep  rocky  mountains. 
Below  this  junction,  the  great  valley  takes  the  name  of  Wady 
Isma'in  (Isma'il)  ;  bends  W.  S.  W.  through  a  ridge  of  higher  land  ; 
and,  issuing  upon  the  western  plain  under  the  name  of  Wady  es- 
Surar,  turns  northwest  and  runs  through  the  plain  to  the  sea  near 
Yebna  ;  where  at  last  it  is  called  Wady  Rubin.  Up  this  valley 
there  was  said  to  be  a  very  rocky  and  difficult  road.  The  ridge 
just  mentioned  forms  the  western  brow  of  the  high  mountainous 
tract,  on  which  Jerusalem  is  situated,  just  where  this  latter  sinks 
down  precipitously  to  the  lower  hills,  which  lie  between  it  and 
the  western  plain.  The  ridge  in  question  forms  a  continuation 
of  the  high  ground  around  and  west  of  Neby  Samwil,  running 
off  towards  the  south  ;  and  is  skirted  on  the  east  by  the  valley 
in  which  Kuryet  el-'Enab  is  situated,  running  in  the  same  direc- 
tion to  join  the  great  valley.  Although  Wady  Isma'in  breaks 
through  this  ridge,  yet  a  spur  or  promontory  from  it  runs  out 
towards  the  west,  along  the  north  side  of  that  valley,  quite  to 
the  plain,  interrupting  for  a  time  the  tract  of  lower  hills,  and 
forming  a  bastion  around  which  Wady  es-Surar  bends  north- 
west. 

South  of  Wady  Isma'in  the  land  is  still  at  first  high,  and  on 
the  brink  of  the  descent  to  the  valley  stands  the  lofty  village 
Deir  el-Hawa.  But  the  surface  soon  descends  gradually  towards 
the  south  ;  and  here  somewhat  lower  and  nearer  to  where  we 
stood,  though  stiU  quite  elevated,  is  the  village  Beit  'Atab. 

Towards  the  southwest  our  view  rested  upon  a  lower  region 
of  country,  seen  down  another  deep  broad  valley  called  Wady 
el-Musurr,  here  running  W.  S.  W.  and  uniting  further  down 
with  several  others  to  form  Wady  es-Sumt.  This  latter  valley 
runs  for  a  time  nearly  west,  and  then  bends  northwest  and  join- 
ing Wady  es-Surar  upon  the  plain,  goes  to  the  sea  near  Yebna. 
Between  the  Surar  and  the  Musurr  and  Sumt,  the  elevated  land 
around  Deir  el-Hawa  and  Beit  'Atab  declines  gradually  towards 
the  southwest,  forming  a  high  tract  of  broken  table  land,  which 
sinks  down  suddenly  to  lower  hills  just  west  of  the  village  of 
Beit  Nettif. 

South  of  Wady  el-Musurr,  the  precipitous  western  wall  of 
the  higher  mountainous  tract  towards  Hebron  lies  further  back, 
nearly  in  a  Ime  with  the  spot  on  which  we  stood  ;  while  a  broad 
.region  of  lower  hills  and  open  valleys  is  spread  out  between  it 
and  the  western  plain.  The  liigher  tract  of  mountains,  as  we 
have  seen,  rises  to  the  height  of  nearly  2800  feet ;  the  region  of 

ii.  325-327 


6 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


hills  reaches  apparently  about  one  third  of  the  same  elevation 
above  the  sea  and  plain. — Upon  an  isolated  hill  in  the  midst  of 
Wady  el-Musurr,  on  the  south  side  of  its  bed  and  near  the 
moimtains,  lies  the  village  of  Jeb'ah.  This  is  doubtless  the 
Gibeah  of  the  mountains  of  Judah  ;  and  probably  the  Gabatha 
of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  twelve  Roman  miles  from  Eleuthero- 
polis. ' 


As  we  now  saw  the  somewhat  remarkable  points  Soba  and  el- 
Kustul  for  the  last  time,  I  prefer  to  bring  together  here  all  that 
I  have  yet  to  say  respecting  them. 

The  latter  name,  el-Kustul,  is  obviously  an  Arabic  corruption 
of  the  Latin  word  Castellum  ;  but  I  am  unable  to  say  what 
castle  is  meant,  or  whether  there  was  an  earher  Arabic  name, 
Kustrd  lies  on  a  conical  liill  about  an  hour  from  Kuryet  el-'Enab 
towards  Jerusalem,  south  of  the  road  ;  and  also  near  the  way 
from  Soba  to  Kulonieh  and  Jerusalem,  about  equidistant  be- 
tween the  two  former  places.'^ 

Soba  is  also  situated  on  a  conical  hill  upon  the  lofty  ridge 
overlooking  the  great  Wady  Isma'in  on  the  west,  nearly  opposite 
to  the  convent  of  St.  John.  From  Kuryet  el-'Enab,  looking 
down  the  valley,  it  is  seen  at  some  distance  in  the  south.  It  is 
one  hour  distant  from  Kulonieh,  and  two  hours  and  a  half  from 
Jerusalem.^  Soba  belongs  to  the  family  of  Abu  Ghaush,  whose 
seat  is  at  Kuryet  el-'Enab  ;  and  the  chief  of  that  name  whom 
we  saw,  related  to  us,  that  when  governor  of  Jerusah'm,  he  had 
been  compelled  to  lay  the  place  in  ruins  on  account  of  the  re- 
bellion of  the  inhabitants,  and  had  not  visited  it  since.* 

By  a  singular  perversion,  of  which  I  am  not  able  to  trace 
the  origin,  Soba  has  now  for  centuries  been  regarded  in  monastic 
tradition  as  the  site  of  the  ancient  Modin,  the  city  of  the  Mac- 
cabees, where  they  lived  and  were  buried,  and  where  Simon 
erected  a  lofty  monument  with  seven  pyramids  to  their  memory.^ 
But  this  monument,  according  to  the  nearly  cotemporary 
writer  of  the  first  book  of  Maccabees,  was  visible  to  all  who 
sailed  along  the  sea  ;  and  Modin  lay  adjacent  to  the  plain." 

'  Josh,   l.";,  r>7.    Onomast.  art.    Oa-  Vol.  III.  Sec.  HI,  under  Apr.  27th,  pe- 

baatha. — From  this  point  (west  of  Wady  nult. 

Bittir)  the  bearings  of  the  various  places       '  For  the  specifications  in  this  and  the 

were  as  follows  :  er-Rim  N.  38"  E.    Nehy  preceding  paragraph,  I  am  indebted  to  the 

Samwil  N.   IK'  E.    el-KustuI  N.  5'  E.  notes  of  Mr  Smith  on  a  former  visit  to 

Soba  N.    el-Welcjeh  N.  2'  W.    Kuryet  these  places. 
es-Sa'ideh  N.  13'  W.    el-Kabn  N.  38"  "W.       •  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  247. 
Kefr  Som  N.  54'  W.    el-Hus,m  N.  55°  W.       '  1  Mace.  2, 1. 15.    13,  25-80.  Joseph. 

Deir  el-Hawa  N.  57=  W.    Beit  'At*b  N.  Ant.  13.  6.  5. 
63°  W.    Sunasin  W.    Jeb'ah  S.  7V  W.         '  1  Mace.  13,  29.    IC,  i.  5. 
'  We  j)asscd  near  Kustul  in  1852 ;  see 
ii.  327-329 


Mat  17.] 


SOBA. 


7 


Eusebius  and  J erome  likewise  testify  expressly,  that  Modin  was 
near  to  Diospolis  (Lydda),  where  the  sepulchres  yet  remained  in 
their  day.^  On  wlaat  pretext,  therefore,  the  name  can  have  been 
transferred  to  Soba,  a  spot  several  houis  distant  from  the  plain 
upon  the  mountains,  and  wholly  shut  out  from  any  view  of  the 
sea,  I  am  unable  to  divine.*  The  crusaders  found  Modin  still 
in  the  plain,  where  they  speak  of  it  along  with  Nicopolis  and 
Beit  Niiba  ;  and  as  late  as  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century,  it 
was  yet  pointed  out  from  the  road  between  Lydda  and  Eamleh.^ 
Yet  Brocardiis,  two  centuries  earlier,  had  already  jilaced  it  six 
leagues  eastward  from  Beth-shemesh  ;  by  which  position  he  pro- 
bably meant  Soba.^  So  too  apparently  Breydenbach  ;  and  from 
the  sixteenth  century  onward  to  the  present  day,  the  correctness 
of  this  position  seems  rarely  to  have  been  drawn  in  question  by 
travellers.^ 

The  legend  has  also  found  entrance  among  the  common 
people,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Soba  relate,  that  the  tombs  of 
the  Maccabees  still  remain  there,  though  buried  deep  under 
ground.  Tliis  account  my  companion  once  heard  on  the  spot  ; 
and  it  was  repeated  to  us  by  Abu  Ghaush  in  Jerusalem.  In  a 
similar  way,  Arab  guides,  accustomed  to  intercourse  with  Franks, 
may  have  spoken  of  the  place  to  travellers  as  Modin  ;  but  the 
ordinary  native  population  certainly  know  nothing  of  any  such 
name.* 

I  have  already  dwelt  upon  the  reasons  wliich  render  it  impos- 
sible, that  the  Ramah  of  Samuel  should  have  been  situated  at 
Neby  Samwil,  where  modern  tradition  now  shows  the  prophet's 
tomb.'^  A  few  words  respecting  its  probable  actual  position, 
may  here  not  be  out  of  place.  Samuel  was  descended  from  an 
ancestor  named  Zuph,  an  Ephrathite  of  Bethlehem  f  his  city 
was  called  in  full,  Ramathaim-Zophim,  and  lay  apparently  in  a 
tract  spoken  of  as  the  land  of  Zuph.'  Under  these  circum- 
stances, the  name  Ramathaim-Zophim  probably  signifies  nothing 


'  Onomast.  art.  Modim. 

'  Mariti  indeed  pretends  that  Soba  is 
visible  from  the  sea,  and  that  he  saw  it 
from  the  road  of  Yafa.  But  from  the  spot 
where  we  stood,  we  could  look  over  Soba 
to  the  much  higher  ridge  beyond  it  on  the 
west;  and  could  distinguish  no  trace  of 
the  sea.  What  he  perceived  from  Yafa 
was  perhaps  Neby  Samwil ;  which  we  also 
saw  from  the  tower  of  Ramleh. 

'  Will.  Tyr.  8.  1.  F.  Fabri  in  Reissb. 
p.  240. 

*  Brocardus  c.  10.  p.  186. 

'  Breydenbach  in  Reissb.  p.  105.  Coto- 
yic.  p.  14G.  Maundrell  Apr.  2.  Mariti, 
Germ.  p.  563.    Richardson  II.  pp.  226, 


383.  Cotovicus  in  an  excursion  to  Em- 
maus  (el-Kubeibeh),  seems  to  find  Modin 
near  Neby  Samwil,  p.  317;  but  his  ac- 
count of  this  excursion  is  so  confused,  that 
I  can  make  nothing  of  it. — Pococke  ques- 
tions the  identity  of  Suba  and  Modin  ;  II. 
i.  p.  46.  So  too  Biisching,  Th.  XI.  p.  442. 
Raumer  Palast.  p.  194.  edit.  3.  Quares- 
mius  makes  no  allusion  to  the  place. 

°  Van  Egmond  u.  HejTnan  Reizen  I.  p. 
317.    Richardson  II.  p.  226. 

'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  pp.  458,  459. 
1  Sam.  1,  1.    Comp.  Ruth  1,  2,  where 
Elimelech  and  his  sons  are  called  Eplira- 
thites  of  Bethlehem-Judah. 

'  1  Sam.  1,  1.    9,  5  sq. 

ii.  329,  330 


8 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec  XL 


more  than  "Kamah  of  the  Zophites,"  or  descendants  of  Zuph.' 
But  where  are  we  to  look  for  this  land  and  city  of  the  Zophites  ? 
Saul,  departing  from  Gibeah  of  Benjamin  in  search  of  his 
father's  asses,  went  first  through  Mount  Ephraim  on  the  north 
and  through  other  places,  and  then  "  jjassed  through  the  land  of 
the  Benjamites,  (of  course  from  north  to  south,)  and  came  to  the 
land  of  Zuph  "  and  the  city  of  Samuel.^  As  he  returned  from  this 
city  to  Gibeah,  apparently  after  travelling  some  distance,  he  was 
to  pass  "  near  Rachel's  sepulchre,  in  the  (southern)  border  of 
Benjamin,  at  Zelzah."^  These  circumstances  show  conclusively, 
that  the  land  of  Zuph  and  the  city  of  Samuel  were  situated  on 
the  south  of  the  territory  of  Benjamin,  in  such  a  position,  that  a 
person  proceeding  thence  to  Gibeah  would  not  unnaturally  pass  in 
the  vicinity  of  Rachel's  tomb.  This  is  a  known  point  ;  and  I 
have  already  spoken  of  the  reasons  which  forbid  any  attempt  to 
disturb  its  general  position.* 

The  name  Ramah  signifies  '  a  height  ; '  and  we  made  it  a 
particular  point  of  inquiiy  to  ascertain,  whether  on  the  high 
ground  around  the  tomb  of  Rachel,  and  especially  towards  the 
west,  there  are  any  traces  either  of  a  name  or  site,  which  might 
be  regarded  as  the  remains  of  the  city  of  Samuel.  We  in- 
quired of  many -persons,  who  were  born  and  had  spent  their  lives 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  ;  but  no  one  knew  aught  of  any  such 
name  or  site.*  It  is  only  since  my  return  to  Europe,  that  the 
thought  has  occurred  to  my  mind,  whether  a  reminiscence  of  Ra- 
mathaim-Zophim  and  of  the  land  of  Zuph,  may  not  be  contained 
in  the  name  Soba.  The  letters  of  this  name  correspond  to  those 
of  the  Hebrew  Zuph  and  Zophim  ;  {ph  or  p  being  not  unfre- 
quently  changed  into  h  in  Arabic  ;)  and  its  position  on  a  lofty 
hill  south  of  the  land  of  Benjamin,  accords  in  the  main  with 
the  view  above  given.' 

At  first  sight,  two  difficulties  seem  to  militate  against  this 
hypothesis.  The  one  arises  out  of  the  position  of  Soba  ;  since 
it  might  be  made  a  question,  whether  a  person  returning  from 


'  The  triliteral  roots  t)l2£  and  ME2t,  from 
■which  the  names  rjlS  (Zuph)  and  CBIS 
(Zophim)  are  derived,  are  of  course  re- 
lated, being  only  different  phases  of  the 
biliteral  ~S.  The  name  C]1S  (Zuph)  takes 
also  the  form  "'BIS  (Zopbai)  in  1  Chron. 
6,  11.  [2G.] 

'  1  Sara.  9,  4-6. 

•  1  Sam.  10,  2. 

•  See  Vol.  I.  pp.  218,  254. 

'  The  monks  of  the  present  day  do  in- 
deed point  out  the  site  of  Ramah  a  few 
rods  east  of  the  tomb  of  Rachel ;  Prokesch 
p.  110.  Salzbacher  II.  p.  1G4.  But  neither 
ii.  330,  331 


our  Arabs  of  the  TaVimirah,  nor  our  Chris- 
tian guide  of  Beit  Jala  knew  anything  of 
it ;  nor  did  Quaresmius  and  the  older 
travellers.  Yet  Eusebius  and  Jerome  also 
assume  a  Ramah  near  Bethlehem,  unneces- 
sarily indeed,  in  order  to  afford  an  expla- 
nation of  Matt.  2,  18.  Jer.  31,  11.  See 
Onomast.  art.  Ramala.  Reland  Pal. 
964. — See  more  in  Vol.  III.  Sec.  VI,  under 
May  7th,  18.')2. 

'  Cotovicus  identifies  Soba  with  Rama- 
tlmim-Zophim,  by  transferring  tlie  name 
of  Soba  to  Neby  Samwil.  But  his  account 
is  so  contused  as  to  be  inexplicable.  Itin. 
p.  316. 


Mat  17.] 


SOBA. 


9 


Soba  to  Gibeah,  would  naturally  pass  in  the  vicinity  of  Rachel's 
tomb.  If  he  took  the  present  direct  road  from  Soba  to  Jerusa- 
lem or  its  vicinity,  passing  near  el-Kustul,  he  certainly  would 
not  approach  the  sepulchre  of  Rachel  ;  but  if,  crossing  the 
great  Wady  Isma'in,  he  followed  up  Wady  el-Werd,  he  would 
by  this  detoiir  come  near  enough  to  the  sepulchre  to  satisfy  all 
the  conditions  of  the  case.  It  is  sufficient,  if  we  suppose  that 
the  Zelzah  mentioned  lay  on  the  high  ground  north  of  Rachel's 
tomb,  not  far  from  the  convent  of  Mar  Elyas,  or  more  probably 
still  further  towards  the  northwest.  The  distance  from  S5ba  to 
the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem,  on  the  direct  course,  as  we  have  seen, 
is  two  and  a  half  hours  ;  on  the  route  along  Wady  el-Werd  and 
the  vaUey  of  Rephaim  it  would  probably  be  three  hours  or  more. 
So  that,  other  circumstances  being  equal,  the  identity  of  the 
name  might  perhaps  be  held  to  counterbalance  the  apparent  cir- 
cuitousness  of  the  route.' 

The  other  difficulty  refers  not  to  Soba  alone,  but  to  every 
position  of  Ramah  which  places  it  on  the  south  of  Benjamin. 
Elkanah,  the  father  of  Samuel,  is  said  to  have  been  a  "  man  of 
Ramathaim-Zophim,  of  Mount  Ephraim  ;  which  certainly  im- 
plies that  the  city  itself  was  situated  on  Mount  Ephraim.  Here 
then  apparently  is  a  circumstance  directly  at  variance  with  our 
preceding  conclusion  ;  siuce  the  mountains  south  of  Benjamin 
belong  not  to  Ephraim,  but  to  Judah.  But  as  the  circumstan- 
ces above  adduced  seem  conclusively  to  fix  the  position  of  this 
Ramah  on  the  south  of  Benjamin,  may  we  not  suppose  that  the 
mountains  of  Ephraim  continued  to  bear  that  name  quite 
through  the  land  of  Benjamin  ;  much  as  the  Swiss  mountains 
may  be  said  to  extend  into  Italy,  or  the  Welsh  mountains  into 
England  ?  This  indeed  has  been  assumed  by  Bachiene,  on  the 
ground  that  iu  the  first  division  of  the  land  by  Joshua  at  Gil- 
gal,  the  territory  of  Benjamin  was  actually  given  to  Ephraim  ; 
not  having  been  assigned  to  Benjamin  until  the  later  division  at 
Sluloh.'  All  this  may  be  true  in  part  ;  but  still,  the  heights 
round  about  the  sepulchre  of  Rachel,  could  not  well  have  been 
any  other  than  the  mountains  of  Judah. 

There  is  however  another  consideration,  which  seems  to  re- 
lieve the  position  of  Soba  from  the  difficulty  in  question,  and 
thus  adds  something  to  the  probability  of  its  identity  with  Ra- 
mah.   I  have  already  remarked,  that  the  mountain  ridge  west 

'  On  comparing  upon  the  map  the  pod-  of  the  name,  and  Ae  fhrther  corroborating 

tions  of  S  'ba,  Rachel's  tomb,  and  Jemsa-  circumstances  presented  in  the  text,  restrain 

lem  or  Gibeah,  I  am  free  to  confess,  that  me  from  at  once  rejecting  the  hypothesis, 
the  circnitons  route  required  by  the  above       '  1  Sam.  1,  1. 

view,  is  too  great  to  admit  of  very  much       '  Josh.  c.  16.  c.  18,  1  sq.  See  Bachiene 

reliance  being  placed  upon  the  reasoning  Th.  L  Bd.  I.  p.  220  sq.    Bd.  EL  p.  32(5 

in  the  text.    Still,  the  apparent  identity  sq. 

ii.  332,  333 


10 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XT. 


of  Wady  Beit  Hanina,  of  which  the  hill  of  Soba  fonns  a  part, 
is  a  continuation  of  the  ridge  of  Neby  Samwil  and  the  high 
grounds  around,  extending  in  the  southwest  quite  out  to  the 
plain  at  the  mouth  of  Wady  SOrar.'  Now  all  this  mountainous 
tract  stands  in  immediate  connection  with  the  proper  mountains 
of  Ephraim  around  el-Bireh  and  further  north  ;  it  is  separated 
entirely  by  the  great  Wady  Beit  Hanina  from  the  proper  moun- 
tains of  Judah  towards  the  south  ;  and  further,  as  we  shall  see, 
the  greater  part  of  it  did  not  even  fall  within  the  later  limits  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah.  Under  these  circumstances,  it  seems  not  too 
much  to  assume,  that  this  tract  west  of  the  great  Wady,  a 
regular  continuation  of  Mount  Ephraim,  including  Neby  Sam- 
wil, might  have  continued  to  bear  the  name  of  Ephraim  ;  wliile 
the  Wady  would  naturally  form  the  dividing  line  between  this 
range  and  the  proper  mountains  of  Judah.  That  the  name 
Mount  Ephraim  did  actually  thus  extend  through  Benjamin,  is 
rendered  probable  by  the  fact,  that  we  nowhere  hear  of  any 
mountains  of  Benjamin  ;  and  further,  the  rebel  Sheba,  a  Ben- 
jamite,  is  also  said  to  have  been  "  a  man  of  Mount  Ephraim."* 

In  view  of  all  these  suggestions,  it  seems  to  me,  that  the 
hypothesis  which  would  identify  Soba  with  the  Kamah  of  Samuel 
is  not  without  some  slight  grounds  of  support  ;  and,  in  the  to- 
tal absence  of  anything  more  definite,  is  not  perhaps  to  be 
wholly  rejected  without  consideration.' — Yet  after  all,  there  is 
perhaps  a  question  lying  back  of  this  whole  discussion,  viz. 
Whether  the  city  where  Saul  and  the  servant  came  to  Samuel 
was  his  own  city  Ramah  ?  *  The  name  of  the  city  is  nowhere 
given  ;  and  the  answer  of  the  maidens  ^  would  perhaps  rather 
imply  that  Samuel  had  just  arrived,  possibly  on  one  of  his  yearly 
circuits,  in  which  he  judged  Israel  in  various  cities." 

Another  topic  which  immediately  connects  itself  with  the 
preceding,  is  the  common  border  between  Judah  and  Benjamin  ; 
of  which  two  accounts  in  an  inverse  order  are  given  in  the  book 
of  Joshua.'  We  have  already  traced  it,  as  it  went  up  from  the 
well  of  Nchemiah  through  tlie  valley  of  Hinnom  to  the  northern 
end  of  the  valley  of  Rephaim.'  From  that  point  it  was  drawn 
to  the  water  of  Nephtoah  ;  and  as  it  passed  also  by  Zclzah  not 
for  from  Rachel's  sepulchre,'  it  would  seem  to  have  followed  the 
plain  of  Rephaim  and  so  along  the  Wady  el-Werd  to  'Ain  Yalo. 

'  See  the  account  of  this  region,  p.  5,       '1  Sam.  7,  15-17,  "and  Samnel  .  .  . 

above.  went  from  year  to  year  in  circuit  to  Bethel 

'  2  Sam.  20,  1.  21.  and  Gilgal  and  Mizpeh,  and  judged  Israel 

'  All  direct  tradition  respecting  the  Ra-  in  all  those  places;  and  his  return  was  to 

mall  of  Samuel  seems  to  have  been  very  Ramah  ;  for  there  was  his  house." 


early  lost ;  see  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  459. 


.  «"l  Sam.  9,  6  sq. 
»  Ibid.  V.  11.  12. 
ii.  ;!33  334 


'  Josh,  ir.,  .'i-lO.    18,  U-19. 
'  See  under  Kn-Rogel,  VoL  I.  p.  333. 
'  1  Sam.  10,  2. 


Mat  17.} 


KIEJATH-JEARm. 


11 


Tliis  fountain  would  then  answer  to  Nephtoah ;  unless  we  choose 
to  refer  the  latter  with  less  probability  to  'Ain  Karim,  the  foun- 
tain near  the  convent  of  St.  John  in  the  Desert.  In  either 
case,  the  next  point  in  the  border  is  the  long  lost  city  Kirjath- 
Jearim. 

The  probable  position  of  this  ancient  city  engaged  much  of 
our  attention,  all  the  time  we  were  in  Jerusalem  and  the  vicin- 
ity ;  without  arriving  at  any  satisfactory  conclusion.  At  first, 
as  we  koow,  Kirjath-Jearim,  lite  Beeroth  (el-Bireh),  belonged 
to  the  territory  of  Gibeon,  and  could  not  therefore  well  have 
been  very  far  distant  from  that  city.'  At  a  later  period,  the  ark 
was  brought  thither  from  Beth-shemesh  ;  the  place  was  rebuilt 
and  inhabited  after  the  exile  ; "-  and  Eusebius  and  Jerome  speak 
of  it  in  their  day,  as  a  village  nine  or  ten  miles  from  J erusalem 
on  the  way  to  Diospolis  (Lydda).^  These  circumstances,  taken 
together,  have  quite  recently  suggested  to  my  mind,  whether, 
after  all,  the  ancient  Kirjath-Jearim  is  not  to  be  recognised  in 
the  present  Kuryet  el-'Enab  ?  The  first  part  of  the  name 
(Kirjath,  Kuryet,  signifying  city)  is  the  same  in  both,  and  is 
most  prijbably  ancient  :  being  found  in  Arabic  proper  names 
only  in  Palestine  and  Syria,  and  not  very  frequently  even  there. 
The  only  change  then  has  been,  that  the  ancient  '  City  of  For- 
ests' has  in  modern  times  become  the  '  City  of  Grapes.'*  The 
modem  place  too  is  situated  on  the  direct  way  fi-om  Jerusalem 
to  Eamleh  and  Lydda,  just  three  hours  or  nine  Roman  miles 
from  the  former  city,  lying  west  of  Neby  Samwil,  and  therefore 
not  far  remote  from  el-Jib  or  Gibeon. 

Thus  then  we  have  a  place  corresponding  both  in  name  and 
position  to  the  ancient  Kirjath-Jearim.  I  am  aware  of  no  ob- 
jection to  this  hypothesis  ;  except  perhaps  the  assertion  of  Jo- 
sephus,  that  Kirjath-Jearim  was  near  to  Beth-shemesh.^  But 
the  expression  •  neighbour  city,'  is  too  indefinite  to  weigh  against 
the  preceding  considerations  ;  especially  as  the  actual  distance 
does  not  exceed  three  or  four  hours.'  It  might  also  be  asked. 
Why  then,  supposing  Sfjba  to  have  been  the  Eamah  of  Samuel, 
the  men  of  Beth-shemesb  should  not  rather  have  caused  the 
ark  to  be  transferred  to  that  place,  as  being  nearer  than  Kir- 

'  Joeh.  9,  17.    Ezra  2,  25.  name  'Anab  is  still  fotind  beyond  Hebron; 

'  1  Sam.  7,  1.  2.    Ezra  2, 25.    Xehem.  see  above,  VoL  L  p.  194.    A  Betoannaba  is 

7,  29.  spoken  of  a  few  miles  from  Lydda,  probably 

'  Onomast.  arts.  Baal  asad  Cariathiarim.  Beit  Xiiba  ;  Reland  PaL  p.  661. 
There  is  no  Liter  notice  ot  the  place  as       '  Joseph.  Antiq.  6.  L  i,  ytiroya  xoAjr 

still  extant :  unless  it  be  that  of  Brocardus,  toij  Bn^T'ifiirais. 

who  fixes  it  4i  kagoes  west  of  Jerusalem,       '  The  same  writer  saya  too  that  Hebron 

probably  copying  only  from  -Jerome  ;  c.  9.  was  "  not  far  from  Jerusalem,"  ov  ir6p^M 

P-  l>t-  'Upo<ToX.vum',  B.  J.  4.  9.9.    Compare  also 

*  No  ancient  name  corresponding  to  'Enab  Acts  9,  33. 
MOBS  to  have  existed  in  this  quarter.  The 

ii.  3^4-336 


12 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


jath-Jearim  ?  But  at  that  time  Samuel  vras  still  a  cliild,  and 
his  native  place  -svas  probably  a  small  village,  having  neither 
the  size  nor  the  renown  to  which  it  afterwards  attained,  when 
it  became  one  of  the  seats  where  Samuel  judged  Israel.* 

The  monks  have  found  the  Anathoth  of  Jeremiah  at  Kur- 
yet  el-'Enab.  There  was  formerly  here  a  convent  of  the  Mi- 
norites with  a  Latin  church.  The  latter  remains  entirely  de- 
serted, but  not  in  ruins  ;  and  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
solidly  constructed  churches  in  Palestine.* 

Assuming  therefore  the  site  of  Kirjath-Jearim  at  the  modem 
Kuryet  el-'Enab,  the  border  between  J udah  and  Benjamin  prob- 
ably passed  from  Xephtoah  down  the  "Wady  el-"Werd,  perhaps 
to  its  junction  with  the  great  Wady ;  and  then  across  the  in- 
ter^'ening  ridge  (on  which  Soba  is  situated)  to  the  valley  of 
Kuryet  el-'Enab.  This  would  give  a  distinct  line  of  valleys  sep- 
arating the  two  tribes,  from  the  valley  of  Hinnom  for  most  of 
the  way  around  to  Kirjath-Jearim.  From  this  place,  the  west 
border  of  Benjamin  seems  to  have  been  drawn  obhquely  down 
the  mountain  to  the  nether  Beth-horon  while  the  border  of 
Judah  turned  westward,  perhaps  along  the  ridge  between  the 
two  branches  of  Wady  Ghurub  to  Kesla,  whence  it  descended  to 
Beth-shemesh  in  the  mouth  of  "Wady  es-Surar.*  Thus  origi- 
nally a  comer  of  Judah  ran  up  for  some  distance  on  the  west 
side  of  Benjamin ;  including  apparently  at  first  the  whole 
breadth  of  the  mountainous  tract  west  of  Kirjath-Jearim;  for 
Zorah  (Sur'ah),  which  lay  upon  the  high  ground  north  of  Beth- 
shemesh,  belonged  at  first  to  the  tribe  of  J  udah ;  though  subse- 
quently this,  and  probably  the  adjacent  mountain  tract,  was 
assigned  to  the  tribe  of  Dan.' — From  Beth-shemesh  the  border 
of  Judah  passed  near  Timnath  and  Ekron  to  Jabneel,  appa- 
rently the  same  with  Jabneh  ( Yebna) ;  thus  following  still  the 
general  course  of  the  great  valley  to  the  sea.' 

'  1  Sam,  7,  IG.  17. — There  can  be  no  is  actaaUj  so  rendered  bj  the  Sept.  /3oD- 

question,  bnt  that  the  ark  was  brought  to  yos)  both  here  and  in  1  Sam.  7,  1.  In 

Kiijath-Jearim  itself;  1  Sam.  7, 2.  1  Chron.  this  last  passage  also  the  English  version 

13,  5.  6.    But  in  2  Sam.  6,  3.  4,  both  the  gives  it  bv  "  hill while  Luther  maintains 

English  version  and  Luther  place  the  house  his  consistency  at  least,  and  writes  Gibeah. 

of  Abinadab  in  Gibeah  ;  and  it  might  The  remlering  "  hill  "  is  indee^necessarr, 

therefore  seem  as  if  the  Gibeah  (now  Jeb-  in  order  to  preserve  the  consistency  of  the 

'ah)  of  Judah  was  meant,  and  that  Kirjath-  narrative  ;  which  represents  the  ark  as  car- 

Jearim  lay  near  it,  not  far  from  Wady  ried,  not  to  Gibeah,  but  to  Kiijath-Jearim. 


el-Musfirr;  see  above  p.  But  not  to 
dwell  upon  the  fact,  that  this  would  bring 
Kijjath-Jearim  quite  away  from  Gibeon 
(el-Jib),  and  far  from  any  road  leading 
from  Jerusalem  to  Nicopolis,  I  would  re- 
mark, that  the  Hebrew  nSZl  may  in  this 
passage  properly  be  rendered  '  a  hill ; '  and 


Tom.  II.  p.  14  sq. 
'  Josh.  18,  14. 
'  Josh.  15,  10. 


»  Josh.  15,  33.    19,  4L 


•  Josh,  15,  11. 


ii.  33€>  337 


Mat  17.] 


BEIT  'aTAB. 


13 


Leaving  the  high  ground  west  of  Wady  Bittir  at  12.20,  we 
began  to  descend  very  gradually  towards  the  village  el-Husau 
over  a  roclc}^  tract.  After  fifteen  minutes  we  were  opposite  the 
head  of  Wady  el-Musurr,  deep  below  us  on  the  left ;  in  which 
appeared  a  small  village  called  Nuhhalin  bearing  S.  5°  W.  From 
it  the  Wady  ran  W.  S.  W.  The  village  Husan  was  close  on 
our  right  at  12.40.  Proceeding  along  the  high  water-shed  be- 
tween the  Wadys  Musurr  and  el-W^erd,  we  had  not  far  distant 
on  the  left,  a  ^dllage  called  Fukin,  which  at  1.10  bore  S.  S.  W. 
It  was  somewhere  about  this  time,  that  we  came  in  sight  of  a 
place  with  ruins  on  the  brow  of  the  high  mountain  ridge  towards 
the  south,  called  Jediir;  wliich  is  doubtless  the  same  as  the 
Gedor  of  the  mountains  of  Judah.'  This  remained  in  sight  for 
the  whole  day.  Jeb'ah  likewise  on  its  conical  hill  in  Wady 
Musurr,  was  continually  before  our  eyes.  At  1.40  we  came  upon 
the  ancient  highway  from  Jerusalem  to  Askelon  and  Gaza, 
which  comes  down  along  or  across  Wady  el-Werd  from  the  plain 
of  Rephaim  or  the  tract  further  west.  This  road  we  should 
have  taken  from  Jerusalem,  had  we  not  gone  round  by  Beit  Jala. 
At  the  same  point  was  a  small  ruin  on  the  left  called  'Adas. 

Wishing  to  visit  Beit  'Atab,  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  see 
much  of  the  country  from  that  lofty  spot,  we  left  the  ancient 
road  again  after  five  minutes,  and  turning  more  to  the  right  pro- 
ceeded in  that  direction.  As  we  advanced  the  hills  became  more 
covered  and  green  with  shrubs  and  bushes,  chiefly  the  prickly 
oak  mingled  with  arbutus.  The  country  however  was  little  cul- 
tivated, and  most  of  the  villages  were  deserted  or  in  ruins.  At 
five  minutes  past  two,  a  small  ruin,  Hubin,  was  below  us  in  a 
valley  running  to  the  left,  bearing  S.  S.  W.  At  the  same  time 
Beit  'Atab  bore  N.  75°  W.  A  ruined  Khan  was  also  visible  at 
some  distance  upon  the  ancient  road,  bearing  S.  65°  W. 

We  reached  Beit  'Atab  at  ten  minutes  before  3  o'clock.  It 
is  situated  on  a  high  hill,  and  is  seen  from  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try around  ;  but  although  it  overlooks  a  great  extent  of  the  lower 
region  towards  the  south  and  west,  yet  it  does  not  afi'ord  so  ex- 
tensive a  view  of  places,  as  we  had  hoped  to  find.  The  country 
is  full  of  sites  of  ruins  and  villages,  some  inhabited  and  some 
deserted,  at  least  for  portions  of  the  year.  Beit  'Atab  has  seve- 
ral high,  square,  tower-like  houses  of  two  stories;  the  rest  are 
small  and  low  ;  but  all  are  of  stone,  solidly  biult.  In  the  centre 
is  a  ruined  tower  or  castle  ;  but  so  dilapidated  as  to  be  nearly 
lost  among  the  houses.  The  place  contains  perhaps  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  or  a  population  of  six  or  seven  hundred  souls.  It 
is  the  chief  town  of  the  district  'Arkiib,  belonging  to  the  pro- 

'  Josh.  15,  58.  1  Chron.  12,  7.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  narrative  in  1  Chron. 
4,  39,  refers  to  the  same  place. 

Vol.  II — 2  ii.  337-339 


14 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XI. 


vince  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  is  tlie  residence  of  the  Nazir  (warden) 
of  the  district,  who  was  now  one  of  the  former  Sheikhs  of  the 
house  called  el-Luhham.  We  found  several  of  the  chief  men 
sitting  on  carpets  under  a  fig  tree  in  the  middle  of  the  village, 
smoking  and  holding  converse  with  each  other.  The  Sheikh 
himself  soon  came,  a  good  looking  man  ;  coffee  was,  served  for 
us  ;  and  he  tried  to  persuade  us  to  remain  all  night,  saying  the 
people  of  the  village  where  we  expected  to  lodge  were  not  to  be 
trusted;  his  hospitaHty  thus  leading  him  even  to  defame  his 
neighbours.    But  our  time  was  too  precious  to  stop  thus  early. 

The  prospect  from  Beit  'Atab  towards  the  southeast  and 
south  presented  nothing  new  ;  towards  the  southwest,  along  the 
ridge  between  the  Wadys  Sumt  and  Surar,  the  place  of  Beit 
Nettif  was  pointed  out,  where  we  were  to  stop  for  the  night; 
and  in  the  northwest  we  could  see  the  mouth  of  Wady  es-Surar 
as  it  issued  from  the  mountains  and  turned  across  the  plain  ])e- 
yond.  It  was  here  a  fine  deep  valley,  ^dth  a  ruin  in  it  called 
'Ain  Shems,  which  we  afterwards  visited  and  identified  with 
Beth-shemesh  ;  while  on  the  high  northern  hill  was  seen  the  site 
of  Sur'ah,  in  which  we  could  not  but  recognise  the  ancient 
Zorah,  the  birthplace  of  Samson.' 

We  left  Beit  'Atab  at  3^  o'clock,  notwithstanding  the  some- 
what importunate  in\itations  of  the  Sheikh  ;  who  even  took  hold 
of  us  in  order  to  detain  us.  Descending  in  the  direction  of  the 
Khan,  we  crossed  two  small  Wadys  running  towards  the  Surar. 
In  the  first,  lower  down  on  the  right,  the  guide  spoke  of  a  very 
large  cavern  with  a  fountain  in  it,  capable  of  containing  hun- 
dreds of  people  ;  it  is  called  et-Tuweimeh.  The  second  Wady 
is  called  er-Rumany ;  in  it  at  4  o'clock,  we  came  to  a  village 
called  'AUar  es-Sifla  (the  lower),  to  distinguish  it  from  another, 
'Allar  el-Foka  (the  upper),  on  higher  ground  a  little  furtber  to 
the  left.  Here  was  a  ruined  church,  large  and  solidly  built,  and 
apparently  very  ancient.  A  few  rods  on  the  left,  higher  up  the 
valley,  is  a  fine  fountain,  which  waters  a  tract  of  gardens  and 
fruit  trees  along  the  bottom.  Here  were  also  many  olive  trees  ; 
which  indeed  are  very  abundant  throughout  all  this  region. 

Ascending  the  hill  we  came  out  again  upon  the  ancient  road 
at  4^  o'clock,  at  the  Khan  already  mentioned.  It  is  a  ruin ; 
and  around  it  are  the  ruins  of  a  small  village.'    We  stopped 

'  .Tudg.  13,  2.    First  given  to  Judah,  were:  Ruined  Kh.ln  S.  1 7MV.    Beit  Net- 

bnt  afterwards  assigned  to  Dan,  Josh.  15,  tif  S.  G0°  W.    'Ain  Sbems  N.  6.">^  W. 

33.    19,  41.     See  above,  p.  12.     Fuse-  Sur'ah  N.  56"  W.    Deir  el-Hawa  N.  30° 

bius  and  Jerome  place  it  at  ten  miles  from  \V.    Sunasin  S.  13'  E.    Jedur  S.  11^  E. 

Eleutlieropolis  towards  Nicopolis ;  Ononi.  '  From  the  Kliiin,  Beit  'Afib  bore  N 

art.  Saara.    We  visited  Sur'ah  in  18.')2  ;  17"  E.    'Allar  es-Sitla  N.  30'  E.  '^llar 

see  Vol.  Ill,  unuer  April  27tli.— The  hear-  el-F6ka  N.  50'  E.  Beit  Nettif  S.  85'  W. 
ings  of  various  places  from  Beit  'Atab 

ii.  339,  340 


Mat  17.] 


BEIT  KETTIF, 


15 


here  five  minutes,  and  then  descended  for  a  time  along  a  "Wady, 
called  Wady  el-Khan,  which  runs  into  the  Musurr.  The  ancient 
road,  still  called  the  Sultana  or  royal  road,  apparently  follows 
down  this  Wady  to  the  Musurr,  and  there  divides ;  one  hranch 
passing  on  direct  towards  Gaza,  and  another  keeping  along  the 
MusOrr  and  Sumt  in  the  direction  of  Askelon.  This  latter  we 
afterwards  followed  for  a  time  ;  and  found  wells  upon  it  at  inter- 
vals. We  now  turned  more  to  the  right,  keeping  upon  the  ridge 
between  the  Sumt  and  Surar  ;  and  at  5  o'clock  had  an  extensive 
view  of  both  these  valleys,  spreading  out  into  fine  fertile  plains 
full  of  fields  of  grain.  The  ridge  now  became  higher  towards 
the  west ;  and  we  continued  to  ascend  gradually,  until  at  5.50 
we  reached  the  village  of  Beit  Nettif,  situated  upon  its  highest 
part. 

Beit  Nettif,  lying  thus  upon  the  high  ridge  between  the  two 
great  Wadys,  enjoys  a  wide  view  over  the  broad  western  plain 
and  the  Mediterranean  beyond.  A  tract  of  lower  hills,  an  hour 
or  more  in  breadth,  lies  between  it  and  the  plain.  On  the  north, 
the  Siirar  was  visible  ;  on  the  south,  the  Sumt  was  full  of  fields 
of  grain  now  ripening  for  the  harvest ;  and  beyond  it  and  more 
towards  the  left  extended  for  a  great  distance  the  lower  region, 
which  we  had  first  seen  from  above  the  head  of  Wady  Musurr. 
This  may  be  called  the  hill  country,  in  distinction  from  the  high- 
er mountains  on  the  east.  It  is  the  middle  region  between  the 
mountains  and  the  plain,  stretching  as  we  have  seen  far  to  the 
north  and  south,  except  where  interrupted  north  of  the  mouth 
of  Wady  es-Surar.  This  region  is  for  the  most  part  a  beautiful 
open  country,  consisting  of  low  hills  usually  rocky,  separated  by 
broad  arable  valleys  mostly  sown  with  grain,  as  are  also  many 
of  the  swelling  hills.  The  whole  tract  is  full  of  villages  and 
deserted  sites  and  ruins ;  and  many  olive  groves  appear  around 
the  former.  To  this  hill  country  belong  also,  strictly,  both  the 
ridge  on  which  Beit  Nettif  stands,  and  that  adjacent  to  Wady 
es-Surar  on  the  north  ;  although,  as  being  higher  and  directly 
connected  with  the  mountains  further  back,  they  appear  like 
promontories,  jutting  out  through  the  range  of  hills  nearly  or 
quite  to  the  plain. 

Indeed,  in  the  tract  through  which  we  had  descended  to-day, 
between  the  two  great  Wadys,  the  usual  steep  descent  of  the 
mountain  towards  the  west  is  interrupted ;  and  we  now  found 
ourselves  in  the  midst  of  the  lower  hill  country,  without  having 
made  any  long  or  steep  descent,  such  as  occurred  to  us  in  other 
parts  of  the  mountains,  both  towards  the  north  and  south. 

The  climate  in  this  region  was  more  advanced  than  at  Jeru- 
salem ;  though  less  so  than  in  the  western  plain.  The  grass  was 
chiefly  dried  up ;  and  the  peasants  were  in  the  midst  of  their 

ii.  340-342 


16 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XI. 


barley  harvest.  The  wheat  was  still  partially  green,  and  would 
not  be  ripe  for  harvest  until  about  two  weeks  later.  We  en- 
camped on  a  level  plat  on  the  east  of  the  village,  near  by  the 
threshinp:  floors  of  barley. 

The  inhabitants  of  Beit  Nettif  received  us  with  kindness  ; 
several  of  the  chief  men  came  around  us,  and  answered  our  in- 
quiries with  readiness  and  inteUigence.  We  found  the  view  from 
this  high  spot  to  embrace  a  larger  number  of  villages  and  sites, 
than  almost  any  other  we  visited.  We  took  here  quite  a  num- 
ber of  bearings,  given  in  the  note  ;  the  places  being  all  pointed 
out  and  named  by  one  of  the  chief  men. ' 

In  respect  to  several  of  the  places  thus  pointed  out,  it  is  to 
be  remarked  that  Jennabeh  and  Shuweikeh  lie  upon  the  hills  on 
the  south  side  of  Wady  es-Sumt ;  the  latter^ about  one  hour  dis- 
tant from  Beit  Nettif.  Not  far  from  Beit-Ula  near  the  foot  of 
the  moimtains,  we  were  told  also  of  a  place  called  Nusib,  not 
here  visible.  Zanu'a  lies  on  the  low  slope  of  a  hill  not  far  east 
of  'Ain  Shems.  The  Wely  Neby  Bulus  (Paulus)  is  on  a  lower 
hill  near  the  plain,  half  an  hour  distant ;  and  Yarmuk  among 
the  hills  further  south  at  about  the  same  distance.  Near  Neby 
Bulus  was  said  to  be  a  village  called  Arba'in.  Still  beyond, 
nearer  the  plain,  and  near  where  Wady  es-Surar  issues  upon  it, 
a  deserted  site  called  Tibneh  was  spoken  of,  not  visible  from  Beit 
Nettif  Near  Tell  Zakariya  is  also  a  village  Zakariya,  in  which 
is  a  Mukam  (station,  tomb),  dedicated  to  Zechariah. 

Among  the  places  here  \asible,  not  less  than  ten  appear  to 
bear  names  which  have  come  down  from  antiquity ;  and  these 
are  probably  to  be  regarded  as  still  marking  the  same  ancient 
sites.  Shuweikeh  we  have  formerly  found  to  correspond  to  the 
Hebrew  Socoh  ;  and  it  here,  as  we  shall  see  later,  answers  to  the 
Socoh  of  the  plain  of  Judah.'^ — Jeb'ah  and  Jedtir,  and  also  Sur'ah 
and  'Ain  Shems,  we  have  already  noted  as  the  Gibeah  of  J udah, 
Gedor,  Zorah,  and  Bethshemesh,  of  Scripture.^  Not  far  from 
Zorah  lay  also  Zanoah,  which  was  re-inhabited  after  the  exile  ; 
and  to  this  the  name  and  site  of  Zanu'a  still  correspond.^ — In 

'  Bearings  from  Beit  Nettif,  beginning  N.  54°  W.    Tell  Zakariya  about  N.  78° 

in  the  west  and  proceeding  towards  the  W. 

left:  Jennibth  S.  70   W.    Denisieh  S.  '  Josh.  15,  3.5.    See  Vol.  I.  p.  494  sq. 

62'  W.    .SliuweikeH  S.  48'  W.    Beit  Fusl  »  See  above,  pp.   6,   1.3,    14.  The 

S.  15'  W.    Jurfa  S.  5'  E.    Beit-ula  S.  proofs  in  respect  to  Beth-sheniesh  will  be 

10°  E.    Kh.ir.is  S.  14'  E.    Jimrln  S.  19'  given  in  connection  with  our  subsequent 

E.    Ghi'iniheh  S.  31°  E.    Um  er-Rus  S.  visit  to  tlint  spot,  Jnne  8th. 

63°  E.    Jedur  S.  50°  E.    Jeb'ah  S.  C5°  *  Josh.  15,  34.   Neh.  11,30.   The  name 

E.   Bnrj  Kcis  E.   AbbekN.  70'  E.    Beit  Zanua  existed  in  Jerome's  day,  in  the  re- 

'Atiib  N.  (JO  E.    Jcr.lsh  N.  44'  E.    Dcir  gion  of  Elciitheropolis  on  the  way  to  Je- 

el-Hawa  N.  37'  E.    Um  Esbteiyeh  X.  35'  rusalem;  Onomu^t.  art.  Zanohua. — Another 

E.    Z.iuiVa  N.  12' E.    Sur'ah  N.  4'  W.  Zanoah  biy  upon  the  mountains  of  Judah, 

'Ain  Shems  N.  12°  W.    Neby  Bulus  N.  Josh.  15,  66. 
34' W.  cl-Khcisbi'im  N.  44  W.  Yarmuk 

ii.  342.  343 


May  17] 


BEIT  NETTIF. 


17 


Tibneh  we  may  recognise  the  Timnah  or  Timnatli  of  Dan,  the 
city  of  Samson's  wife  to  which  he  "went  down"  from  Zorah  ;  it 
lies  south  of  west  from  Zorah,  and  not  more  than  an  hour  distant 
from  it.'  We  were  therefore  now  amid  the  scenes  of  Samson's 
history  and  exploits. — Yarmuk  seems  to  represent  the  Jarmuth 
of  Scripture,  a  city  in  the  plain  of  J udah  not  far  from  Socoh,  which 
so  early  as  the  days  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome  was  already  called 
Jermucha,  and  lay  ten  miles  from  Eleutheropolis  towards  Jerusa- 
lem.*— Nusib  answers  to  the  Nezib  of  the  low  country  of  Judah, 
and  to  the  Nasib  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  lying  seven  miles  from 
Eleutheropolis  towards  Hebron.^ — The  name  Zakariyeh,  as  ap- 
plied to  a  village,  does  not  indeed  belong  to  Scripture  ;  yet  it  here 
probably  marks  the  site  of  the  Caphar  Zacharias  mentioned  by 
Sozomen  in  the  region  of  Eleutheropohs.* 

The  name  of  Beit  Nettif  itself  has  probably  come  down  from 
the  Hebrew  ;  but  I  have  been  able  to  find  no  ancient  place  cor- 
responding to  it.  A  village  Netopha  is  indeed  mentioned  in 
Scripture  ;  it  lay,  however,  somewhere  between  Bethlehem  and 
Anathoth.*  The  Eabbins  speak  also  of  a  vaUey  called  Beth 
Netopha  ;  but  the  present  place  is  on  a  high  hill.* 

Beit  Nettif  is  a  small  village  near  the  western  extremity  of 
the  district  'Arkub,  which  constitutes  the  southwest  part  of  the 
province  of  Jerusalem.  Its  inhabitants  are  of  the  Keis  party. 
Throughout  the  provinces  of  Jerusalem  and  Hebron,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  different  villages  are  broken  up  into  two  great  parties; 
one  called  Keis  (Keisiyeh),  and  the  other  Yemen  (Yemeniyeh); 
the  inhabitants  of  the  former  province  being  mostly  Yemeniyeh, 
and  those  of  the  latter  Keisiyeh.  No  person  of  whom  we  inquired, 
could  tell  the  origin  or  the  nature  of  this  distinction  ;  except 
that  it  goes  back  beyond  the  memory  of  man,  and  does  not  now 
pertain  in  any  degree  to  religious  worship  or  doctrine.  It  seems 
indeed  to  consist  in  little  more  than  the  fact,  that  one  is  the 
enemy  of  the  other.  In  former  times  blood  was  often  shed  in 
their  quarrels  ;  but  now  all  are  quiet.  Yet  this  inbred  enmity 
shows  itself  in  mutual  distrust  and  calumny  ;  and  it  was  proba- 


:  '  Josh.  1.5,  10.  19,  43.  Judg.  14,  1. 
6.  2  Chr.  28,  18.— Another  Timnah  lay 
in  the  mountains  of  Judah,  Josh.  15,  57. 
Gen.  38,  12-14.  Still  a  third  Timnah  or 
Thamna  lay  northeast  of  Lydda,  and  gave 
name  to  the  "  Toparchia  Thamnitica"  in 
that  quarter ;  Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  3.  5.  Ono- 
mast.  art.  Thamna.  This  was  probably 
the  Timnah  fortified  by  Baochides ;  1  Mace. 
9,  50.    Joseph.  Ant.  13.  1.  3. 

«  Josh.  15,  35.  Neh.  11,  29.  Onomast. 
art.  Jcrmus. — The  '  Jarimuth  '  of  Jerome, 
which  he  says  \&y  four  miles  from  Eleu- 
theropolis, is  not  improbably  the  same 

Vol.  II.— 2* 


place ;  since  it  is  also  said  to  have  been 
adjacent  to  Eshtaol,  which  must  certainly 
have  been  much  nearer  to  Zorah,  and  is 
placed  by  tbe  same  Wj  iters  at  ten  miles 
from  Eleutheropolis ;  Josh.  15,  33.  19, 
41.    Onomast.  art.  Enthaul, 

'  Josh.  15,  43.    Onomast.  art.  Neesib. 

*  SoEom.  Hist.  Ecc.  9.  17.  It  seems  al- 
so to  have  been  visited  by  St.  Willibald  on 
his  way  from  Gaza  to  Hebron  ;  Hodoepor. 
20.  p.  377. 

^  Ezra  2,  22,  Neh.  7,  2G.  Roland 
Patest.  p.  909. 

"  Reland  Palajst.  p.  650. 

ii.  343  -345 


18 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


bly  on  tMs  ground,  that  the  Sheikh  of  Beit  'Atab,  where  the 
people  are  of  the  Yemen  party,  spoke  evil  of  his  neighbours  the 
Keisiyeh  of  Beit  Nettif. 

We  did  not  hear  of  the  prevalence  of  thes*  parties  in  any 
other  region  at  the  present  day  ;  but  it  is  singular,  that  the  same 
names  of  hostile  parties  existed  in  Syria  in  the  very  first  century 
of  Muhammedanism.  It  would  be  interesting  to  inquire,  whether 
there  is  perhaps  any  connection  between  parties  thus  bearing  the 
same  names  in  the  seventh  and  in  the  nineteenth  centuries.' 

We  found  the  inhabitants  of  Beit  Xettif  very  civil  and  hos- 
pitable ;  the  bad  reports  about  them  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing. In  the  evening  several  of  the  chief  men  visited  us  in 
our  tent,  drank  cofiee,  and  gave  us  much  information.  On  going 
away,  one  of  them,  whom  we  supposed  to  be  a  Sheikh,  (though 
he  seemed  not  to  be  the  chief  Sheikh,)  inquired  if  we  would  have 
a  couple  of  men  from  the  viUage  to  watch  during  the  night. 
This  we  declined,  as  unnecessary.  We  heard  however  the  voices 
of  men  all  night  around  our  tent,  whom  we  took  to  be  persons 
watching  the  threshing-floors  of  barley,  and  enjoying  the  comfort 
of  our  fire  ;  indeed  they  disturbed  our  sleep  by  their  talking,  and 
especially  by  their  loud  manner  of  story-teUing.  In  the  morn- 
ing, we  learned  that  the  Sheikh  himself  and  two  men  had  kept 
guard  during  the  night  of  their  own  accord,  and  without  expect- 
ing any  remuneration.  We  afterwards  found  the  same  custom 
at  most  of  the  villages  where  we  encamped.  It  arises,  however, 
rather  out  of  a  regard  for  their  own  security,  than  from  any  par- 
ticular respect  towards  the  stranger.  Every  viUage  is  made  re- 
sponsible by  the  government  for  all  thefts  committed  within  its 
precincts  ;  had  we  at  any  time  lost  any  thing  by  theft  or  robbery, 
on  complaining  to  the  government,  the  village  where  the  loss 
occurred  would  have  been  compelled  to  make  it  good.  On  this 
ground,  therefore,  and  for  their  own  sakes,  they  usually  preferred 
to  set  a  watch  around  our  tent. 

Being  now  off"  the  track  of  all  former  travellers,  we  came  in 
contact  here  with  oriental  hospitahty  in  its  primitive  and  genuine 
form.  The  Anllages  supplied  us  with  every  thing  we  desired  ; 
regarding  it  as  an  honour,  and  without  expecting  a  recom])ense. 
Such  is  the  custom  of  all  these  mountains.  The  Fcllahin  never 
sell  food  to  one  another ;  but  every  stranger  is  the  guest  of  the 
village.    Our  five  muleteers,  honest  and  faithful  peasants  from 


Al>nlfeda  mentions  a  great  battle  be- 
tween the  Yemeniyeh  and  Keisiyeh,  A.  II. 
64  (A.  I).  CS4)  at  Merj  Rihat  near  Damas- 
cus; which  is  also  celebrated  by  .\rabian 
poets.  Auiiales  ^d  Ann.  G4.  Tabula  Syriae 
ed.  Kohler  p.  17.  See  also  Reiske's  Sole, 
ibid.  p.  107. — Kdrisi  has  likewise  the  u.ime 
ii.  345i  346 


Keis,  as  of  a  tribe  in  the  south  of  Pales- 
tine ;  p.  341.  ed.  Jaubert.  The  same  par- 
ties formerly  prevailed  throughout  Mount 
Lebanon,  both  among  the  Druzes  and  the 
Christian  ffopulation  ;  N'iebuhr  ReiscbeachTi 
II.  p.  447.    Burckhardt  p.  159. 


Mat  is.] 


BEIT  XETTIF. 


19 


the  village  of  Lifta  near  Jerusalem,  never  thought  of  p^P^S 
their  food  ;  not  for  the  sake  of  spunging,  like  our  former  Muka- 
riyeh,  but  because  it  vras  furnished  to  them  as  a  matter  of  course. 
In  every  village  there  is  a  public  room,  or  more  than  one,  according 
to  the  size  and  ability  of  the  place,  devoted  to  the  entertainment 
of  strangers.  Such  a  room  is  called  a  Menzil  or  Medafeh,  a  guest- 
room. The  guest  lodges  in  the  Menzil,  and  his  food  is  supplied 
by  the  families,  to  whose  circle  it  belongs.  Sometimes  they  take 
turns  in  his  entertainment  ;  at  other  times  it  is  left  to  those  vrho 
offer  themselves,  or  rather  who  claim  the  pri\-ilege.  If  the  giiest 
be  a  person  of  consequence,  it  is  a  matter  of  course  that  a  sheep 
or  goat,  a  lamb  or  kid,  is  killed  for  him.  The  Keisiyeh  usually 
kill  two  ;  one  for  the  guest,  and  another  for  the  people  of  the 
place.  When  the  guest  is  a  common  man,  as  a  muleteer  or  the 
like,  he  is  fed  with  rice,  or  whatever  may  be  the  ordinary  food 
of  the  people  themselves.  The  guest  gives  nothing  as  a  remu- 
neration when  he  leaves.  To  offer  money  would  be  taken  as  an 
insult  ;  and  to  receive  it  would  be  a  great  disgrace.  Such  is 
universally  the  manner  of  entertainment  in  the  villages  through- 
out the  provinces  of  J erusalem  and  Hebron,  as  well  as  in  other 
parts  of  Syria.' 

On  the  more  travelled  roads,  the  Franks  have  broken  in  upon 
this  custom  :  and  the  people  have  learned  to  receive  pay  from 
foreigners.  We  too  left  our  servant  behind  us  in  this  village,  to 
offer  pay  for  the  milk  and  other  articles  we  had  purchased,  and 
in  this  instance  it  was  received ;  though  subsequently  in  several 
cases  it  was  refused. 

Friday,  May  ISth.  We  rose  early,  and  found  the  lower  hill 
countiT  enveloped  in  a  dense  fog,  over  which  the  tops  of  the 
hills  were  seen  like  islands.  The  mist  however  soon  rose  from 
the  landscape,  and  left  behind  a  clear  atmosphere  and  a  fine 
breeze  the  whole  day.  The  Sheikh  who  was  with  us  last  evening 
came  again  early,  in  order  to  assist  us  in  making  observations  ; 
and  as  we  left,  he  accompanied  us,  in  token  of  respect,  quite  out 
of  the  village. 

The  great  object  before  us  to-day,  was  to  search  for  the  long 
lost  site  of  the  ancient  Eleutheroj^olis,  an  important  episcopal  city 
of  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries,  assumed  indeed  by  Eusebius 
and  Jerome  as  the  central  point  in  southern  Palestine,  from 
which  to  fix  the  position  of  many  other  places.  We  had  been 
making  inquiries  ever  since  we  first  reached  Jerusalem,  to  ascer- 
tain whether  any  name  or  any  rains  stiU  existed  in  the  same 
quarter,  which  might  afibrd  a  clue  for  determining  this  ancient 
site.  But  no  trace  of  any  such  name  could  be  found  ;  nor  could 
we  hear  of  any  such  ruins,  excepting  at  a  place  called  Beit  Jibrin. 

'  See  the  leferences  above,  VoL  L  p.  445  n.  4. 

ii.  346-348 


20 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


These  the  Arabs  described  in  extravagant  terms  ;  and  although 
we  placed  little  reliance  upon  their  accounts,  yet  we  determined 
to  visit  the  spot  ourselves  in  the  course  of  our  journey.  On 
arriving  at  Beit  Nettif,  we  were  surprised  and  gratified  t6  find 
ourselves  surrounded  by  several  places,  whose  distances  from 
Eleutheropolis  are  specified  by  Eusebius  and  J erome.  Thus  the 
distance  both  of  Beth-shemesh  and  Zorah  is  given  at  ten  Koman 
miles  towards  Nicopolis  ;  that  of  Jarmuth  (Jarmuch)  also  at  ten 
miles  towards  J erusalem,  and  that  of  Socoh  (Shuweikeh)  at  nine 
miles  towards  the  same  city,  probably  on  another  road.'  The 
first  three  places  all  lay  within  a  circle  of  an  hour  and  a  half 
west  of  north  from  Beit  Nettif ;  and  these  distances,  we  thought, 
might  perhaps  serve  us  in  some  measure  as  a  clue,  in  our  search 
after  the  site  of  Eleutheropolis  itself. 

We  left  Beit  Nettif  at  7  o'clock,  descending  immediately 
southwesterly  into  Wady  es-Sumt,  in  order  to  strike  again  the 
Askelon  branch  of  the  ancient  road,  which  passes  down  this 
valley.  The  hill  side  was  covered  with  fine  groves  of  olive  trees, 
some  of  them  planted  in  rows  like  a  regular  orchard  ;  which  is 
not  usually  the  case.  Twenty  minutes  brought  us  to  the  bot- 
tom ;  and  we  now  followed  down  Wady  es-Sumt  on  a  course 
west  by  north.  This  valley  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  three 
Wadys  at  a  point  directly  south  of  Beit  Nettif,  viz.  Wady  el- 
Musurr  coming  from  the  E.  N.  E. ;  Wady  es-Sur,  a  large  val- 
ley from  the  south  ;  and  a  smaller  one  from  the  N.  N.  E.  just 
under  Beit  Nettif  The  bottom  is  a  fine  fertile  plain  with 
moderate  hills  on  each  side.  It  was  now  covered  with  fields  of 
grain,  except  towards  the  western  part ;  where  are  a  good  many 
of  the  trees  here  called  Sumt,  from  which  the  valley  takes  its 
name.'^ 

We  crossed  the  water-bed  of  the  valley,  now  dry,  and  soon 
came  upon  the  ancient  road,  which  had  followed  down  Wady  el- 
Musurr.  The  other  or  Gaza  branch  goes  off  more  to  the  left, 
and  crosses  Wady  es-Silr  near  an  immense  Butm-tree  about 
twenty  minutes  south  of  the  junction  of  the  valleys.  On  our 
left,  in  a  gap  of  the  southern  hill,  we  now  had  the  ruins  of  Shu- 

■  Onomast.  arts.     Bctksctmis,  Saara,  thorny  tree  resembling  the  Tulh  or  Seyal, 

Jermits,  Soccho.  with  whicli  it  has  sometimes  been  con- 

^  The  form  Sumt,  seems  to  be  merely  a  founded. — This  Arabic  name  affords  an 

corrupt  pronunciation  of  the  word  S^n^,  apt  etymology  for  the  Heb.  na'j  i.  q.  najia, 

the  proper  Arabic  and  Egyptian  name  for  t,,g  s/nttim-wood  of  the  Bible  (Ex.  25;  5. 

the  tree  whose  fruit  is  called  /fara^/Zi.  jq.  13.  etc.)  wliich  was  probably  the  same 

This  IS  the  Mimosa  iV^t 'o<ica  of  Porskal,  j^ee  ;  see  Celsius  Ilierobot.  I.  p.  498  sq. 

Flora  ^.:gypt.  Arab.  p.  i-xxv.. ;  and  the  ^^^^^  ^ex.  Heb.  art.  n'Ji'.  RosenmuUer 

Acncui  vera  s.  Arab' ca  of  later  botanists,  , ,    ^,        ,    T-ir  '•  ' 

Sprengel  Hist.  Rei  Herbar.  I.  pp.  2G9,  270.  A  terthumsk.  IV.  ..  p.  277.  These 

The  Arabic  name  Sunt  is  variously  writ-  c""fo'md  the  Acacia  vera 

ten  by  the  Arabs  themselves.    It  is  a  i^t)  with  the  Acacia  sr««w»/cr<i  (lulh). 

ii.  34S.  349 


ilAT  18.] 


WADT  ES-SUMT.  SOCOH. 


21 


weikeh,  the  Socoh  of  the  plain  of  Judah,  which  is  enumerated 
with  Janniith,  Adullam,  and  Azekah,  and  lay  nine  Roman 
miles  from  Eleutheropolis  towards  Jerusalem.'  It  was  there- 
fore not  far  from  Jarmutli  ;  as  it  now  also  lies  not  far  distant 
from  Yarmilk,  about  half  an  hour. 

Another  mention  of  Socoh  enables  us  to  determine  the  an- 
cient name  of  this  fine  valley  ;  and  fixes  it  as  the  scene  of  a 
memorable  event  in  Scripture  history,  the  combat  of  David  and 
Goliath.  We  are  told  that  the  Philistines  "  were  gathered  to- 
gether at  Socoh  which  belongeth  to  Judah,  and  pitched  between 
Socoh  and  Azekah.  And  Saul  and  the  men  of  Israel  were 
gathered  together  and  pitched  by  the  valley  of  Elah,  and  set 
the  battle  in  array  against  the  Pliilistines.  And  the  Philistines 
stood  on  a  mountain  on  the  one  side,  and  Israel  stood  on  a 
mountain  on  the  other  side  ;  and  there  was  a  vaUey  between 
them."^  The  mention  of  Azekah  shows  that  the  Socoh  meant, 
can  only  be  this  place  ;  and  the  valley  between  the  armies, 
the  vaUey  of  Elah,  in  which  the  combat  took  place,  could 
weU  be  no  other  than  the  present  "VVady  es-Sumt.  It  took 
its  name  Elah  of  old  from  the  Terebinth  (Butm),  of  which 
the  largest  specimen  we  saw  in  Palestine  stdl  stands  in  the 
vicinity  ;  just  as  now  it  takes  its  name  es-Sumt  (Sunt)  from  the 
acacias  which  are  scattered  in  it.^ 

We  now  pursued  our  way  down  the  valley,  rejoicing  in  hav- 
ing thus  been  able  to  discover  and  visit  the  spot,  where  the 
youthful  warrior  and  poet,  in  firm  reliance  on  the  God  of  Israel, 
made  his  first  glorious  essay  as  the  champion  of  his  people.  At 
7.40  we  reached  a  weU  by  the  way-side,  caUed  Bir  Kfdidhia, 
about  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  deep,  with  several  drinking 
troughs  of  wood.  Fifteen  minutes  later,  the  ruins  of  Jennabeh 
were  upon  the  hill  at  our  left.  At  8  o'clock  Wady  es-Sumt 
turned  to  the  right,  nearly  no'i:h,  passing  off  between  Tell  Za- 
kariya  on  the  left  and  the  village  of  the  same  name  on  the 
right,  perhaps  half  an  hour  distant ;  and  then  bending  again 
more  to  the  left,  and  running  to  the  plain.*  A  road  to  Ramleh 
here  left  ours,  passing  down  the  vaUey. 

We  continued  on  the  ancient  road  in  a  direct  course,  and  as- 
cended the  ridge  towards  the  west,  reaching  the  top  at  8^ 
o'clock.  Here  a  narrower  vaUey  lay  before  us,  running  off  in  the 
direction  W.  W.  The  numerous  olive  groves  in  this  valley 
and  upon  the  hills  around,  gave  the  country  almost  a  wooded 

'  Joth.  15,  35.    See  pp.  17,  20.  and  points  ont  the  place  of  David's  com- 

1  Sam.  17,  l-ii.  bat  at  a  spot  north  of  'Ain  Kaiim,  not  less 

Mo:iji--t;c  tradition,  as  we  have  seen,    than  five  or  six  hours  distant  from  Socoh. 

assigns  the  name  of  Elah,  or  Terebinth    See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  461,  u.  2. 

valley,  to  the  great  Wady  Beit  Hanina ;       *  See  above,  p.  5. 

ii.  349-351 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


appearance.  The  great  western  plain  was  here  visible  ;  and  in 
it  at  some  distance  an  isolated  oblong  hill,  or  short  ridge,  called 
Tell  es-Safieh,  a  very  conspicuous  point,  on  which  our  guide  said 
there  were  ruins.' 

We  descended  into  the  narrow  valley  ;  and  after  fifteen 
minutes  passed  'Ajjur,  a  small  village  on  the  left.  At  8| 
o'clock,  there  was  another  ancient  well  in  the  valley,  exhibiting 
quite  a  pastoral  scene  of  patriarchal  days.  Many  cattle,  flocks 
of  sheep  and  kids,  and  also  camels,  were  all  waiting  round  the 
well  ;  while  men  and  women  were  busQy  employed  in  draw- 
ing water  for  them.  These  people  at  once  offered  and  drew 
water  for  us  and  our  thirsty  animals,  without  the  expectation  of 
reward.  The  well  was  square  and  narrow  ;  by  measuring  the 
rope  we  found  the  depth  to  be  sixty  feet.  A  platform  of  very 
large  stones  was  buUt  up  around  it,  and  there  were  many  drink- 
ing troughs.  On  the  platform  was  fixed  a  small  reel  for  the  rope, 
wlii'jh  a  man,  seated  on  a  level  with  the  axis,  wound  up,  by 
pulling  the  upper  part  of  the  reel  towards  him  with  his  hands, 
while  he  at  the  same  time  pushed  the  lower  part  from  him  with 
the  feet.  This  may  not  improbably  have  been  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tian manner  of  "  watering  with  the  foot.'"^ 

In  coming  thus  far  from  Beit  Nettif,  an  hour  and  three 
quarters,  we  had  on  the  whole  made  no  southing  whatever,  but 
rather  the  contrary.  Our  relative  position  in  respect*  to  SOr'ah, 
'Ain  Shems,  and  Yarmuk  was  indeed  changed  ;  these  places  all 
now  lying  east  of  north  ;  and  being,  so  far  as  we  could  judge, 
not  far  from  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half  distant.  We  knew,  too, 
that  we  must  now  be  at  least  approaching  the  ancient  road  rim- 
ning  north  from  Eleutheropolis  to  Nicopolis  ;  and  there  was 
therefore  every  reason  to  suppose,  that  we  could  not  be  more 
than  two  or  at  the  most  two  and  a  half  hours  distant  from  the 
site  of  the  former  city.^  But  with  aU  our  inquiry,  we  could 
hear  of  no  ruins  of  any  kind,  except  the  great  ones  (as  they  were 
called)  at  Beit  Jibrin,  and  the  slighter  ones  at  Tell  es-Safieh. 
The  latter  place  seemed  to  be  much  too  far  both  towards  the 
north  and  west ;  it  being  apparently  about  an  hour  and  a  half 
distant  from  this  point.  We  therefore  determined  at  any  rate 
fii-st  to  visit  the  ruins  at  Beit  Jibrin  ;  and  then  to  take  such  a 
course  as  circumstances  might  dictate. 

After  a  stoj)  of  twenty  minutes  at  the  well,  we  now  at  9.05 
turned  to  the  left  almost  at  a  right  angle,  and  proceeded  on  a 
course  about  S.  by  W.    We  had  heard  all  along,  and  especially 

'  The  Tell  bore  from  this  spot  N.  70'  usual  rate  of  travel  with  horses  and  mules, 

W.  and  Beit  Kett  f  S.  85'  E.  in  a  re;;ion  like  this,  was  very  regularly 

'  Dciit.  11,  10.    See  more  on  this  sub-  three  lloman  mile*  to  iin  hour.    See  above, 

ject  in  N'otp  II,  at  the  end  of  Vol.  I.  Vol.  I.  p.  4G2.    See  also  Note  VII,  end  of 

'  The  reader  will  bear  in  mind,  that  our  Vol.  I. 
ii.  35  L  352 


Mat  18.] 


EXCAVATED  CAVERNS. 


23 


from  the  Sheikh  of  Beit  Nettif,  of  a  great  cavern  in  this  quar- 
ter, a  convent  under  ground,  large  enough  (it  was  said)  to  con- 
tain all  the  Pasha's  troops.  We  had  hoped  it  might  turn  out 
to  be  the  cave  of  Makkedah,  which  Eusebius  and  Jerome  place 
eight  miles  east  of  Eleutheropohs. '  According  to  our  reckoning, 
however,  we  had  already  travelled  too  far  for  this.  At  9.40,  a 
few  steps  beyond  a  \allage  named  Deir  Dubban,  we  came  to  the 
cavern  (so  called)  of  which  we  were  in  search,  just  by  our  road 
on  the  left.  Although  not  Makkedah,  yet  the  place  is  certainly 
a  great  curiosity. 

In  the  soft  hmestone  or  chalky  rock,  which  the  soil  here 
scarcely  covers,  are  several  irregular  pits,  some  nearly  square, 
and  all  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep,  with  perpendicular 
sides.  Whether  these  pits  are  natural  or  artificial,  it  might  at 
first  be  difficult  to  say.  In  the  sides  are  iiTCgular  doors  or  low 
arched  passages,  much  obstructed  by  rubbish,  leading  into  large 
excavations  in  the  adjacent  rock  iu  the  form  of  tall  domes  or 
bell-shaped  apartments,  vaiying  in  height  from  twenty  to  thirty 
feet,  and  in  diameter  from  ten  or  twelve  to  twenty  feet  or  more. 
The  top  of  the  dome  iisually  terminates  in  a  small  circular 
opening  at  the  surface  of  the  ground  above,  admitting  light  into 
the  cavern.  These  apartments  are  mostly  in  clusters,  three  or 
four  together,  communicating  with  each  other.  Around  one  pit 
towards  the  southwest  we  found  sixteen  such  apartments  thus 
connected,  forming  a  sort  of  labyrinth.  They  are  aU  hewn  very 
regularly  ;  but  many  are  partly  bi-oken  down  ;  and  it  is  not  im- 
possible, that  the  pits  themselves  may  have  been  caused  by  the 
falling  in  of  similar  domes.  Some  of  the  apartments  are  orna- 
mented, either  near  the  bottom  or  high  up,  or  both,  with  rows 
of  small  holes  or  niches,  like  pigeon-holes,  extending  quite 
around  the  wall.  In  the  largest  cluster,  in  the  innermost  dome, 
a  rough  block  of  the  Hmestone  has  been  left  standing  on  one 
side,  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  as  if  a  rude  pulpit  or  a  pedestal  for  a 
statue.  In  the  same  apartment  are  several  crosses  cut  in  the 
wall ;  and  in  another  of  the  same  suite,  are  several  very  old 
Cufic  inscriptions,  one  of  which  is  qiiite  long.  These  we 
neglected  to  copy,  much  to  our  subsequent  regret  ;  although 
from  what  we  elsewhere  saw  they  probablv  would  throw  no 
h-ht  upon  the  age  and  character  of  these  singular  excavations. 

What  then  could  have  been  the  object  of  these  caverns  ? 
Cisterns  they  were  not ;  and  quarries  they  could  hardly  have 
been  ;  as  the  stone  is  not  hard  enough  for  building,  and  there  is 
no  place  in  the  vicinity  erected  with  such  stone.  Or,  if  quar- 
ries, why  then  excavate  in  this  peculiar  and  difficult  form,  when 
all  is  so  near  the  surface  ?    The  form  in  itself  resembles  that  of 

'  Josh.  10,  10.  16  sq.    15,  41.    Onomast.  art  Maceda. 

ii.  352-354 


24 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


tlie  subterranean  magazines  around  many  of  the  villages  at  tlie 
present  clay  ;  and  naturally  suggests  the  idea,  that  these  caverns 
too  mav  have  been  intended  for  mas-azines  of  grain.  But  their 
great  number,  and  especially  the  fact  of  their  communicating 
•with  each  other,  is  inconsistent  ^vith  such  an  hypothesis.  I  am 
unable  to  solve  the  mystery  ;  and  the  similar  excavations  which 
•we  afterwards  saw  on  our  second  visit  to  Beit  Jibrin,  serve  only 
to  render  the  whole  matter  still  more  inexplicable.  We  after- 
wards found  reason  to  suppose,  that  the  ancient  Gath-Eimmon 
was  situated  here  or  in  the  vicinity.' 

We  spent  nearly  an  hour  in  exploring  these  caverns.  Pro- 
ceeding on  our  way  at  10.35,  we  came  in  fifteen  minutes  to  a 
village  on  our  right  called  Ra'na,  with  fields  of  tobacco  and  cot- 
ton. Our  guide,  by  mistake,  now  took  a  road  lying  to  the  left 
of  the  right  one,  but  parallel  to  it.  This  brought  us  at  11.25 
to  Kudna,  a  small  village,  in  which  are  the  remains  of  a  large 
ancient  budding.  A  portion  of  the  western  wall  is  standing, 
some  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  built  of  large  stones. 
It  is  difficidt  to  say,  whether  it  was  once  a  church,  or  perhaps  a 
castle  ;  it  seemed  older  than  the  age  of  the  crusades. 

Our  way  wound  much,  leading  us  through  broad  arable 
Wadys  among  the  low  bushy  hills.  We  were  now  verging 
towards  the  border  of  the  hilly  tract  and  the  great  plain  on  the 
west,  where  hill  and  plain  pass  over  into  each  other  ;  and  where 
the  frequent  and  shallow  Wadys,  running  in  aU  directions,  ren- 
der it  difiicult  to  mark  their  general  course,  or  to  distinguish  any 
main  trunk.  As  we  approached  Beit  Jibrin,  however,  we  tra- 
velled along  a  fine  open  valley  or  plain,  running  from  south  to 
north,  which  seemed  to  be  one  of  the  principal  Wadys.  It 
passes  onwards  to  the  great  plain,  where  it  sweeps  round  on  the 
south  of  Tell  es-Safieh,  forming  apparently  one  of  the  main 
branches  of  Wady  Simsim,  which  we  afterwards  encountered  on 
our  way  to  Gaza. 

In  tliis  valley  along  the  road  were  traces  of  ancient  walls, 
once  probably  enclosing  fields  ;  and  in  several  places  we  saw  short 
rude  pillars,  which  at  first  we  thought  might  have  been  intended 
as  Roman  milestones.  For  this  however  they  were  too  numer- 
ous ;  and  they  more  probably  once  served  as  private  landmarks, 
between  the  fields  of  difierent  owners.  We  reached  Beit  Jibrin 
at  12^  o'clock,  situated  among  low  hills  at  the  head  of  this  main 
valley,  where  it  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  two  or  three  smaller 
Wadys,  and  runs  at  first  N.  N.  W.  The  site  is  so  shut  in  by 
hills,  that  no  other  places  are  visible  from  it.  Like  most  of 
the  villages  in  this  region,  it  is  surrounded  with  olive  trees  ;  and 

'  See  under  May  22d ;  and  at  the  end  of  the  discussion  respecting  Eleutheropolis, 
on  the  subsequent  day,  May  23d. 
ii.  354,  355 


liAT  18.] 


BEIT  JIBRIN. 


25 


beneath  one  of  these,  northwest  of  the  ruins,  we  spread  our  car- 
pets, and  after  a  few  minutes  of  rest  and  refreshment,  entered 
upon  our  examination  of  this  interesting  spot. 

Here  is  a  village  with  ruins,  apparently  of  different  ages,  and 
more  extensive  and  massive  than  any  we  saw  in  Palestine,  ex- 
cept the  substructions  of  the  ancient  temple  at  Jerusalem  and 
the  Haram  at  Hebron.  They  consist  of  the  remains  of  a  for- 
tress of  immense  strength,  in  the  midst  of  an  irregular  rounded 
enclosure,  encompassed  by  a  very  ancient  and  strong  wall. 
This  outer  waU  was  built  of  large  squared  stones  uncemented. 
It  has  been  mostly  thrown  down  ;  but  on  the  northern  side  it  is 
still  several  feet  in  height,  running  along  the  southern  bank  of 
the  water-bed  of  the  Wady  which  comes  down  from  the  E.  N.  E. 
In  the  other  quarter  also  it  is  stiU  distinctly  to  be  traced.  Along 
this  wall  on  the  inside,  towards  the  west  and  northwest,  is  a  row  of 
ancient  massive  vaults  with  fine  round  arches,  apparently  of  the 
same  age  as  the  wall  itself.  These  are  now  nearly  covered  by 
the  acciunulated  rubbish  ;  yet  some  of  them  still  serve  as  dwell- 
inss  for  the  inhabitants.  The  northern  wall  of  this  exterior  en- 
closure,  representing  the  diameter  from  east  to  west,  measured 
six  hundred  feet ;  and  the  other  diameter  cannot  be  much  less. 
The  character  of  this  wall  and  of  these  vaults,  leaves  no  doubt 
that  they  are  of  Koman  origin. 

In  the  midst  of  this  area  stands  an  irregular  castle,  the  lower 
parts  of  which  seem  to  be  as  ancient  as  the  exterior  wall  ;  but  it 
has  obviously  been  built  up  again  in  more  modem  times. 
Indeed,  an  inscription  over  the  gate-way  shows  that  it  was  last 
repaired  by  the  Turks  in  A  H.  958,'  (A.  D.  1551,)  nearly  ten 
years  after  the  present  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  built.  The 
northern  and  western  sides  alone  are  regular  ;  the  former  mea- 
sured one  hundred  and  ninety-two  feet,  and  the  latter  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  feet.  The  gate  was  now  shut  up  ;  and  the 
court  within  planted  with  tobacco,  so  far  as  there  was  room 
among  the  heaps  of  stones  and  rubbish.  The  walls  are  so  far 
broken  down,  that  we  could  clamber  over  them  and  enter  with- 
out difficulty.  The  interior  of  the  castle  was  full  of  arches  and 
vaults  ;  and  the  people  told  us  of  a  church  with  pictures  in  the 
southern  part,  now  shut  up  and  indeed  buried  beneath  the  ruins. 
Several  small  marble  columns  were  strewed  around.  The  area 
of  the  enclosure,  outside  of  the  castle,  is  occupied  partly  by  the 
modem  hovels  of  the  village  ;  partly  by  patches  of  tobacco  and 
vegetables  ;  while  in  the  northem  and  eastern  quarters,  it  is  con- 
fusedly covered  with  heaps  of  stones,  the  materials  of  ancient 
walls  and  stmctures. 

'  I  follow  here  the  journal  of  mv  companion  ;  my  own  pencil  notes  made  on  tho 
tfot  have  A.  H.  948. 

YoL.  IL— 3  ii,  355-357 


26 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


The  situation  of  this  fortress  was  low,  on  a  point  between 
two  Wadys,  one  coming  from  the  E.  N.  E.  and  the  other  from 
the  S.  S.  E.  Back  of  the  village  the  ground  rises  into  hills, 
which  must  have  overlooked  the  fortress.  The  ancient  town  ap- 
pears to  have  extended  for  some  distance  along  the  open  valley 
towards  the  northeast.  In  this  part  are  still  remains  of  the 
former  wall  and  dwellings.  Just  by  the  village  on  the  west  in 
the  other  Wady,  is  a  large  public  well,  around  which  cattle  and 
flocks  were  collected  for  watering. 

Twenty  minutes  from  the  village,  in  the  direction  S.  28^  E. 
are  seen  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  church  bearing  the  name  of 
Santa  Hanneh  (St.  Anne),  situated  on  higher  sloping  ground 
near  the  head  of  the  southern  Wady,  northeast  of  its  water- 
course. In  following  up  the  Wady  to  this  spot  we  passed  two 
other  wells.  One  of  them  about  half  way  was  quite  large  ; 
flocks  and  herds  were  gathered  around  both  ;  wliile  men  and 
women  were  drawing  Avater  and  filling  for  them  the  many  drink- 
ing troughs,  presenting  an  animated  scene  of  pastoral  life.  Of 
the  church,  only  the  eastern  end  is  standing,  including  the  niche 
of  the  great  altar,  and  that  of  a  side  chapel,  built  of  large  hewn 
stones  of  strong  and  beautiful  masonry.  The  foundations  re- 
main throughout  ;  and  there  are  subterraneous  vaults  with  win- 
dows on  the  north  side.  Indeed,  the  edifice  stood  on  round 
arches  ;  which  with  the  foundations  seem  nearly  of  the  same 
character  and  antiquity  as  the  fortress  itself.'  In  the  Wady 
near  by  are  the  ruins  of  an  ordinary  village.  Southwest  of  the 
church,  on  the  other  side  of  the  AVady,  rises  a  truncated  Tell  of 
a  chalky  and  singular  appearance.  We  had  been  told  of  a 
fountain  near  the  church,  which  became  diy  for  a  part  of  the 
year  ;  but  it  turned  out  that  our  informant  meant  only  a  well 
at  some  distance  northeast,  where  men  were  drawing  water  for 
their  flocks.  This  we  found  to  be  fifty-two  feet  dee}>,  dug  mostly 
in  the  solid  rock,  and  apparently  ancient.  There  is  another  on 
the  slope  of  the  hiU  southwest  of  the  church,  which  was  now 
dry.' 

In  returning  to  the  village,  as  we  passed  one  of  the  wells 
where  the  peoi)le  were  watering  their  flocks,  a  man  called  out  to 
us  :  "  Do  not  be  long,"  that  is,  in  coming  to  take  possession  of 
the  country.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  we  were  supposed  to  be  in 
search  of  our  hereditary  estates.  Such  expressions  we  often 
heard  ;  and  this  desire  for  a  Frank  government  or  Frank  protec- 
tion we  found  to  be  universal  in  Syria,  among  both  Chris- 

'  The  only  allusion  I  find  to  this  church  '  From  the  hill  just  east  of  Siinta  Han- 
is  in  Gaufr.  Vinisauf,  Iter  Hierosol.  Refjis  neh  the  following  bearings  were  taken  ' 
Richanli,  ctr..  44,  in  Gale  Scriptoros  Toll  cs-SAfioh  N.  20'  \V.  Beit 'At;"ib  N 
Hiftoriaj  Angl.  Tom.  II.  p.  375.  See  G3"  E.  Min'in  S.  64°  E.  DQra  ou  tie 
further  on,  p.  28,  n.  6.  mountain  S.  44°  E. 

ii.  357,  358 


Mat  18.] 


BEIT  JIBRIN. 


27 


tians  and  Muhammedans  ;  not  excepting  even  the  Bedawin. 
On  this  ground  we  were  everj'where  well  received.'  Here  at 
Beit  Jibrin  the  people  were  kind  and  communicative.  The 
Sheikh  of  the  village  was  understood  to  be  absent,  and  we  did 
not  now  see  him. 

Beit  Jibrin  is  a  village  of  moderate  size,  the  capital  of  a  dis- 
trict in  the  province  of  Gaza,  beginning  just  west  of  Beit  Net- 
tif,  called  the  district  of  the  'Azazeh.  It  takes  this  name  from 
an  ancient  family  of  Sheikhs,  formerly  hereditary  lords  of  Beit 
Jibrin,  and  of  great  power  in  these  parts,  being  one  of  the  three 
chief  families  of  the  Keisiyeh.  Having  been  leaders  in  the  re- 
belUon  of  1834,  some  of  the  family  were  beheaded,  and  the  rest 
compelled  to  remove  to  Tell  es-Safieh.  Another  family,  called 
the  house  of  'Amleh,  resides  at  Beit  Ula  ;  and  a  third,  the  house 
of  Ibn  'Omar,  at  Dura  in  the  mountains  of  Hebron.  The  two 
former  families  were  head  Sheikhs  of  the  lower  Keis  (el-Keisiyeh 
et-Tahta)  in  and  near  the  plain. — These  families  of  Sheilihs 
form  a  species  of  hereditary  nobility ;  but  they  are  here  less  an- 
cient and  less  exclusive  than  those  of  the  Druzes  in  Mount  Leb- 
anon.   There  are  also  smaller  flimihes  of  less  powerful  Sheildis. 

Such  was  the  result  of  our  inquiries  and  obseiwations  at  Beit 
Jibrin  on  this  our  first  visit.  The  question  now  naturally  arose, 
Whether  all  this  presented  any  ground  for  regarding  this  spot  as 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Eleutheropolis  ?  The  ruins  certainly 
seemed  to  be  sufficiently  important  to  warrant  such  a  conclusion  ; 
ruins  worthy  of  the  Roman  name,  and  of  a  powerful  city.  Fur- 
ther, in  travelling  hither  from  the  well  where  we  had  halted,  we 
had  by  a  winding  road  passed  over  the  anticipated  distance  of 
two  and  a  half  hours  within  wliich  we  had  supposed  Eleuthero- 
polis must  lie.  Still,  this  distance  might  apply  just  as  well  to 
some  place  lying  more  to  the  northwest  ;  and  I  had  in  some  way 
received  the  groundless  impression,  that  the  city  in  question  lay 
actually  in  the  plain  itself,  and  not  among  the  hills.  "We  con- 
cluded therefore  to  make  still  further  examination  ;  and  as  not- 
withstanding all  our  inquiries,  we  could  hear  of  no  spot  where 
there  could  be  the  shghtest  hope  of  finding  the  object  of  our 
search,  unless  perhaps  at  Tell  es-Safieh,  we  determined  to  bend 
our  steps  that  way. — We  felt  ourselves  constrained  to  push  our 
researches  further,  because  the  site  of  Eleutheropolis  could  not 
be  fixed  at  this  place,  without  making  it  identical  with  another 
ancient  city,  wliose  name  has  been  preserved  ;  an  identity  of 
which,  as  yet,  no  one  had  ever  dreamed. 

Indeed,  whatever  might  be  the  fact  in  regard  to  Eleuthero- 
polis, there  could  be  no  doubt  upon  our  minds,  that  in  Beit  Jib- 
rin was  to  be  recognised  the  Betogabra  of  Ptolemy  and  the 

'  See  .also  at  Ma'in,  above,  Yol.  L  p.  495. 

ii.  358-360 


28 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XI. 


Peutinger  Tables  and  tlie  Beigeberin,  (an  episcopal  city)  of  the 
ecclesiastical  Notitioe  of  the  subsequent  centuries.'  This  place 
is  marked  in  the  said  Tables  at  sixteen  Koman  miles  from  As- 
kelon,  a  distance  considerably  too  small ;  since  from  the  construc- 
tion of  our  maps  it  appears,  that  the  actual  distance  cannot  be 
less  than  about  twenty  geographical  miles.  ^  An  early  legend  of 
the  life  of  Ananias  names  it  "  Betogabra  of  Eleutheropolis 
which,  however  the  phrase  may  be  regarded,  imphes  at  least  that 
these  places  were  not  far  remote  from  each  other.'  Such  is  the 
amount  of  all  the  notices  respecting  the  ancient  city  under  tliis 
name,  down  to  the  time  of  the  crusades. 

In  the  twelfth  century,  the  crusaders  found  on  this  spot  an 
ancient  site  in  ruins,  called  by  the  Arabs  '  Bethgebrim  ; '  ^  here 
they  built  up  again  a  fortress  upon  the  former  foundations,  to 
guard  against  the  incursions  of  the  Muhammedans  from  Askelon. 
This  took  place  about  A.  D.  1134,  under  king  Fulco.  William 
of  Tyre  describes  the  fortress  as  having  impregnable  walls,  with 
a  mound  and  bastions  and  other  advanced  works.  The  defence 
of  this  position  was  intrusted  to  the  knights  Hospitalers.  The 
Arabic  name  became  corrapted  among  the  crusaders  into  "  Gib- 
elin  ; "  and  they  and  the  Chiistian  writers  of  that  age,  held  the 
place  to  be  the  ancient  Beersheba.^  It  is  not  unfrequently  men- 
tioned by  Arabic  authors  ;  who  write  the  name  almost  indiscrim- 
inately Beit  Jibrin  and  Beit  Jibril,  the  latter  signifying  the 
*  House  of  Gabriel  ;  and  they  speak  of  it  also  as  including  the 
surrounding  district.  Benjamin  of  Tudela  visited  the  spot,  and 
found  here  three  J ews.^  After  the  decisive  battle  of  Hattin  and 
the  capture  of  Askelon  by  Saladin,  in  A.  D.  1187,  the  fortress 
of  Beit  Jibrin  also  feU  into  his  power  ;  *  but  it  seems  to  have  re- 

'  Ptolemy  BoiTo-yo/Spa.    Tab.  Peut.  Be-  Kreuzz.  II.  pp.  595,  615.    Brocardus  c.  10. 

togahri.    See  Reland  Palaest.  pp.  461,  421,  p.  186.  Marin.  Sanut.  pp.  163,  165.  Adri- 

222,  627. — Josephus  mentions  a  large  vil-  cliomius  p.  133.    Yet  before  the  days  of 

lage  BVjTapis  (Betaris)  in  this  region,  which  the  latter  writer,  the  true  Beersheba  had 

Rufinus  read  B^^ojSpij  (Begabris)  in  his  been   visited  by  several  travellers ;  see 

copy.    Reland  suggests  that  this  may  have  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  205.    G.  Vinisauf  seems 

been  the  same  place,  which  is  not  im-  to  allude  to  the  church  of  Santa  Ilnnneh, 

probable;  p.  626.    Joseph.  B.  J.  4.  8.  1.  when  he  speaks  of  Ybelin  (meaning  Gibe- 

^  It  would  seem  probable  that  an  X  may  lin)  as  being  near  the  valley  in  which  St 

have  been  dropped  in  the  Peutinger  Ta-  Anne  was  bom  ;  see  in  Gale's  Scriptores 

bles  ;  the  original  reading  having  been  Historise  Anglic.  Tom.  II.  p.  395. 
perhaps  XXVI  Roman  miles.  "  Edrisi  par  Jaubert  p.  360.    Ibn  el- 

'  Acta  Sanctor.  Jan.  Tom.  11.  pp.  613,  Wnrdi  in  Ahulf.  Tab.  Syr.  ed.  Ktihlcr  p. 

614.  170.    See  especially  Schulten's  Index  in 

*  "  Urbem  veterem  et  dirutam.'.  ..  Vit.  Salad,  art.  BcitSjebrinum. — Still,  as 

Arahice  Bethgebrim ;  "  Will.  Tyr.  14.  22.  the  interchange  of  /  and  jt  is  not  unfre- 

This  writer  gives  its  distance  from  Askelon  qucnt  in  Arabic,  it  may  after  nil  be  a 

at  twelve  miles  ;  meaning  apparently  Ital-  question,  whether  Jibrin  may  not  be  the 

ian  miles  of  60  to  the  degree  ;  which  falls  ancient  Hebrew  form,  meaning  perhaps 

short  even  of  the  sixteen  Roman  miles  of  "  House  of  Men."    The  Greek  form  Bairo- 

the  Peutinger  Tables.    See  Note  2,  above.  yd0pa  accords  better  with  this  supposition. 

^  Will.  Tyr.  14.  22.    Jac.  de  Vitr.  36,       '  Benj.  of  Tudel.  p.  77. 
41.  pp.  1070,  1071.    Wilkeu  Gcsch.  der       '  Bohaed.  Vit.  Sal.  p.  72. 
ii.  liOO.  301 


May  18.] 


BEIT  JIBRIN. 


29 


verted  into  the  hands  of  the  Franks,  perhaps  with  Askelon,  and 
is  mentioned  in  A.  D.  1192,  as  a  station  in  the  march  of  one 
part  of  king  Richard's  army  from  the  south  towards  Beit  Nuba.^ 
In  A.  D.  1244,  it  was  captured  hj  the  troops  of  Bibars.'^  I  find 
no  further  notice  of  Beit  Jibrin  or  its  fortress,  excepting  in  Mari- 
nus  Sanutus,  who  merely  copies  William  of  Tyre  but  the  in- 
scription already  mentioned,  shows  that  it  continued  to  be  a 
place  of  strength  even  under  the  later  Turkish  dominion  ;  being 
kept  up  perhaps  in  order  to  hold  in  check  the  turbulent  spirits 
of  the  ancient  Arab  families  of  Sheikhs,  the  former  lords  of 
Beit  Jibrin  and  the  adjacent  territory.  Since  the  time  of  the 
crusades,  I  am  not  aware  that  this  place  has  been  visited  by 
any  Frank  traveller  ;  unless  perhaps  by  Breydenbach  and  Fabri 
in  A.  D.  1483,  on  their  way  from  Hebron  to  Gaza  ;  who  how- 
ever make  no  mention  of  Beit  Jibrin.* 

We  now  left  Beit  Jibrin  at  2|  o'clock,  for  Tell  es-Safieh. 
A  man  from  Eamleh,  returning  from  Hebron,  fell  into  our  train, 
and  continued  with  us  ;  although  Tell  es-Safieh  was  out  of  his 
direct  course.  The  way  led  at  first  down  the  same  broad  valley 
by  which  we  had  approached,  and  then  more  to  the  left.  In  half 
an  hour,  after  crossing  obliquely  the  low  western  slope,  we 
emerged  from  the  hills  upon  the  wide  rolling  plain  which  ex- 
tends to  the  sea  ;  it  is  here  not  very  fertile  nor  very  well  culti- 
vated ;  though  as  we  advanced,  we  found  much  of  it  covered 
with  a  crop  of  wheat.  At  4.10  we  passed  the  large  village  of 
Dhikrin,  to  which  name  our  guide  added  the  epithet  el-Bura- 
dan.  It  stands  on  the  left  slope  of  a  Wady,  which  I  suppose  to 
be  that  coming  down  from  Beit  Jibrin,  and  here  sweeping  round 
towards  the  Wady  Simsim  in  the  plain.  Near  the  village  are 
excavations,  said  to  be  like  those  we  had  seen  at  Deir  Dubban  ; 
but  being  in  a  low  situation,  the  water  of  a  small  Wady  is  in 
winter  turned  into  them,  and  they  are  used  as  cisterns. 

This  village  of  Dhikrin  is  mentioned  by  Tucher  of  Numberg 
in  A.  D.  1479.  He  travelled  from  Bethlehem  to  Gaza,  passing  by 
St.  George  and  lodging  at  Thikrin  (Dhikrin),  where  he  also 
speaks  of  cisterns.*  His  route  down  the  mountains  must  there- 
fore have  been  in  general  the  same  with  ours. 

We  reached  TeU  es-Safieh  at  a  quarter  past  5  o'clock.  It  is 
an  isolated  oblong  hill  or  ridge,  lying  from  north  to  south  in  the 
plain ;  the  highest  part  being  towards  the  south.  The  village 
lies  near  the  middle  ;  lower  down.    We  pitched  our  tent  just 

-  Bohaed.  Vit.  SaL  p.  229.   Wilken ibid,  habited  village  in  this  quarter  ;  Vol.  II.  p. 

rV.  p.  508.  ^  ^  310.  Poujoulat  professes  to  have  found  the 

'  Makrizi  in  Wilken  Comment,  de  Bell,  fortress  (not  the  name)  four  hours  south- 

Cruc.  p.  204.  east  of  Askelon  on  his  road  from  Gaza  to 

'  De  Seer  Fidel.  Cruc.  p.  165.  Yafa  !  Correspond  ence  d'Orient,  V.  p.  448. 

*  Volney  heard  the  name,  as  of  an  in-  '  Reissb.  des  h.  Landes  p.  G77. 

Vol.  II.— 3*  ii.  301-363 


30 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


above  tlie  village,  and  immediately  repaired  to  the  summit  of  the 
lull,  in  search  of  the  ruins  of  which  we  had  been  told.  They 
proved  to  be  merely  the  indistinct  foundations  apparently  of  a 
castle  on  the  highest  part,  constructed  of  large  hewn  stones.  On 
the  western  side  of  the  hill,  are  also  the  remains  of  a  terrace 
built  of  like  materials.  There  is  no  fountain  here  nor  in  the 
vicinity  ;  but  in  the  western  plain,  near  the  foot  of  the  hiU,  is  a 
well  of  living  water,  which  was  said  to  overflow  during  a  part  of 
the  year.  Upon  the  hill  is  seen  a  soHtary  palm  tree. — Safieh  we 
were  told  is  the  name  of  a  ruin  in  the  plain  towards  the  northeast, 
and  this  is  its  Tell  or  lull. 

The  hill  itself  is  not  high  ;  but  rises  sufficiently  above  the 
surrounding  country  to  be  seen  at  the  distance  of  some  hours  in 
every  direction,  especially  towards  the  north  and  west.  Here  it 
overlooks  the  plain,  which  extends  north  to  Ramleh  and  west  to 
Esdiul  (Ashdod).  The  tower  of  Ramleh  was  distinctly  visible  ; 
the  distance  was  said  to  be  five  hours.  Xearer  the  mountain,  in 
the  northeast,  we  could  also  distinguish  Latron  upon  a  conical 
hill. '  A  large  number  of  villages  and  sites  were  visible  on  every 
side,  with  many  of  which  we  had  already  become  acquainted ; 
though  not  a  few  were  also  new.  They  are  recorded  in  the  note 
below.'' 

The  people  of  the  village  flocked  around  us  with  kindness  ; 
and  at  evening  our  tent,  as  usual,  was  filled  with  visitors,  con- 
versing and  drinking  coflfee.  The  Sheikh,  Muhammed  SeUim, 
was  a  young  fine  looking  man,  of  prepossessing  manners  and 
quite  intelligent.  He  belonged  to  the  family  of  the  'Azazeh,  the 
hereditary  lords  of  Beit  Jibrin  ;  but  they  having  taken  part  in 
the  rebellion  of  1834,  his  uncle  and  brother  were  beheaded,  and 
the  rest  of  the  family  ordered  to  take  up  their  residence  in  this 
place. 

We  here  came  again  in  contact  with  the  genuine  hospitality 
of  the  east.  The  Sheikh  sent  two  men  to  keep  watch  by  our 
tent  all  night ;  and  when  we  left  in  the  morning,  the  people  re- 

■  This  was  incorrectly  reported  to  ns  at  12'  E.    el-Kustineh  N.  36' W.  el-Mes- 

the  time  as 'Amwas  (Xicopolis) :  and  so  niiyeh  X.  45   W.    Ustds  X.  50  W.  Tell 

stood  in  the  former  edition.    See  Vol.  HL  et-Turmns  N.  55°  W.    Berkusieb  S.  53' 

Sec  III,  under  April  27th,  1852.  W. — Among  these  places,  Ketla  might 

'  We  took  at  Tell  es-Scifieh  the  follow-  suggest  the  Chftalon  of  Josh.  15,  10  ;  it  lies 

ing  hear.ngs,  beginning  at  the  south  and  northeast  of  Beth-shemesh.    Compare  the 

proceeding  towards  the  left  :  Dhikrin  S.  Chation  of  the  Ononinsricon. — El-Mesmi- 

10'  E.    Santa  Hanneh  S.  20'  E.    Kudna  yeh  seems  to  be  the  Mesmit  mentioned  by 

S.  34'  R    Deir  Ehibban  S.  50"  E.    'A|jur  Volney  between  Ramleh  and  Gaza,  four 

S.  12'  E.    Jeb'ah  S.  77=  E.    Tell  Zaka-  leagues  from  the  former;  Vol  II.  p.  310. 

riya  S.  85'  E.    Kefr  Zakariya  S.  87   El  In  that  case,  the  Tell  of  which  the  same 

Beit  'Afib  X.  87'  E.    Kesla  X.  84°  E.  writer  speaks,  a  league  east  of  Mesmiyeh, 

el-Khei?lu"im  X.  80'  E.    Deir  el-Hawa  N.  was  probably  Tell  et-Turmns;  but  he  con- 

80=  E.    el-Bureij  X.  70'  E.    Sur'ah  X.  founds  it  in  part  with  Tell  el-Hasy;  see 

67=  E     K.if.it  X.  64=  E.    el-MnghiiUis  X.  under  May  22. 
65=  E.    Utrun  X.  49=  E    er-Ramlch  X. 
ii.  3C3.  364 


Mat  18.] 


TELL  ES-SAFIEH. 


31 


fused  to  receive  pay  for  the  articles  which  they  had  fuinished  to 
us  ;  saying  it  would  be  a  disgrace  to  do  so,  and  the  Sheikh  would 
be  angry  and  beat  them  if  they  did.  They  were  simple-hearted 
and  kind  ;  and  the  refusal  to  take  money,  seemed  to  be  the  un- 
affected and  conscientious  observance  of  ancient  national  custom. 

It  had  needed  but  a  short  survey  of  this  spot  to  convince  us, 
that  the  site  of  Eleutheropolis  never  could  have  been  at  Tell  es- 
Safieh.  One  of  the  places,  Zorah,  said  to  be  ten  Eoman  miles 
from  Eleutheropolis  on  the  way  to  Nicopolis,  lay  in  sight  before 
us  E.  N.  E.  upon  the  hills,  about  three  hours  distant ;  while  La- 
tron,  which  lies  near  Nicopolis  was  distinctly  visible  in  the  north- 
east not  more  than  an  hour  or  two  more  remote.  It  was  evident 
that  Zorah  and  Beth-shemesh  could  never  have  been  said  to  lie 
near  the  road  from  Tell  es-Safieh  to  'Amwas,  and  especially  not 
at  the  distance  of  ten  miles  on  that  road,  without  attributing  to 
Eusebius  ^md  Jerome  a  greater  absurdity  than  any  of  which  they 
have  yet  been  accused.  Indeed  Tell  es-Safieh  lies  ob^dously 
quite  too  far  westward  within  the  plain,  to  accord  with  any  of 
the  ancient  accounts  respecting  EleutheropoHs.  Besides,  there 
was  nothing  here  to  mark  the  site  of  an  ancient  place  ;  which 
we  know  to  have  been  a  large  and  flourishing  city  so  late  as  the 
sixth  century. 

I  know  of  nothing  to  connect  TeU  es-Safieh  with  the  history 
of  the  Bible  or  of  the  early  centuries  ;  unless  perhaps  the  name 
may  have  some  relation  to  that  of  the  valley  of  Zepliathali  near 
Maresha,  where  king  Asa  defeated  the  hosts  of  Zerah  the  Ethi- 
opian. '  Maresha,  as  we  know,  was  near  Eleutheropolis  ;  and 
the  valley,  as  well  as  the  Tell,  might  well  take  its  name  from  an 
adjacent  city.  It  may  perhaps  have  been  the  broad  Wady  com- 
ing down  from  Beit  Jibrin  towards  TeU  es-Safieh. 

In  the  middle  ages  this  Tell  became  somewhat  celebrated  ; 
although,  as  we  had  with  us  no  history  of  the  crusades,  we  were 
not  aware  of  the  fact  at  the  time.  It  appears  that  about  A.  D, 
1138,  several  years  after  the  rebuilding  of  the  ancient  fortress  at 
Beit  Jibrin,  the  crusaders  under  king  Fulco  erected  upon  TeU 
es-Safieh,  described  as  eight  ItaUan  mUes  from  Askelon,  another 
castle  as  a  further  check  upon  the  excursions  of  the  Muham- 
medans  from  that  city.'  It  was  buUt  of  hewn  stones  with  four 
towers  ;  and  became  known  among  the  Franks  by  the  name  of 
Blanchegarde,*    It  afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  Sala- 

"  2  Chron.  14,  10.  Kr.  II.  pp.  615,  616.  But  the  true  distance 
'  Euseb.  et  Hieron.  Onomast.  art.  Ma-  from  Askelon  is  not  much  less  than  eight- 
sera,  MopTjo-(£.  Reland  Pal.  p.  888  een  geographical  miles  ;  and  the  reading 
'  "  Ab  Ascalona  octo  distans  miliaribus  in  William  of  Tyre  ought  probably  to  be 
.  .  .  nomen  Arabice  Tellesaphi,  quod  apud  octodecem  instead  of  octo. 
DOS  interpretatur  J/on«  slve  CoZiis  cZan« ;  "  *  Will.  Tyr.  15,25.  Jac.  dc  Vitr.  41, 
Will.  ^jTT.  15.  25.    See  Wilken  Gesch.  der  p.  1071.    The  Latin  name  of  the  castlo 

ii,  304-300 


32 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sbk.  XL 


din,  and  was  dismantled  by  him  in  A.  D.  1191 ;  ^  but  appears 
to  have  been  built  up  again  by  king  Richard  of  England  the  very 
next  year.* 

Some  of  Eichard's  romantic  adventures  are  related  as  occur- 
ring in  the  vicinity  of  this  castle.  Once,  riding  out  in  this  quar- 
ter from  his  camp  near  Eamleh  hx  search  of  adventures,  he  nar- 
rowly escajied  falling  into  the  hands  of  a  chosen  band  of  Turkish 
horsemen,  whom  Saladin  had  despatched  from  Askelon  to 
Blanchegarde.  At  another  time,  on  a  similar  excursion  hither 
from  Askelon,  he  had  an  affray  with  a  party  of  Saracens,  of 
whom  he  slew  three  and  took  five  prisoners.^  Afterwards,  this 
spot  is  mentioned  by  Bohaeddin  in  connection  with  the  march 
of  Eichard's  army  to  Beit  Nuba  ;  and  also  as  visited  by  Saladin, 
who  then  proceeded  from  Tell  es-Safieh  to  the  place  called  es- 
Safieh,  of  which  we  also  heard.*  From  that  time  until  the  pres- 
ent day,  although  Blanchegarde  maintains  its  place  in  the  his- 
tories of  the  crusades,  yet  Tell  es-Safieh  appears  to  have  been 
lost  sight  of  by  all  writers  and  travellers.^ 

Saturday,  May  19th.  It  had  been  our  wish  and  plan,  if 
possible,  to  proceed  to  Gaza  by  way  of  Ashdod  and  Askelon. 
Finding  however  that  this  route  would  require  another  day, 
which  we  could  not  weU  spare,  and  knowing  that  the  two  latter 
places  had  been  often  visited,  we  gave  up  reluctantly  this  part 
of  our  plan,  and  took  the  direct  road  to  Gaza.  Our  search  too 
after  Eleutheropolis  had  thus  far  produced  no  decisive  nor  satis- 
factory results  ;  and  we  determined,  after  visiting  Gaza,  to  return 
again  to  the  region  of  Beit  Jibrin  on  our  way  to  Hebron. 

Leaving  Tell  es-Safieh  at  5h  o'clock,  we  descended  the  western 
side  of  the  hill  into  the  wide  plain.  The  morning  was  bright  and 
balmy  ;  and  the  scene  was  enlivened  by  large  herds  of  cattle  and 
flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  going  forth  in  various  directions  to  pas- 
ture. Our  road  lay  obliquely  across  the  plain  on  a  general  course 
W.  S.  W.  JS.  This  is  a  beautiful  and  fertile  tract  of  country ; 
for  a  time  almost  perfectly  level ;  and  after  a  short  distance 
almost  without  a  stone.  The  soil  is  a  light  brown  loam.  The 
barley  harvest  was  now  mostly  over.    The  peasants  were  in  fiill 

was  '  Alba  Specula,'  also  '  Alba  Custodia,"  — 33,  pp.  388-390.    Wilken  1.  c.  pp.  457, 

ibid.    Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  IV.  p.  426.  492. 

So  too 'Candida  Custodia,' G.  Vinisauf  5.  *  Bobneddin  Vit.  Salad,  p.  229,  231, 

48.  p.  398.  Also  G.  Vinisauf,  1.  c.  5.  48,  p.  398.— See 

'  Gaufr.  Vinisauf,  Iter  Hierosol.  Ricbar-  above,  p.  30.    Scbultens  Index  in  Vit. 

di  regis,  in  Gale  Scriptores  Hist.  Anglic.  Salad,  art.  Tcll-Astaplna. 

Tom.  II.  lib.  4.  23,  p.  362.    Wilken  1.  c.  '  Poujoulat  suppo.scs  he  found  F.lanche- 

p.  426.  pardc  (not  Tell  es-Sutieb)  at  tbe  village  of 

'  Roger  de  Hov.  Annales  Anglic,  in  Sa-  Yasur,  not  far  from  tbe  sand-bills  of  Ask«- 

ville  Scriptor.  Rer.  Angl.  fol.  407.  B.    Wil-  Ion,  on  one  of  the  roads  from  Gaza  to  Yft- 

ken  1.  c.  p.  477.  fa;  Correspondence  d'Orient,  V.  p.  417. 

•  Gaufr.  Vin.  1.  c.  4.  32,  p.  369 ;  5.  29 
ii.  366.  367 


May  19.] 


HARVEST  SCENES, 


33 


activity  in  the  beginning  of  the  wheat  harvest ;  and  the  fields  full 
of  reapers,  and  the  threshing-floors  aronnd  the  villages,  presented 
a  lively  scene.  A  large  part  of  the  i)lain,  so  far  as  it  was  tiUcd, 
■was  covered  with  grain  already  ripe.  Some  tracts  were  sown 
with  Dhurah  (millet),  now  a  few  weeks  above  the  ground,  and 
yielding  a  delightful  refreshment  to  the  eye  by  its  beautiful  green. 
We  saw  one  field  of  cotton.  The  crops  were  good  ;  yet  hardly 
one  half  of  the  plain  was  under  cultivation. 

At  6.05,  we  passed  Ba'lin,  a  small  village  on  the  left  a  short 
distance  from  the  road  ;  and  near  by  it  was  Berkusieh,  somewhat 
larger.  At  6.50,  we  came  to  Summeil,  a  considerable  village  on 
an  elevation  in  the  plain.'  Here  is  a  large  public  well  at  the 
foot  of  the  hillock  ;  it  measured  one  hundred  and  ten  feet 
deep  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  eleven  feet  in  diameter ; 
the  walls  being  circular  and  composed  of  hewn  stones  of  good 
masonry.  Women  were  drawing  water  from  the  well  by  a  rope 
passing  over  a  puUey,  which  they  hauled  up  by  running  off  with 
it  a  great  distance  into  the  field,  in  the  manner  of  sailors.  In 
the  village  itself  is  a  portion  of  an  ancient  wall  apparently  once 
belonging  to  a  castle,  built  of  large  squared  stones  uncemented, 
resembUng  in  a  degree  the  oldest  foundations  at  Beit  Jibrin.  At 
the  bottom  there  is  sloping  work  ;  and  along  one  side  is  a  long 
round  arch  or  vault,  which  however  is  probably  modern.  From 
here  Esdud  (Ashdod)  was  pointed  out  to  us,  upon  a  low  round 
eminence,  with  trees  tliick  around  it  like  a  wood,  probably  olives. 
The  distance  was  said  to  be  three  hours.'  Askelon  was  said 
also  to  be  only  three  hours  distant ;  but  was  probabiy  not  less 
than  four  or  five  ;  the  Arabs  in  general  specifying  distances  by 
time  very  loosely.^ 

'  In  our  Arabic  list  of  the  province  of  Gaza  lers  have  since  taken  it  in  their  way.  The 

this  place  is  called  Summeil    el-Khulil,  situation  is  described  as  strong ;  the  thick 

i.  e.  of  Hebron.    This  accords  with  the  ac-  walls,  flanked  with  towers,  were  built  on 

count  of  Tucher  in  A.  D.  1479,  who  says  the  top  of  a  ridge  of  rock,  that  encircles 

it  \v%s  a  dependency  of  the  mosk  in  Hebron,  the  town  and  terminates  at  each  end  in 

He  however  misunderstood  the  name,  and  the  sea.    The  ground  within  sinks  in  the 

calls  it  the  castle  of  St  Samuel.    See  more  manner  of  an  amphitheatre.    The  dis- 

in  Note  XXXI,  end  of  the  volume.  tance  from  Gaza  is  about  five  hours.  My 

'  Esdiid  was  visited  by  Irby  and  Mangles  companion,  IMr  Smith,  passed  by  way  of 

in  Oct.  1818  ;  and  by  Lord  Belmore  and  'AskuLin  in  Feb.  1827,  and  describes  it  as 

his  party  in  April,  1819.    The  former  de-  one  of  the  most  mournful  scenes  of  utter 

scribe  there  a  large  Klian  pp.  179-182  desolation  he  had  ever  beheld.    In  A.  D. 

[56] ;  and  Richardson,  who  was  with  Lord  1666,  Von  Troilo  found  it  partially  inhab- 

Belmore,  speaks  of  the  site  of  the  town  as  ited  ;  p.  350.^ — Askelon  bears  a  conspicu- 

on  the  summit  of  a  grassy  hill ;  Travels  ous  part  in  the  history  of  the  crusades. 

II.  p.  206.    There  are  said  t)  be  no  ruins ;  After  being  several  times  dismantled  and 

and  the  place  seems  now  to  he  only  an  or-  re-fortified  in  the  times  of  Saladin  and 

dinary  Muslim   village.     See   also  Von  Richard,  its  fortifications  were  at  letigth 

Troilo  in  1666;  p.  349.  utterly  destroyed  by  Sultan  Bibars  in  A. 

^  Lord  Belmore  and  his  party  visited  D.  1270,  and  its  port  filled  up  with  stones 

'Askul.in   in   April    1818;    Ricliardson's  thrown  into  the  sea,  for  fear  of  further  at- 

Travels,  11.  pp.  202-204.    Other  travel-  tempts  on  the  part  of  the  crusaders.  See 

ii.  367,  368  ^ 


34 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


While  we  were  taking  the  bearings  given  in  the  note  below/ 
the  men  of  the  -sallage  flocked  around  us,  and  seemed  much  inter- 
ested in  our  proceedings.  This  indeed  was  the  case  in  most  of 
the  villages.  The  people  in  general,  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
"were  ready  to  give  us  information,  so  far  as  they  could  ;  and 
seemed  not  to  distrust  us.  Here  too  we  found  the  same  general 
impression,  that  our  object  was  to  collect  information  and  survey 
the  country,  preparatory  to  the  arrival  of  the  Franks  ;  and  here 
too  we  were  addressed  in  the  usual  phrase  :  "  Do  not  be  long." 
Indeed,  the  inhabitants  everywhere  appeared,  for  the  most  part, 
to  desire  that  the  Franks  should  send  a  force  among  them.  They 
were  formerly  tired  of  the  Turks  ;  they  were  now  still  more 
heartily  tired  of  the  Egj'ptians  ;  and  were  ready  to  welcome  any 
Frank  nation  which  should  come,  not  to  subdue,  (for  that  would 
not  be  necessary,)  but  to  take  possession  of  the  land. 

After  a  delay  of  three  quarters  of  an  hour  we  left  Summeil 
at  7.35.  In  about  half  an  hour  we  passed  Juseir  on  the  left,  the 
first  village  we  had  yet  seen  in  Palestine  not  built  of  stone.  The 
materials  of  the  houses  are  here  unburnt  bricks  ;  and  such  con- 
tinued to  be  the  case  all  the  way  to  Gaza,  and  is  so  elsewhere 
throughout  the  plain.  The  bricks  are  formed  from  the  common 
loam  of  the  soU,  with  straw  intermixed  to  bind  the  mass  together, 
as  in  Egypt  ;  they  are  of  very  large  size,  and  are  merely  dried 
in  the  sun.  Many  of  them,  newly  made,  were  laid  in  rows  along 
the  ground,  in  the  process  of  drying.  At  8.35,  the  similar  vil- 
lage of  Hatta  was  on  our  right.  In  Kuratiyeh,  a  village  to 
which  we  came  at  8.55,  is  a  rained  tower  of  modern  date,  built 
partly  of  similar  bricks ;  and  we  saw  also  a  few  ancient  columns 
lying  about.    Here  quite  a  number  of  places  were  in  sight. 

The  country  now  became  more  undulating  ;  low  ridges  or 
swells  ran  from  south  to  north,  but  the  general  character  of  the 
soil  did  not  change.  Our  general  course  was  S.  W.  by  W.  The 
white  sand-hills  which  here  skirt  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean 


Ibn  Ferath  in  Reinaud's  Extrnits,  etc.  p. 
52.5.    Wilk.  Gesch.  der  Kr.  VII.  p.  586. 

'  At  Sf.mmeil  we  obtained  the  follow- 
ing bearings :  Tell  es-Safieh  N.  50'  E. 
Bcrkiisieli  N.  70°  E.  Tell  et-Tunniis  K 
7°  W.  Esdud  N.  40°  W.  (?)  Beit  Diii-as 
N.  5:r  W.  (?)  Beit  'Affa  N.  85°  W. 
Hatta  S.  84°  W.  Juseir  S.  80°  W.  Ku- 
ratiycli  S.  80°  W.  el-Faliyy  S.  51°  W, 
'An'ik  cl-Menshiye!i  S. 

'•'  Those  places  bore  from  Kuratiyeh  as 
follows  :  Tell  es-Sftfieh  N.  CS"  E.  el-Mcs- 
miyeh  N.  7"  W.  Yasiir  N.  12°  W.  el- 
Kustinoh  N.  16°  W.  es-Saw:.fir  N  32' 
W.  'Ed.lis  N.  38  W.  el-Eah'ijy  S.  38° 
E. — Eusebius  and  Jerome  mention  a  lla- 
zor  ('Aawp  Asor)  belonging  to  Jiidah  in 

ii.  309,  370 


the  borders  of  Askelon  towards  the  east ; 
Onomast.  art.  Asor.  This  accords  well 
with  the  position  of  Yasur  as  above  ;  but  if 
it  be  the  same,  we  have  here  the  very  un- 
usual change  from  the  Hebrew  guttural 
Hcttf(n)  to  the  Arabic  Ye  with  a  long 
vowel.  The  Onomast.  incorrectly  takes  this 
village  for  one  of  the  Hazors  of  Josh.  15, 
25,  in  the  south  of  Jiidah. — Sawafir  seems 
to  be  a  plural  fonn  for  the  Saphir  (Heb. 
"i^sa)  of  Mic.  1,  11;  which  Eusebius  and 
Jerome  place  between  Eleutheropolis  and 
Askelon  ;  Onomast.  art.  Saphir.  Comp. 
Gcsenius  Lex.  Heb.  art.  i''B"j.  There 
are  three  villages  of  this  name,  near  each 
other. 


Mat  19.] 


BUREIR. 


35 


began  soon  to  appear.  At  10|  o'clock,  upon  one  of  the  said 
swells,  Tell  es-Safieli  bore  N.  61°  E.  while  the  village  of  Bureir 
lay  before  us  S.  48°  W.  We  reached  the  latter  place  at  11.10; 
and  rested  for  more  than  an  hour  and  a  half  under  the  shade  of 
a  spreading  tree. 

This  is  a  flourishing  village,  forming  a  sort  of  central  point 
in  the  plain.  There  is  a  large  public  well,  at  which  camels  were 
drawing  water  by  means  of  a  Sakieli,  or  water-wheel  with  jai'S, 
as  in  Egypt the  first  machinery  we  had  yet  seen  in  Palestine. 
Flocks  and  herds  were  collected  aroi^nd  the  well  ;  the  troughs  for 
which  were  partly  laid  up  in  front  with  ancient  marble  columns. 
Here  were  also  several  palm  trees  ;  and  the  whole  scene  was 
animated  and  pleasing. 

Setting  off  from  Bureir  at  three  quarters  past  noon,  we  at 
first  took  a  wrong  road,  which  led  us  too  far  south  towards  the 
village  of  Huj.  The  direct  road  keeps  along  on  the  north  side 
of  the  broad  Wady  Simsim  already  mentioned,  near  which  Bu- 
reir lies,  on  a  general  course  W.  by  S.  passing  the  village  of 
Simsim  on  the  northern  edge  of  the  Wady,  about  three  quarters 
of  an  hour  from  Bureir.  We  crossed  this  Wady  on  the  wrong 
road ;  and  were  then  compelled  to  pick  our  way  through  the 
fields  to  the  Gaza  road,  leaving  the  \'illage  of  Simsim  at  a  dis- 
tance on  the  right.  At  2.10,  we  passed  the  little  village  Nijid 
on  tlie  south  of  the  Wady  ;  here  the  peasants  were  winnowing 
barley  by  throwing  it  up  into  the  air  across  the  wind,  with  a 
wooden  fork.  Ten  minutes  later  (at  2.20),  we  came  again  into 
the  Gaza  road,  having  lost  half  an  hour  by  our  detour.  This 
road  had  here  crossed  the  broad  Wady  very  obliquely,  and  now 
left  it  to  pass  over  low  swelling  hiUs.  The  valley  bends  more  to 
the  right  ;  and  passing  by  Deir  Esneid,  empties  into  the  sea  at 
'Askulan.  At  2.35,  the  village  of  Dimreh  was  on  our  right 
near  the  bend  of  the  valley. 

Our  course  stiU  continued  W.  by  S.  At  3.20  we  came  to  the 
village  Beit  Huuun  on  our  right  in  a  low  rich  tract  of  the  plain. 
Here  as  elsewhere  aU  were  busy  with  the  wheat  harvest  ;  the 
reapers  were  in  the  fields  ;  donkeys  and  camels  were  mo'sang 
homewards  with  their  high  loads  of  sheaves  ;  while  on  the 
threshing-floors  near  the  village  I  counted  not  less  than  thirty 
gangs  of  cattle,  occupied  in  treading  out  the  grain,  with  many 
camels  and  donkeys  standing  idle  around.  The  whole  village 
seemed  at  work,  and  presented  a  busy  scene. 

Not  far  beyond  this  village,  we  came  upon  the  immense 
olive  groves  which  stretch  far  to  the  north  of  Gaza.  At  4 
o'clock  we  fell  into  the  Yafa  road,  at  the  line  of  hills  which 
bounds  the  plain  west,  towards  the  coast.    The  road  here  crosses 

'  See  Note  II,  at  the  end  of  Vol  I. 

ii.  370-372 


36 


GAZA. 


[Sec.  XI. 


these  hills  at  a  low  spot  or  gap,  and  continues  along  their  west- 
em  side,  on  a  course  southwest,  having  on  the  right  a  tract  of 
drifts  and  hills  of  white  sand,  extending  to  the  sea,  here  an  hour 
distant.  These  sands  seem  onlj^  to  need  water  in  order  to  be- 
come fertile  ;  even  now  they  are  studded  with  trees  and  bushes 
like  hedges  ;  a2:)parently  from  the  effect  of  the  rains  alone.  For 
the  whole  distance  from  the  gap  of  the  hills  to  Gaza,  the  road 
passes  through  a  vast  grove  of  olive  trees,  not  only  very  nume- 
rous, but  also  large  and  productive.  Many  of  them  are  upon  the 
sands.  It  is  said  to  be  the  largest  olive  grove  in  Palestine.  We 
saw  but  a  single  one  more  extensive,  and  that  was  near  Beirut. 
At  4|  o'clock  we  pitched  our  tent  among  these  trees,  ten  min- 
utes from  the  entrance  of  Gaza,  just  at  the  edge  of  the  gardens 
on  the  north  of  the  city. 

We  found  a  quarantine  guard  stationed  near  by,  to  prevent 
the  approach  of  persons  coming  from  Yafa,  where  the  plague 
was  now  raging.  As  however  we  came  from  Jerusalem,  where 
its  prevalence  was  less  known,  no  objection  was  made  to  our 
passing.  Our  servants  said  to  them  :  "  Suppose  a  party  from 
Yafa  tell  you  they  come  from  Jerusalem  ;  what  then  ?  "  The 
reply  was  :  "  That  is  no  concern  of  ours." 

The  next  day,  being  Sunday,  we  remained  encamped  ;  and 
enjoyed  a  quiet  day  of  rest. 

Monday,  May  2\st.  Our  Jerusalem  friend,  Abu  Selameh, 
had  furnished  us  with  a  letter  to  an  Arab  Greek  Christian  in 
Gaza,  named  Suleiman  el-Hashwy,  a  merchant  who  acts  in  some 
sort  as  a  Frank  agent.  We  called  upon  him  this  morning,  and 
found  him  in  his  shop,  one  of  the  open  stalls  of  the  bazar  ; 
where,  like  his  neighbours,  he  was  sitting  cross-legged  upon  the 
sort  of  low  counter  in  front.  He  received  us  with  great  kind- 
ness ;  ordered  coffee  ;  and  introduced  us  to  his  neighbours, 
many  of  whom  soon  gathered  around.  One  of  these  was  a  very 
intelligent  Mussulman,  who  seemed  quite  interested  in  seeing 
strangers  from  the  new  world,  and  made  many  inquiries  respect- 
ing America. 

After  the  conversation  had  been  carried  on  for  some  time, 
our  new  Mussulman  friend,  to  our  great  surprise,  proposed  to 
take  us  into  the  neighbouring  mosk,  the  oldest  and  most  impor- 
tant one  of  the  city,  anciently  a  Christian  church.  Tradition, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  ascribes  it  to  Helena,  and  regards  it  as 
having  been  dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Baptist.'  We  were  not 
slow  to  accept  the  invitation,  and  went  with  him  ;  pulling  oft' 
our  shoes  at  the  door,  and  walking  in  our  stockings  over  the 
mats  with  which  the  stone  floor  is  covered.    The  three  parallel 

'  It  possibly  dates  from  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century,  as  we  shall  afterwards 
have  occasion  to  4e.a  ;  p.  42. 
ii.  372,  373 


Max  31.]  GAZA.  37 

• 

aisles  of  the  ancient  church  remain,  as  well  as  the  columns  with 
Corinthian  capitals  which  divide  them.  The  middle  one  is 
higher  than  the  other  two,  and  has  a  second  r^w  of  columns  on 
each  side  above.  The  length  of  the  building  is  about  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  feet  ;  not  including  the  recess  of  the  altar  on  the 
aoath,  which  is  about  twenty  feet  more.  On  the  west  side,  the 
Ttfiialims  hare  added  another  low  aisle  in  an  inferior  style  of  ar- 
chitecture. 

We  returned  to  the  shop  of  Suleiman,  who  now  took  charge 
of  my  letters,  in  order  to  forward  them  by  the  Pasha's  post  to 
Cairo  and  Alexandria.  This  he  punctually  accompKshed.  We 
thought  it  best  also  to  take  here  a  Tezkirah  (passport)  for  He- 
hnm,  in  order  to  be  able  to  show  that  we  had  come  from  Gtiza 
and  not  from  Jerusalem,  in  case  of  any  quarantine  regulations 
at  Hebron  against  the  latter  city.  The  governor  of  Gaza, 
ShfipA  Sa'id,  we  learned,  was  absent  at  or  near  Hebron,  (where 
we  afterwards  met  him.)  collecting  arms  from,  the  peasantry  ; 
who,  although  once  disarmed,  had  been  fighting  among  them- 
adrea.  We  therefore  waited  upon  his  secretary,  accompanied 
by  a  man  sent  by  Suleiman ;  and  found  bim  in  a  dirty  room 
with  bare  stone  walk,  surrounded  by  sii  writers.  He  was  an 
elderly  man  with  a  good  face  and  bright  eye.  On  learning  that 
we  likewise  thought  of  visiting  Wady  Musa,  he  askeil  if  we 
woaid  have  the  TezMrah  made  out  for  that  place  also  ?  "Sot 
supposing  that  this  could  be  of  the  slightest  importance,  we 
said  that  oi»e  for  Hebron  would  be  sufficient  :  and  he  ordered  it 
to  be  made  out  accordingly.  We  afterwards  had  occasion  to  re- 
gret our  decision,  or  rather  the  want  of  information  which  led 
to  it  ;  for  we  found  at  a  later  period,  that  the  region  of  Wady 
Mnsa  was  under  the  immediate  jurisdiction  of  Sheikh  Sa'id  ; 
and  his  Tezkirah  would  have  commanded  a  more  impKcit  obe- 
dience from  the  Arabs  of  that  quarter,  than  the  Firman  of  Mu- 
hammed  Aly  himself 

While  the  Tezkirah  was  making  out.  we  walked  around  the 
city,  and  spent  in  all  several  hours  in  examining  its  various  jarts. 
The  results  of  our  observation  and  inquiries  may  be  stmimarily 
given  as  follows. 

Gaza,  in  Arabic  GhQzzehj  is  situated  on  a  low  round  hill  of 
considerable  extent,  not  elevated  more  than  fifty  or  sixty  feet 
abore  the  plain  around.  This  hiU  may  be  regarded  as  the  nu- 
cleus of  the  city  :  although  only  the  southern  haK  is  now  covered 
with  houses.  Most  of  these  are  of  stone,  and  especially  all  such 
as  belong  to  the  government.  But  the  greater  part  of  the  mod- 
em city  has  ^ning  up  on  the  plain  below,  a  sort  of  suburbs, 
stretching  far  out  on  the  eastern  and  northern  sides.  These  sub- 
urbs appear  to  be  thickly  populated  ;  the  houses  are  nimaeroua 

ToL-  n. — i  ii,  373-375 


38 


GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


and  wholly  built  of  mud  or  unbumt  bricks,  like  the  villages  we 
had  passed  on  the  great  plain.' 

The  ancient  city  of  Gaza,  renowned  as  'the  strong,'  lay  ob- 
viously chiefly  on  the  hUl.  The  present  town  has  no  gates, 
being  hke  an  open  \allage  ;  yet  the  places  of  the  former  ones 
remain,  and  are  pointed  out  around  the  hill.  One  of  these,  at 
the  foot  of  the  slope  on  the  southeast,  is  shown  as  the  gate  whose 
doors  and  bars  were  carried  off  by  Samson  ;  and  just  by  it  is  a 
Mukam  in  his  honour,  which  the  Muslims  pretend  is  also  his 
tomb.  Towards  the  south  is  another  spot  called  Bab  ed-Daron, 
a  name  probably  derived  from  the  fortress  Daron  celebrated  in 
the  time  of  the  crusades.''  Indeed,  all  vestiges  of  the  ancient 
walls  and  ancient  strength  of  Gaza  have  disappeared  ;  and 
nothing  remains  to  mark  its  former  extent,  except  the  bounds 
of  the  hill  itself  on  which  it  stood.  Even  the  traces  of  its  for- 
mer existence,  its  vestiges  of  antiquity,  are  very  rare  ;  consist- 
ing of  occasional  columns  of  marble  or  gray  granite,  scattered 
in  the  streets  and  gardens,  or  used  as  thresholds  at  the  gates 
and  doors  of  houses,  or  laid  upon  the  front  of  watering-troughs. 
One  fine  Corinthian  capital  of  white  marble,  lies  inverted  in  the 
middle  of  a  street  running  from  north  to  south  along  the  eastern 
foot  of  the  hiU. 

Gaza  is  said  to  be  an  hour  distant  from  the  sea  ;  which  is 
not  here  visible.^  Between  the  city  and  the  shore,  are  the  hills 
and  tracts  of  sand  already  mentioned,  on  which  are  scattered  a 
few  trees  and  hedges.  Around  the  city  on  the  south,  east,  and 
north,  are  numerous  gardens  hedged  with  prickly  pear,  which 
forms  an  impenetrable  barrier.    The  soil  of  these  gardens  is  ex- 

« 

out  success  in  A.  D.  1170  ;  though  it  fell 
into  his  hands,  and  was  enlarged  hy  him, 
after  the  capture  of  Askelon  ;  Will.  Tyt. 

I.  c.  Bohaed.  Vit  Salad,  p.  72.  Wilken 
Gesch.  der  Kr.  III.  ii.  pp.  135,  138.  King 
Eichard  took  it  after  a  short  siege,  and 
destroyed  it  A  D.  1192  ;  Gaufr.  Vinis.iuf 
5.  39,  in  Gale  Scriptor.  Hist.  Angl.  Tom. 

II.  p.  392,  393.  Wilken  ib.  IV.  pp.  498- 
.500,  537.  Wilken  suggests  that  this  for- 
tress may  have  been  at  Khan  Yunas ; 
which  is  four  hours  with  camels  from  Gaza ; 
ib.  III.  ii.  p.  13(!.  AM  Bey's  Travels  II. 
p.  206. — The  name  Daron  is  probably  the 
Hebrew  cii^  '  the  south,'  which  Eusebius 
and  Jerome  apply  as  a  proper  name,  Da- 
roma,  to  the  southwest  part  of  Palestine  ; 
Onomast.  art.  Gemra,  Sicelech,  etc 

'  Arrian  gives  the  distance  from  the  sea 
at  20  stadia  ;  Exped.  Alex.  2.  26.  Abul- 
feda  de>icribe3  the  sandhills  in  the  same 
manner ;  Tab.  S\t.  p.  77.  ed.  Kohltir. 

ii.  375,  37G 


'  So  far  as  I  know,  the  geographical  po- 
sition of  Gaza  has  never  been  determined 
by  astronomical  observation  ;  ncr  indeed 
in  any  way,  except  by  Jacotin  during  the 
march  of  the  French  army  in  1799.  The 
relative  position  of  Gaza  in  respect  to  Ya- 
fa  on  his  map,  is  the  best,  and  indeed  the 
only  approximation  which  we  have.  The 
position  of  Yafa  being  corrected  ac- 
cording to  the  more  accurate  obser^•ations 
of  Gauttier  and  Hell,  gives  therefore  for 
that  of  Gaza,  Lat.  31"  27  30  N.  Long. 
34'  27'  24  "  E.  from  Greenwich.  See 
Berghaus'  Memoir  zu  seiner  Karte  von 
Syrien,  pp.  25,  26. 

'  The  fortress  Daron,  Lat.  Daruni,  was 
built  by  king  Amalrich  on  the  ruins  of 
a  Greek  convent  of  the  same  name,  de- 
scribed as  four  (Italian)  miles  south  of  Gaza, 
and  five  furlongs  from  the  sea ;  Will. 
Tyr.  20.  20.  Marinus  Sanutus  gives  the 
distance  from  Gaza  at  fifteen  miles;  pp. 
86,  246.    It  was  stormed  by  Saladin  with- 


Mat  21.] 


GAZA. 


39 


ceedingly  rich  and  productive.  Apricots  and  mulberries  were 
already  ripe  ;  the  former  delicious  and  abundant.  Many  palm 
trees  are  scattered  around  the  city,  though  they  form  no  grove 
as  in  Egypt  ;  wliile  beyond  the  gardens,  towards  the  north,  lies 
the  extensive  olive  grove  through  which  we  had  passed.  Tliere 
are  two  pools  of  water,  one  on  the  north  and  the  other  south  of 
the  city  ;  but  they  seemed  to  contain  merely  stagnant  rain 
water,  of  which  no  use  was  made.  The  public  cemeteries  lie 
straggUng  and  scattered  in  all  directions,  minghng  with  the 
houses  on  the  hill  and  along  the  roads  in  the  plain. — Towards 
the  east  the  view  is  shut  in  by  the  line  of  hiUs  we  had  crossed. 
The  highest  point  is  a  partially  isolated  hill  southeast  of  the 
city  about  half  an  hour  distant.  On  it  is  a  Mukam  or  Wely 
called  el-Muntar.  The  Christians  pretend  that  it  was  once  the 
residence  of  a  bishop.' 

The  population  of  Gaza  has  usually  been  rated  as  much  too 
low,  as  that  of  Jerusalem  has  been  over-estimated.  Travellers 
have  given  different  judgments,  usually  from  two  thousand  to 
five  thousand  souls. The  number  of  inhabitants  has  probably 
increased  of  late  years.  From  information  given  us  by  both 
Christians  and  Mussulmans,  it  appears,  that  the  city  now  con- 
tains nearly  four  thousand  taxable  Muhammedans,  and  one  hun- 
dred Christians.  This  indicates  a  population  of  not  less  than 
fifteen  or  perhaps  sixteen  thousand  souls,  and  makes  Gaza  larger 
than  Jerusalem  ;  a  fact  which  is  also  confirmed  by  its  greater 
extent  of  crowded  dwellings.  There  were  said  to  be  fifty-seven 
resident  Christian  families  ;  but  their  number  is  increased  by 
transient  sojourners. 

We  heard  nothing  of  the  port  of  Gaza,  the  ancient  Ma- 
juma  nor  did  we  learn  whether  it  is  now  visited  by  vessels. 
Gaza  itself  has  no  more  the  appearance  of  a  maritime  city  than 
Jerusalem.  Yet  it  certainly  might  be  a  place  of  considerable 
commerce.  The  fertile  soil  produces,  in  abundance,  grains  and 
fruits  of  every  kind  and  of  the  finest  quality.  Volney  speaks 
here  of  manuiactures  of  soap,  and  also  of  cotton  for  the  supply 
of  the  neighbouring  Bedawin.*     The  position  of  Gaza  on  the 


'  Jacotin's  map,  copied  also  by  Berghaus, 
gives  to  this  eminence  the  name  of  '  Sam- 
son's mount,'  as  being  the  hill  before  (Heb. 
towanls)  Hebron,  to  which  he  carried  oflf 
the  doors  of  the  gate  of  Gaza;  Judg.  16, 
3.  So  too  the  Latin  tradition  and  some 
travellers  ;  Quaresraius  II.  p.  926.  San- 
dy's p.  117.  Busching  Th.  XI.  S.  451. 
Raumer  PaL  p.  174,  ed.  3.  There  is 
nothing  improbable  in  the  supposition ; 
but  the  people  of  Gaza  know  of  no  such 
name,  and  have  no  such  tradition. — Rich- 


ardson makes  this  hill  to  be  "  a  lofty  pro- 
montory of  the  mountains  of  Hebron !  " 
Vol.  II.'  p.  198. 

'  Volney  2000  ;  II.  p.  313.  Richardsou 
2000  to  3000;  II.  p.  199.  Fisk  5000; 
Raumer's  Paliist.  p.  175. — Poujoulat  comes 
nearer  the  truth,  when  he  estimates  the 
population  at  ten  or  eleven  thousand  -souls ; 
Corresp.  d'Orient  V.  p.  399. 

'  Reland  Pahest.  p.  791. 

*  Voyage  II.  p.  313. 

ii.  376-378 


40 


GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


route  of  the  great  caravans,  which  in  all  ages  have  passed  be- 
tween Egj'pt  and  Syria,  is  favourable  to  its  commerce  and  pros- 
perity ;  both  as  affording  a  means  of  constant  communication 
with  both  countries,  and  also  from  the  opportunity  of  furnishing 
Eupphes  to  the  caravans  in  passing.  Those  travelling  towards 
Egypt,  naturally  lay  in  here  a  stock  of  provisions  and  necessaries 
for  the  desert ;  while  those  coming  from  Egypt,  arrive  at  Gaza 
exhausted,  and  must  of  course  supply  themselves  anew.  The 
inhabitants  of  Ma'an  likewise,  on  the  east  of  Wady  el-'Arabah, 
about  the  time  of  the  passing  of  the  Syrian  Haj  to  and  from 
Mecca,  buy  up  provisions  of  aU  kinds  at  Gaza  and  Hebron,  and 
sell  them  at  a  great  profit  to  the  pilgrims. '  The  bazars  in  Gaza 
seemed  well  supplied  with  wares  ;  far  better  indeed  than  those 
of  Jerusalem. 

Gaza  is  among  the  earhest  of  the  Canaanitish  cities  men- 
tioned in  the  old  Testament  and  became  afterwards  celebrated 
as  one  of  the  five  cities  of  the  five  lords  of  the  Philistines. 
Joshua  extended  his  conquests  to  Gaza,  but  did  not  vanquish 
this  remarkable  people  ;^  and  although  the  tribe  of  Judah,  to 
whose  lot  it  fell,  subdued  the  city,  yet  they  appear  to  have  held 
it  but  a  short  time  ;  and  the  lords  of  the  Philistines  soon  not 
only  regained  possession  of  their  own  territory,  but  also  increased 
in  strength,  and  at  length  extended  their  jurisdiction  in  turn  over 
the  Israelites.*  After  forty  years  of  oppression,  Samson  ap- 
peared as  the  champion  and  avenger  of  his  people  ;  and  Gaza 
becomes  renowned  as  the  scene  of  his  later  deeds  and  of  his  fall. 
Here  too  he  drew  do^Ti  upon  himseK  and  the  assembled  multi- 
tude the  temple  of  Dagon  ;  so  that  the  dead  which  he  slew  at 
his  death,  were  more  than  they  which  he  slew  in  his  life."* 
After  continual  wars  imder  the  Judges  and  with  Saul  and 
David,  the  Philistines  appear  to  have  been  subdued  by  the  lat- 
ter ;  and  Gaza  became  the  border  of  Solomon's  kingdom  on 
this  side.*  Yet  they  gave  trouble  to  the  following  Jewish  kings  ; 
and  Hezekiah  at  length  smote  them  imto  the  borders  of  Gaza.' 

The  situation  of  Gaza  on  the  great  route  of  the  military  ex- 
peditions, which  the  monarchs  of  Egypt,  and  those  of  Syria  and 
the  east,  afterwards  imdertook  against  the  dominions  of  each 
other,  necessarily  exjwsed  it  to  the  calamities  of  war  and  to  fre- 
quent change  of  masters.  To  the  Egyptians,  Gaza  '  the  strong,' 
was  the  key  of  Palestine  and  Syria  ;  and  no  conqueror  could 

-  Burckhardt  Travels  in  Svria,  p.  436.  «  Jodg.  1,  18.    3,  3.    13,  1. 

Volaey  IL  pp.  314,  315.— The  caravan  »  Jadg.  c.  16. 

route  between  Ma'an  and  Gaza  passes  near  *  1  Sam.  c.  4-6.  14,  .'>2.  31,  1  sq.  2 

Wady  Miisa,  and  strikes  the  fountain  el-  Sam.  5,17  sq.  8,  1.  21,  15  sq.  1  K.  4,  24. 

Weibeh  in  the 'Arabah.  '  2  Chr.  21,  16.  26,6.  28,18.  2  K. 

'  Gen.  10,  19.  18,  8. 

•  Josh.  10,  41.    11,  22.    13,  3. 
ii.  378.  379 


Mat  21.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


41 


well  pass  by,  until  this  city  had  submitted  to  his  power.  Thus 
one  of  the  Pharaohs  (proijably  Necho)  subdued  it  in  the  time 
of  Jeremiah  ;  and  Cambyses.  during  bis  expedition  to  Egypt,  is 
reported  to  have  deposited  here  his  treasures.'  Gaza  opposed 
itself  for  five  months  to  the  progress  of  Alexander  the  Great  ; 
but  was  finally  takea  by  storm,  its  brave  defenders  slaughtered 
at  their  postsj  their  wives  and  children  sold  as  slaves,  and  the 
city  repeopled  with  inhabitants  drawn  from  the  surrounding 
country.*  During  the  wars  of  the  Maccabees,  Gaza  continued 
to  be  a  place  of  strength  ;  it  was  fortified  by  the  Syrian  Bac- 
chides,  its  suburbs  burned  by  Jonathan,  and  the  city  itself  cap- 
tured by  Simon. ^  Alexander  Jannaeus  at  length  destroyed  Gaza 
about  96  B.  C.  after  a  siege  of  a  year ;  but  it  was  again  rebuilt 
with  other  cities  by  the  Roman  general  Gabinius.''  Augustus 
gave  it  to  Herod  ;  and  after  his  death  it  was  assigned  to  Syria.* 
About  A.  D.  65,  during  the  government  of  the  procurator  Ges- 
sius  Floras,  Gaza  with  other  cities  was  again  laid  in  ruins  by  the 
rebellious  Jews.'  Yet  this  destrucrion  was  probably  partial,  and 
could  have  been  but  temporary  ;  for  there  exist  coins  of  Gaza 
struck  in  honour  of  Titus,  Adrian,  and  the  following  emperors  : 
which  show  at  least  that  the  city  was  still  a  place  of  impor- 
tance, very  soon  after  the  destraction  of  Jerusalem." 

From  these  details  it  seems  to  follow,  that  the  expression  in 
the  book  of  Acts,*  which  might  at  first  appear  to  imply  that 
Gaza  was  then  "  desert,'*'  is  more  probably  to  be  referred  to  the 
particular  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza,  on  which  the  Evangelist 
was  to  find  the  eunuch,  viz.  the  southern  road  leading  from  Eleu- 
theropolis  to  Gaza  through  the  desert,"  or  region  without 
villages,  as  is  the  case  at  the  present  day.' 

A  Christian  church  appears  to  have  been  early  planted  ?t  Gaza  ; 
its  bishop  SHvanus  is  menrioned  by  Eusebius  as  a  martyr  under 
Diocletian  about  A.  D.  285  ;  and  among  the  names  of  other  bish- 
ops enumerated,  not  less  than  six  are  found  in  the  subscriptions 
of  councils,  as  late  as  to  that  of  Jerasalemin  A.  D.  536.'"  Yet 


»  Jer.  47,  1.    Pomp.  Mela  1.  11. 

^  Arrian  Exp.  Alex.  2.  26,  koI  atre^ttyov 
rdyrts  aurov  naxoiifVii,  aj  (Kotnoi  ira- 
X^iTiiy  •  ircuSas  Si  koI  ywauKas  i^ijvSparo- 

{uvouc/ffoj  Ik  Twy  repioiKuv,  (Kpriro  oaa 
<ppovpta  is  rhy  rSXe/ioy.  Strabo  indeed 
sars  that  Gaza  was  destroyed  by  Alexan- 
der, and  remained  desolate ;  16.  2.  30, 
ffSofoi  rSrt  ytyofifyr),  Karfcnrcurfifvyi  5" 
irrh  'AXe^iySpov,  Kal  fifyoinra  tprifioy.  But 
this  is  contradicted  by  the  express  lan- 
guage of  Arrian ;  nor  do  other  writers 
who  describe  the  siege,  mention  anv  snch 
destruction  ;  e.  g.  Q.  Cnrt.  i.  6.  Plutarch 
Alex.  c.  25.  Joseph.  Ant.  II.  8.  3,  4.  It 
Vol.  n.— 4* 


is  also  contradicted  by  the  facts  which  fol- 
low in  the  text. 

'  I  Mace.  9,  52.  11,  61.  62.  13,  43  sq. 
Jos.  Ant,  13.  5.  5.  Comp.  I  Mace.  14,  7. 
15,  28.  16.  1. 

*  Joseph.  Ant.  13.  13.  3.    ib.  14.  5.  3. 

'  Ibid.  15.  7.  3.    ib.  17.  II.  4. 

«  Joseph.  B.  J.  2.  18.  1,  'AySreSoya  xal 
rd^av  KaTfCKaiTToy. 

'  JDonnet  Descr.  de  Medailles  Antiq.  V. 
p.  536  sq.    Reland  Palaest.  pp.  788,  797. 

'  Acts  8  26. 

'  See  more  in  Note  XXX  n,  end  of  the 
volume. 

"  Eusebius  Hist  Eodes.  8. 13.  de  Mar- 
il  379-381 


42 


GAZA. 


[Sec.  XL 


the  city  still  retained  in  a  great  degree  its  devotion  to  idolatry  ; 
and  in  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century,  not  less  than  eight 
public  temples  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  heathen  gods,  still 
existed  there.'  Among  these  the  most  celebrated  was  a  temple 
of  Marnion,  the  Cretan  Jupiter.  By  the  influence  of  Eudoxia, 
wife  of  the  emperor  Arcadius,  the  bishop  Porphyrius  was  in- 
vested with  authority  to  demolish  these  temples  ;  and  was  fur- 
nished with  means  to  erect  a  Christian  church,  which  was  dedi- 
cated in  A.  D.  406  and  named  after  the  empress.*  This  may 
probably  have  been  the  great  church  now  converted  into  a  mosk, 
which  we  visited. — Eusebius  and  Jerome  speak  of  Gaza  in  their 
day  as  an  important  city.^  About  the  end  of  the  sixth  century, 
or  the  beginning  of  the  seventh,  Gaza  was  visited  by  Antoninus 
Martyr,  who  describes  it  as  "  splendid  and  dehcious  and  its  in- 
habitants as  "  noble,  hberal,  and  friendly  to  strangers."* 

Such  was  Christian  Gaza.  In  A.  D.  634  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  generals  of  Abu  Bekr,  the  first  Muhammedan 
Khalif,  after  a  decisive  battle  with  the  Roman  armies  ;  but  the 
Khalif  died  before  the  tidings  of  the  victory  could  reach  him.' 
From  this  time  we  hear  little  more  of  Gaza,  except  as  the  birth- 
place of  esh-Shafi'y  the  founder  of  a  Muhammedan  sect,^  until 
the  time  of  the  crusades.  In  A.  D.  796  it  was  laid  waste  dur- 
ing a  civil  war  among  the  Arab  tribes.'  During  the  many 
wars  between  the  Muhammedan  rulers  of  Egypt  and  Syria, 
which  preceded  the  crusades,  Gaza  appears  to  have  suffered 
greatly,  if  indeed  it  had  recovered  from  the  former  blow.  The 
crusaders  found  it  deserted,  and  its  ruins  spread  out  over  the  hUl 
and  the  adjacent  plain,  like  the  city  of  the  present  day.'  Here  in 
A.  D.  1152  they  erected  a  fortress,  occupying  a  portion  of  the 
hill,  in  order  to  cut  off  the  approach  to  Askelon  from  the  south  ; 
the  defence  of  this  castle  was  entrusted  to  the  knights  Tem- 
plars.' The  dwellings  of  the  city  became  again  inhabited  ;  but 
in  A.  D.  1170  the  place  was  sacked  by  the  troops  of  Saladin, 
who  however  did  not  get  possession  of  the  citadel.'"    Yet  after 

tyrib.  Falsest,  c.  13.    Le  Quicn  Oriens  honestissimi,  onini  liberalitate  decori,  ama- 

Chr.  III.  p.  60.3  sq.  Reland  Pal.  p.  70.')  sq.  tores  perejjrinoruii)." 

'  Marc.  Diaconi  Vit.  Porphyrii,  in  Acta  '  Eutychii  Annales  11.  p.  260  sq. 

Sanctor.  Feb.  Tom.  III.  p.  655.    Reland  '  Abvilfedae  Tab.  Syr.  p.  77.  D'Herbe- 

Pal.  p.  793.  lot  Biblioth.  Orient,  art.  Oazzak.  Reland 

'  Marc.  Diacon.  1.  c.  p.  655  sq.  Le  Quien  Pal.  p.  7f),S. 

Oriens  Chr.  III.  pp.  613,  614.    Reland  '  See  above,  Vol.  L  p.  39L 

Pal.  pp.  793,  794.    Jerome  also  mentions  "  Will.  Tyr.  17.  12,  "Gaza  urbs  anti- 

the  destruction  of  the  temple  of  Marnion  quissima  ab  Ascalona  decem  distans  milia- 

in  his  day,  and  speaks  as  if  the  church  ribus,  dimta  et  habitatoribus  carens  .... 

•was  erected  on  its  site ;  Comm.  in  Esa.  sita  in  coUe  aliquantulum  edito,  magnum 

xvii.  3.  satis  et  diffusum  infra  muros  contiuens  am- 

'  "  Kst  usque  hodie  insignis  civitas  ; "  bitum."    Comp.  also  20.  21. 

Onomast.  art.  Gnza.  '  Will.  Tyr.  1.  c.  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr. 

•  AutD.iin.  Mart.  Itin.  33,  "  Gaza  au-  III.  ii.  p.  10. 

tem  civit  is  splendida,  deliciosa,  homines  "  Will.  Tyr.  20.  21.  Wilken  L  c.  p.  188, 

ii.  m  382 


Mat  21.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


43 


the  fatal  battle  of  Hattin  in  A.  D.  1187,  and  the  surrender  of 
Askelon  to  Saladin,  Gaza  also  passed  into  his  hands.'  It  ap- 
pears also  to  have  opened  its  gates  to  Kichard  for  a  short  time 
but  it  must  soon  have  reverted  to  the  Muhammedans.  It  is 
afterwards  mentioned  in  the  history  of  the  crusades,  only  as  the 
scene  of  two  battles  lost  by  the  Franks  in  A.  D.  1239  and 
1244.' 

According  to  Brocardus,  it  was  in  his  day  commonly  called 
Gazara;  *  and  it  is  also  mentioned  by  this  name  as  late  as  the 
close  of  the  fifteenth  century.  At  that  time  the  pilgrims  were 
accustomed  to  travel  from  J erusalem  to  Mount  Sinai  by  way  of 
Gaza  ;  where  they  laid  in  their  stores  for  the  desert.^  Fabri  in 
1483  describes  the  city  as  populous,  with  many  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians as  in  Jerusalem,  and  an  abundance  of  provisions,  cheap  in 
price  and  excellent  in  quality.' 


Our  visit  to  Gaza  was  rather  an  episode  in  our  journey,  than 
the  result  of  any  definite  plan  of  inquiry  and  observation.  We 
did  not  anticipate  here  much  new  information  ;  and  were  there- 
fore not  disappointed.  We  made  minute  and  particular  inquiries 
after  several  places,  which  appear  to  have  lain  towards  the  south 
and  southeast  of  Gaza,  such  as  Lachish,  Ziklag,  Gerar,  and 
others  ;  but  could  hear  or  find  no  vestige  of  them.  We  after- 
wards repeated  the  same  inquiries  among  the  Arabs  of  the  plain, 
but  with  no  better  success.  Of  Gerar,  or  a  name  answering  to  it, 
some  of  the  Christians  of  Gaza  thought  they  had  heard  in  the 
south ;  but  the  people  of  the  coimtry  knew  nothing  of  it. 

According  to  the  ancient  accounts,  Gerar  lay  in  or  near  a 
valley,^  which  would  seem  to  be  no  other  than  the  great  Wady 
Sheri'ah  or  one  of  its  branches.  This  Wady,  as  we  have  seen, 
was  said  to  receive  Wady  es-Seba'  which  comes  down  from 
Beersheba  and  we  know  that  Gerar  was  near  the  land  of  the 
Philistines,  and  Isaac  went  up  from  it  directly  to  Beersheba, 
which  was  not  far  distant.'  The  name  continued  to  exist,  (per- 
haps as  a  matter  of  tradition,)  for  several  centuries  after  the 
Christian  era.  Eusebius  and  Jerome  place  it  twentyrfive  Roman 
mUes  fi-om  Eleutheropohs  towards  the  south  ;  and  Sozomen  re- 

■  Bohaeddin  Vit.  Saladin.  p.  72.  Fabri  1483 ;  Reissb.  des  h.  Landes  pp. 

"  Gaufr.  Vinisaxif  in   Gale   Scriptor.  678,  187,  289-291. 

Hist,  Angl.  n.  Lib.  V.  40.  p.  394.  Comp.  «  Reissb.  p.  291.    So  Belon  about  1548, 

V.  19.  p.  382.    W'ilken.  ibid.  IV.  pp.  477,  Obs  p.  310;  and  HelfFrich  in  A.  D.  1565  ; 

502.  Reissb.  p.  722. 

»  Wilken  ib.  VI.  pp.  588  sq.  642.  '  Gen.  20,  17. 

*  Brocard.  c.  10,  p.  186.    This  is  an  '  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  204. 

ancient  Greek  form;   Joseph.  Antiq.  7.  '  Gen.  26,  1.  20.  23.  26-33.  Compi 

4.  1.    ib.  13.  6.  6.                         ■  20,  1. 

'  So  Tucher  1479,  Breydenbach  and 

iu  382,  383 


44 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


lates,  that  a  large  and  celebrated  monastery  stood  there,  adjacent 
to  a  winter  torrent. '  The  abbot  Silvanus  resided  there  near  the 
close  of  the  fourth  century ;  and  the  name  of  Marcian,  as  bishop  of 
Gerar,  (perhaps  in  the  convent,)  appears  among  the  signatures  of 
the  council  of  Chalcedon  in  A.  D.  451.''  Future  travellers  may 
perhaps  still  find  traces  of  its  monastery,  in  connection  with 
Wady  Sheri'ah  or  its  branches  ;  although  the  name  of  Gerar 
seems  to  have  become  extinct,  at  least  in  this  district.' 

We  left  Gaza  the  same  day  (May  21st)  at  11.20,  intending 
to  take  a  more  southern  route  to  Beit  Jibrin  on  our  way  to 
Hebron.  We  heard  much  of  the  village  of  Huj,  as  having  been 
recently  founded  by  order  of  the  government  in  the  territory 
hitherto  occupied  by  the  Bedawin  ;  and  we  determined  to  visit 
it,  and  then  proceed  directly  through  the  country  of  the  Arabs, 
in  the  hope  of  discovering  some  ancient  sites.  Our  way  led  us 
back  along  the  Yafa  road,  by  which  we  had  approached  Gaza, 
for  half  an  hour,  to  the  gap  of  the  hue  of  hills  ;  thence  directly 
east  until  2.10  ;  and  afterwards  about  E.  by  N.  The  country  is 
undulating  ;  the  few  shallow  Wadys  all  rim  northwards  to  Wady 
Simsim.  At  1^  o'clock  we  passed  the  mounds  of  a  former  village 
called  Beit  Dirdis  ;  and  at  1.55  the  hill  el-Muntar  near  Gaza 
bore  S.  83°  W.  We  reached  Huj  at  2.55  ;  it  being  only  about 
two  and  a  half  hours  from  Gaza. 

Huj  is  one  of  the  many  villages  which  in  former  times  were 
left  to  go  to  ruin,  in  consequence  of  the  vexations  and  oppressions 
of  the  Arabs  who  occupied  the  neighbouring  country,  and  spread 
themselves  by  degrees  over  the  whole  district.  The  region 
towards  the  south  and  east  is  called  the  country  of  Hasy^  from 
a  fountain  and  former  place  of  that  name  ;  and  is  filled  with 
deserted  sites  and  ruined  villages  ;  there  being  not  one  of  them 
inhabited.  The  Arab  tribes  of  the  Jebarat  and  Wahaideh,  who 
recently  occupied  the  tract  around  Huj,  having  joined  in  the  re- 
beUion  against  the  Egyptian  government  in  1834,  were  defeated 
and  many  of  them  killed.  Of  the  remainder,  some  were  taken 
as  soldiers,  and  the  rest  ordered  to  become  FeUahin  ;  but  the 
greater  portion  fled,  and  these  tribes  were  comparatively  exter- 
minated. The  small  remnants  of  them  were  now  encamped 
near  Tell  el-Hasy.  These  Wahaideh  were  said  to  be  relatives 
of  a  tribe  of  the  same  name  further  south.  After  the  district 
had  thus  been  left  without  inhabitants,  the  village  of  Huj  was 
built  up  with  wretched  mud  houses,  and  was  now  occupied  by  a 
motley  collection  of  two  or  three  hundred  souls. 

"  Onotnast.  art.  Gerara.    Sozom.  Hist.  '  Mr.  Rowlands  supposes  he  found  Gerar 

Ecc.  6.  32.  ib.  9.  17.    Reland  Palasst.  p.  near  Wady  Sheri'ah,  three  hours  S.  S.  E. 

804  sq.  from  Gaxn.    This  needs  further  examina- 

'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  122.    Le  Quien  tion.    Holy  City,  I.  p.  464. 
Oriens  Chr.  III.  pp.  G62,  663. 
ii.  384, 


Mat  21.] 


HUJ. 


45 


The  village  stands  on  the  west  of  a  curve  of  Wady  el-Hasy, 
which  here  sweeps  round  to  the  north,  and  then  turns  to  the 
west  after  half  an  hour  to  join  Wady  Simsim.  We  found  the 
lazy  inhabitants  still  engaged  in  treading  out  their  barley  har- 
vest, which  their  neighbours  had  completed  long  before.  Several 
women  were  beating  out  with  a  stick  handfuls  of  the  grain  which 
they  seemed  to  have  gleaned.'  One  female  was  grinding  with  a 
handmiU  ;  turning  the  mill  with  one  hand,  and  occasionally 
dropping  in  the  grain  with  the  other.  Here  were  several  subter- 
ranean magazines  for  grain,  like  cisterns,  with  a  mouth  like  a 
well,  such  as  we  had  seen  in  several  villages.  A  yoke  of  oxen 
were  drawing  water  from  a  deep  well,  by  hauling  the  rope  over 
a  pulley  ;  being  driven  off  on  a  line  from  the  well  into  the  tields. 
By  pacing  the  ground  over  which  they  thus  passed,  we  found 
the  depth  of  the  well  to  be  nearly  two  hundred  feet. 

We  stopped  here  for  about  half  an  hour,  wishing  to  obtain  a 
guide  for  es-Sukkariyeh,  the  next  village  on  the  direct  route  to  Beit 
Jibrin,  though  several  hours  distant.  One  was  found  after  some 
difficulty ;  but  just  as  we  were  setting  off,  we  learned  from  him, 
that  the  sites  we  wished  to  visit,  were  not  on  the  direct  road, 
but  lay  between  Bureir  and  es-Sukkariyeh.  We  concluded 
therefore  to  return  to  Bureir,  wliich  was  in  sight,  where  we  had 
rested  on  Saturday  ;  and  where  we  were  sure  of  obtaining  more 
certain  information  and  a  better  guide.  We  had  already  paid 
the  Sheikh  for  the  present  guide,  and  now  sent  for  the  money 
back  ;  he  came  himself  to  repay  :t,  and  rather  impertinently  de- 
manded a  bakhshish  for  his  trouble.  As  however  the  trouble  we 
had  given  him,  was  much  less  than  the  vexation  he  had  caused 
us,  we  chose  to  set  off  one  against  the  other. 

From  Huj  the  village  of  Bureir  lies  N.  20°  E.  We  left  the  , 
former  place  at  3^  o'clock,  passing  first  over  a  swell  of  ground, 
and  in  half  an  hour  crossing  Wady  el-Hasy,  here  a  broad 
meadow  tract  running  west,  and  immediately  uniting  with 
Wady  Simsim.  This  was  the  same  road  which  we  had  taken 
from  Bureir  by  mistake  on  Saturday.  At  4.20  was  a  mound 
and  some  foundations,  called  Jelameh.  We  reached  Bureir  at 
4.50,  and  encamped  for  the  night.  Several  Sheikhs  and  chief 
men  soon  visited  us,  and  answered  our  inquiries  as  to  places  and 
ruins  in  the  vicinity,  some  with  freedom,  and  others  with  more 
reserve.    They  gave  us  at  once  a  guide  for  to-morrow. 

The  soil  of  all  the  plain  through  which  we  passed  is  good ; 
as  is  proved  by  the  abundant  crops  of  grain  we  saw  upon  it. 
The  whole  of  this  vast  level  tract  is  the  property  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  not  of  the  inhabitants.    Whoever  will,  may  cultivate 

'  Ruth  2,  1 7,  "  So  she  gleaned  in  the  field  until  even,  and  beat  out  that  she  had 
gleaned."    This  process  we  saw  often. 

ii.  385-387 


46 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


it,  and  may  plough  in  any  place  not  already  preoccupied.  But 
for  every  two  yoke  of  oxen  thus  employed  in  tillage,  he  must 
pay  to  the  government  seven  Ardebs  of  wheat  and  eight  Ardebs 
of  barley.  The  peasants,  when  rich  enough  to  own  oxen,  plough 
and  sow  on  their  own  account ;  but  they  frequently  are  the  part- 
ners of  merchants  and  others  in  the  cities.  The  merchant  fur- 
nishes the  oxen,  and  the  FeUah  does  the  work ;  while  the  expenses 
and  income  are  di\4ded  equally  between  them. 

In  like  manner,  as  we  learned,  the  greater  portion  of  all  the 
rich  plains  of  Palestine  and  Syria  are  in  the  hands  of  the  govern- 
ment ;  whUe  the  hill  country  and  mountains  are  held  in  fee  sim- 
ple, or  nearly  so,  by  the  inhabitants.  It  results  from  this  state 
of  things,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  hOls  and  mountains  are 
far  better  off  than  those  of  the  plains  ;  they  raise  a  greater  vari- 
ety of  crops,  and  have  an  abundance  of  all  kinds  of  fruit ; 
while  those  of  the  plains  are  in  general  poor,  and  are  compelled 
to  cultivate  only  grain  in  order  to  satisty  the  rapacity  of  the 
government.  Hence,  while  the  rocky  and  apparently  almost  des- 
ert mountains  teem  with  an  active,  thrifty,  and  comparatively 
independent  population,  and  the  hand  of  industry  is  everywhere 
visible ;  the  rich  and  fertile  plains,  deserted  of  inhabitants  or 
sprinlded  here  and  there  with  straggling  villages,  are  left  to  run 
to  waste,  or  are  at  the  most  half  tilled  by  the  unwilling  labours 
of  a  race  of  serfs. 

The  land  around  Bureir,  like  the  rest  of  the  plain,  belongs 
to  the  government.  For  the  portion  cultivated  by  the  people  of 
the  village,  they  now  paid  annually  to  the  government  eight 
hundred  Ardebs  of  barley  and  three  hundred  of  wheat.  Besides 
all  this,  they  paid  twelve  purses  Firdeh,  and  thirty  purses  of 
taxes  on  property.  Fifty  men  had  been  taken  away  as  soldiers. 
The  people  complained  bitterly  of  oppression  ;  and  joined  in  the 
universal  expression  of  a  wish  for  a  Frank  government.  Here 
as  elsewhere  a  watch  was  given  us  for  the  night. 

Tuesday,  May  22c?.  "We  had  heard  of  deserted  sites  on 
the  way  to  es-Sukkariyeh,  bearing  the  names  of  Um  Lakis  and 
'Ajlan  ;  as  also  of  a  TeU  el-Hasy  on  the  right  of  the  road,  where 
from  the  accounts  we  thought  there  might  be  ruins.  Leaving 
Bureir  at  5.25,  and  passing  immediately  the  low  plain  of  Wady 
Simsim,  we  continued  along  the  higher  undulating  tract  between 
that  Wady  and  the  Hasy,  on  a  course  E.^  S.  At  6.10,  Um 
Lakis  lay  at  our  left  upon  a  low  round  swell  or  knoll.  It  proved 
to  be  a  former  site,  now  covered  confusedly  with  lieaps  of  small 
round  stones,  with  intervals  between  ;  among  which  were  seen 
two  or  three  fragments  of  marble  columns.  The  phice  was 
wholly  overgrown  with  thistles.    Towards  the  southeast  below 

ii.  387,  388 


May  22.] 


UM  LAKIS. 


47 


the  hill,  was  a  well,  now  almost  filled  up,  around  which  were 
lyinp;  several  columns.* 

We  had  come  to  this  spot,  not  indeed  in  the  expectation  of 
finding  here  the  site  of  ancient  Lacliish,  but  rather  in  order 
to  satisfy  ourselves  more  certainly  of  the  fallacy  of  any  supposed 
resemblance  in  the  two  names.  These  remains  are  certainly 
not  those  of  an  ancient  fortified  city,  which  could  for  a  time  at 
least  brave  the  assaults  of  an  Assyrian  army.'  Nor  indeed  does 
either  the  name  or  the  position  of  this  spot  correspond  to  those 
of  Lachish  ;  although  the  varying  form  of  the  name  might  be 
allowed  to  pass,  did  other  circumstances  combine  to  identify 
the  position.'  But  Lachish,  although  enumerated  among  the 
cities  of  Judah  in  the  plain,  is  also  mentioned  between  Ado- 
raim  and  Azekah  and  lay,  according  to  Eusebius  and  Jerome, 
seven  Roman  miles  from  Eleutheropohs  towards  the  south.' 
This  would  seem  to  imply  that  it  was  situated  among  or  near 
the  hills,  somewhere  to  the  southward  of  Beit  Jibrin ;  while  the 
present  Um  Lakis  lies  in  the  middle  of  the  plain  west  of  Beit 
Jibrin  three  hours  distant  from  the  tract  of  hills. — Yet  except 
this  spot,  we  were  not  able  to  find,  either  now  or  afterwards,  the 
slightest  vestige  which  might  be  referred  either  to  Lachish  itself, 
or  to  the  apparently  neighbouring  city  Libneh.^ 

The  direct  road  passes  on  from  Um  Lakis  to  'Ajlan  by  a 
course  nearly  due  east ;  the  distance  being  about  three  quarters 
of  an  hour.  We  sent  on  our  servants  thither,  while  we  ourselves 
turned  off"  more  to  the  right  to  visit  Tell  el-Hasy,  starting  again 
at  6.20.  The  land  descends  gradually  towards  the  Wady  of  the 
same  name,  which  we  reached  in  about  forty  minutes.  The  way 
led  us  through  the  open  fields,  where  the  people  were  in  the  midst 
of  the  wheat  harvest.  The  beautiful  tracts  of  grain  were  full 
of  reapers  of  the  Henady  Arabs  ;  and  also  of  gleaners  almost 
as  numerous.  These  were  mostly  women  ;  and  this  department 
seemed  almost  as  important  as  the  reaping  itself ;  since  the  lat- 
ter is  done  in  so  slovenly  a  manner,  that  not  only  much  falls  to 
the  ground,  but  also  many  stalks  remain  uncut. 

The  Wady  el-Hasy  is  a  broad  tract  of  fine  meadow  lands  ; 
on  which  a  larger  number  of  the  Henady  were  pasturing  their 
horses.  These  were  said  to  be  Bedawin  cavalry  in  the  service  of 
Muhammed  Aly.    The  gravelly  bed  of  the  Wady  winds  thiough 

'  From  the  hill  at  Um  Lakis,  Bureir  above.    Further,  in  the  Arabic  form,  an 

bore  N.  85°  W.    Tell  el-Hasy  S.  55'  E.  Alef  is  inserted  and  the  Hebrew  Yodh 

Kufeir  S.  5'  W.    Tubilkah  S.  10'  E.    The  omitted. 

two  last  are  deserted  sites  in  the  district  of  '  Josh.  10,  3.  5.  31.    15,  39.    2  Chr. 

Easy.  11,9. 

2  Kings  18,  14.    19,  8.  Onomast.  art.  Lachis. 

'  Besides  the  addition  of  Um,  the  change  '  Josh.  10,  29,  comp.  verse  31.  15,  42. 

of  Kaph  into  Koph,  though  sometimes  2K  19,  8.    Onomasticon,  art.  Lehna. 
found,  is  not  usual;  see  Vol.  I.  p.  558,  n.  2, 

ii.  388-390 


48 


mOM  GAZA  TO  HEBROK. 


[Sec  XL 


this  lo'wer  tract  ;  and  in  it  a  little  water  springs  up  at  intervals. 
It  can  hardly  be  said  to  flow,  but  rather  soaks  along  through  the 
gravel.  The  course  of  the  "Wadv  in  this  part  is  northwest,  and 
on  the  southwest  side  Tell  el-Hasy  rises  steeply,  directly  from 
the  bed,  to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet  or  more  ;  being  con- 
nected towards  the  southwest  with  other  lower  swells. — At  7.05 
we  passed  in  the  valley  some  unhewn  foundations  of  a  former 
village  called  Tunnur  ;  and  at  7.25,  reached  the  summit  of  the 
Tell. 

The  form  of  the  Tell  is  singular,  a  truncated  cone  with  a 
fine  plain  on  the  top,  somewhat  resembling  the  Frank  mountain, 
though  by  no  means  so  high.  From  the  information  of  our 
guides,  and  from  the  remarkable  appearance  of  this  isolated  TeU, 
we  had  expected  to  find  here  traces  of  rtiins  ;  and  a  finer  posi- 
tion for  a  fortress  or  fortified  city  could  hardly  be  imagined. 
Tet  we  could  discover  nothing  whatever,  to  mark  the  existence 
of  any  former  town  or  structure ;  there  was  nothing  indeed  but 
the  level  circular  plain,  which  seemed  never  to  have  been  occu- 
pied.' 

The  summit  commands  a  rich  and  pleasing  prospect,  over  a 
wide  extent  of  undulating  countrv.  low  sweUincr  hiUs  and  broad 
valleys,  all  of  the  finest  soil ;  yet  without  a  single  village  or  ruin 
rising  above  the  ground,  on  which  the  eye  can  rest.  StUl, 
although  in  the  language  of  Scripture  and  in  common  parlance, 
such  a  region  without  fijsed  habitations  may  well  be  called  a 
*  desert,'  there  was  here  not  wanting  the  charm  of  busy  life. 
Several  Arab  encampments,  chiefly  Wahaideh  and  Jebarat, 
were  in  sight,  surrounded  by  flocks  and  herds  and  troops  of 
camels  and  asses  ;  besides  the  tents  of  the  Henady  and  their 
numerous  horses,  and  the  multitudes  of  reapers  and  gleaners 
scattered  over  the  fields.  The  other  principal  Arab  tribes  of  the 
region,  were  said  to  be  the  Zeyadat,  the  Sawarikeh,  the  'Ama- 
rin,  and  the  Henaideh. — From  the  Tell,  the  site  of  'Ajlan  bore 
N.  5°  W,  A  "Wely  was  also  seen  upon  a  hiU  not  far  from  the 
village  ed-Dawaimeh,  bearing  X.  75~  E, 

From  this  point  to  Wady  esh-Sheri'ah,  the  next  great  valley 
towards  the  south,  the  distance  was  said  to  be  three  hours  or 
more.  Wady  el-Ha.sy  itself  comes  down  from  the  vicinity  of  el- 
Burj  in  the  southeast,  passing  by  a  place  of  springs  called  Kus- 
sabeh  with  ruins  in  its  neighbourhood.    It  afterwards  sweeps 

•  Yet  this  must  be  the  hill,  I  think,  as  being  artificial,  and  ha\-ing  still  on  its 

which  Felix  Fabri  sars  some  of  his  pany  mm m it  traces  of  a  strong  citadel ;  Voyage 

aaoended,  on  the  way  from  Snkkariyeh  to  11.  p.  311.    Traces  of  walls  may  well  have 

Gaza  in  1483.  and  found  there  "  thick  an-  formerly  existed  here  :  or  after  all,  both 

cient  walls  drawn  around  it :  "  Keiasb.  p.  these  accounts  may  perha{>s  rest  only  on 

289.    It  seems  also  to  be  the  .«ame  hill  the  ex.iggerated  testimony  of  Arabs.  Tb»t 

which  Voluey  describes  near  a  village  Htri  of  Voluey  certainly  does, 
ii.  390'  391 


May  22.] 


TELL  EL-HAST.  'aJLAN. 


49 


round  pear  Hiij,  on  its  way  to  join  Wady  Simsim.  Tliis  latter 
Wady,  as  we  have  seen,  is  the  drain  of  all  the  region  round  Beit 
Jibrin  and  Tell  es-Safieh  ;  and  having  received  the  Hasy,  bends 
off  northwest  by  the  village  of  Deir  Esneid,  and  forms  the  river 
of  Askelon.' 

We  heard  nothing  at  the  time  of  any  vUlage  or  ruin  called 
el-Hasy,  as  reported  by  Volney  but  a  deserted  site  of  that 
name  is  marked  in  our  lists  along  with  Huj  and  'Ajlan.  It  is 
therefore  probably  not  far  distant  from  the  TeU.  In  the  days 
of  Saladin  and  Eichard,  this  place  is  mentioned,  in  connection 
with  the  march  of  their  armies,  under  the  name  of  Elhissi  and 
Alhassi  ;  and  is  said  to  be  near  water,  and  not  far  remote  from 
the  mountains  of  Abraham  or  Hebron.^ 

We  now  left  Tell  el-Hasy  at  Sf  o'clock,  and  came  in  half  an 
hour  directly  to  'Ajlan  N.^W.  ascending  gradually  from  the 
valley.  On  the  way  we  fell  in  with  a  troop  of  seven  gazelles 
feeding.  Here  is  a  site  of  ruins  much  resembling  Um  Lakis  in 
appearance  ;  a  low  round  hUlock  covered  with  scattered  heaps 
of  unhewn  stones.  The  name  alone  identifies  it  with  the  Eglon 
of  the  Old  Testament ;  and  there  seems  to  be  nothing  in  the 
position  to  contradict  this  evidence.  Eglon  was  situated  in  the 
plain  of  Judah,  apparently  not  very  far  distant  from  Lachish.^ 

Leaving  'Ajlan  at  8.25,  we  bent  our  course  E.  by  S.  towards 
the  village  of  es-Sukkariyeh.  On  the  way  the  muleteers  killed 
a  large  black  snake,  six  feet  long  ;  the  only  one  we  saw  in  Pal- 
estine.^ The  day  proved  exceedingly  warm  and  very  uncomfort- 
able ;  the  hot  wind  coming  from  behind  us.  Our  eyes  and 
faces  were  filled  all  day  long  with  small  gnats  rising  from  the 
wheat  fields  ;  and  large  flies  troubled  our  animals,  lilce  swarms 
of  bees.  From  the  dr}-  fields  here  and  there  whirlwinds  of  dust 
frequently  arose,  reminding  us  of  those  we  had  formerly  seen  in 
the  deserts  of  the  south. 

We  reached  es-Sukkariyeh  at  twenty  minutes  past  9  o'clock. 
Like  Huj,  it  had  recently  been  built  up  by  the  governor  of 
Gaza,  Sheikh  Sa'id,  upon  former  foundations,  and  was  considered 
as  his  property.  A  large  house  of  stone  had  been  erected  for 
himself ;  and  several  other  houses  are  also  of  stone.  The  name 
of  the  village,  which  signifies  "  the  Sugary,"  cannot  of  course 
be  ancient  ;  but  tradition  knows  no  other.    It  existed  already  in 

'  See  above,  p.  35.  this  stands  in  direct  contradiction  with 

'  See  above,  p.  48,  n.  Josh.  12,  12.  15.    15,  35.  39.— From  'Aj- 

'  Bohaeddin  Vit.  Saladin,  pp.  228,  229,  Ian,  Bureir  bore  W.    'Ariik  es-Suweidan 

231,  233.    Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  IV.  p.  N.  12°  W.    Beit  'Aflfa  N.  3'  W.    Tell  el- 

508,  513.  Hasy  S.  5°  E. 

♦  Josh.  10,  34.  36.    15,  39.— Ensebius  '  At  8.55,  at  a  high  point  in  the  road, 

and  Jerome  make  Eglon  identical  with  Summeil  bore  N.  21°  E.    Tell  es-S.ifieh 

Adullam,  and  place  it  twelve  miles  east  of  N.  32  '  E.    Filujy  N.  36' E.  es-.Sukkari- 

Eleutheropolis ;  Onomast.  art.  Eglon.   But  yeh  E. 

Vol.  II.— 5  ii.  391-393 


50 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


the  fifteenth  century  ;  and  seems  to  imply  the  former  cultiva- 
tion of  the  sugar  cane  in  the  vicinity. ' — In  one  place  is  a  small 
enclosure  of  large  squared  stones,  apparently  of  ancient  work- 
manship. Several  marble  columns  and  a  Corinthian  capital, 
were  also  strewed  upon  the  ground.  In  Sheikh  Sa'id's  house 
likewise,  many  large  square  stones  of  former  structures  have 
been  built  in.  The  place  seems  to  be,  without  much  question, 
an  ancient  site  ;  but  I  am  unable  to  assign  to  it  any  scriptural 
name  with  even  a  tolerable  degree  of  probability.*  From  Suk- 
kariyeh,  TeU  es-Safieh  bore  N.  27=  E. 

We  were  delayed  here  for  half  an  hour,  in  procuring  a  guide 
for  el-Kubeibeh  and  Beit  Jibrin.  We  found  great  difficulty,  for 
the  first  time,  in  persuading  any  one  to  accompany  us  for 
money  ;  although  many  persons  were  lounging  about  the  vil- 
lage without  occupation.  Indeed,  we  had  finally  to  appeal  to 
the  Sheikh,  and  obtained  a  man  only  by  his  order.  The  obsta- 
cle seemed,  in  this  case,  to  be  sheer  indolence  ;  the  men  were  too 
lazy  to  take  the  trouble  even  to  earn  money  so  easily. 

Starting  again  at  ten  minutes  before  10  o'clock,  we  took  the 
road  to  el-Kubeibeh.  Just  out  of  the  A-illage  of  Sukkariyeh  we 
passed  the  large  public  well,  where  a  camel  was  drawing  water 
by  a  Sakieh  ;  while  large  flocks  and  herds  were  waiting  around. 
Our  course  was  about  E.  by  N.  The  country  soon  became  more 
hilly,  and  rocks  began  occasionally  to  appear.  The  crops  of 
grain  were  however  good.  In  one  field,  as  we  approached  Ku- 
beibeh,  nearly  two  hundred  reapers  and  gleaners  were  at  work  ; 
the  latter  being  nearly  as  numerous  as  the  former.  A  few  were 
taking  their  refreshment,  and  offered  us  some  of  their  "  parched 
corn."  In  the  season  of  harvest,  the  grains  of  wheat,  not  yet 
fully  dry  and  hard,  are  roasted  in  a  pan  or  on  an  iron  plate,  and 
constitute  a  very  palatable  article  of  food  ;  this  is  eaten  along 
with  bread,  or  instead  of  it.  Indeed,  the  use  of  it  is  so  common 
at  this  season  among  the  labouring  classes,  that  this  parched 
wheat  is  sold  in  the  markets  ;  and  it  was  among  our  list  of  arti- 
cles to  be  purchased  at  Hebron,  for  our  further  journey  to  Wady 
Musa.  The  Arabs,  it  was  said,  prefer  it  to  rice  ;  but  this  we 
did  not  find  to  be  the  case.  The  whole  scene  of  the  reapers  and 
gleaners,  and  their  "  parched  com,"  gave  us  a  lively  representa- 

•  F.  F.nbri  and  Breydenbaoh  with  their  Sukkariyeh  is  also  mentioned  by  Mojr  ed- 

party,  in  travelling  from  Hebron  to  Gaza  Din  in  Hd^t ;  Fundgr.  des  Orients  II.  p. 

in  A.  D.  U83,  spent  the  night  .at  a  Khan  142. 

in  the  plain  near  a  village  called  Znckaria       '  Es-Sukkariyeh  is  abont  2i  hours  W. 

(Sukkariyeh).    See  F.  Fabri  in  Reissb.  S.  W.  of  Beit  Jibrin.    If  the  hitter  be  ttiken 

des  li.  Landes  p.  289.    Breydenbach  also  as  Eleutheropolis,  then  this  distance  (but 

speaks  of  the  Kh;in,  but  gives  no  name  ;  not  the  direction)  would  correspond  well 

ibid  p.  186.    They  probably  travelled  the  enongh  with  the  position  of  Lachish.  See 

usual  road  by  Beit  .Jibrin;  of  which  place  p.  47,  above, 
however  neither  makes  any  mention. — 
ii.  393,  394 


Mat  22.] 


BEIT  JTBRIS'.  CAVEBXS. 


51 


tion  of  the  story  of  Ruth  and  the  ancient  harvest-home  in  the 
fields  of  Boaz.' 

We  passed  el-Kubeibeh  at  twenty  minutes  past  11  o'tlock, 
situated  on  a  stony  barren  hiU  ten  minutes  on  our  right.  It  is 
another  vdlage  bmlt  up  by  the  governor  of  Gaza  on  former  foun- 
dations ;  but  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  to  mark  it  particularly 
as  an  ancient  site.  Our  course  now  lay  more  to  the  left,  north- 
east over  the  low  lulls  to  Beit  Jibrin  ;  which  place  we  reached 
at  half  past  twelve,  descending  into  the  southern  valley  from  the 
southwest.  TVe  spread  our  carpets  under  the  same  oHve  tree 
as  on  our  former  visit ;  and  after  a  limeh  laid  ourselves  down  to 
enjoy  a  short  siesta. 

On  awaking,  we  found  ourselves  surrounded  by  a  circle  of 
people,  to  the  number  of  a  dozen  or  more,  who  seemed  to  con- 
sider themselves  quite  at  home  in  our  company.  They  proved 
to  be  men  from  Beit  Jala,  friends  and  neighbours  of  our  guide, 
who  had  come  down  to  hire  themselves  out  during  the  harvest  in 
the  plain  ;  their  own  harvest  in  the  mountains  being  two  or 
three  weeks  later.  There  were  said  to  be  few  places  of  importance 
in  the  plain,  where  some  of  the  men  of  Beit  Jala  were  not  now 
to  be  found  ;  a  fact  which  speaks  well  for  their  industrious  hab- 
its. They  all  gathered  around  us,  and  accompanied  us  wherever 
we  went.  The  Sheikh  of  the  village  was  now  at  home,  and 
came  to  us.  He  was  an  intelligent  man.  and  of  his  own  accord 
pr-jposed  to  show  us  several  antiquities  in  the  vicinity,  which 
we  had  omitted  to  see  on  our  former  visit.  Moimting  his  sleek 
mare,  and  accompanied  by  several  men  of  the  village,  and  by 
the  whole  posse  of  our  friends  from  Beit  Jala,  he  led  the  way  to 
several  places  of  no  httle  interest,  which  certainly  deserve  the 
further  attention  of  travellers  and  antiquarians. 

"We  went  first  to  some  caverns  on  the  southwest  side  of  the 
Wady  leading  up  to  Santa  Hanneh,  near  the  path  by  which  we 
had  approached  from  Kubeibeh.  These  are  artificial  excava- 
tions, having  partly  the  character  of  those  we  had  seen  near 
Deir  Dubban,  but  of  much  more  careful  workmanship.  Besides 
domes,  there  are  here  also  long  arched  rooms,  with  the  walls  in 
general  cut  quite  smooth.  One  of  these  was  nearly  a  hundred 
feet  in  length  ;  having  along  its  sides,  about  ten  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  floor,  a  line  of  ornamental  work  like  a  sort  of  cor- 
nice. On  one  side,  lower  down,  were  two  niches  at  some  dis- 
tance apart,  which  seemed  once  to  have  had  images  standing  in 
them  ;  but  the  stone  was  too  much  decayed  to  determine  with 

'  Ruth  2,  8,  "Then  said  Boaz  nnto   parched  com,  and  she  did  eat,  and  was 
Rnth. — Go  not  to  glean  in  another  field,    sufficed  and  left."    Of  the  vinesrar  men- 
neither  go  from  hence,  bnt  abide  here  last    tioned  in  the  same  verse  we  heard  nothing, 
by  my  maidens."  Verse  14,  '-And  Aie    See  the  whole  chanter, 
sat  beside  the  reapers ;  and  he  reached  her 

ii.  394-396 


52 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec,  XI. 


certainty.  These  apartments  are  all  lighted  hy  openings  from 
ahove.  In  one  smaller  room,  not  lighted,  there  was  at  one  cor- 
ner what  looked  like  a  sarcophagus  hollowed  out  of  the  same 
rock  ;  but  it  was  too  much  broken  away  to  enable  us  to  speak 
positively.  The  entrance  to  the  whole  range  of  caverns,  is  by  a 
broad  arched  passage  of  some  elevation  ;  and  we  were  surpidsed 
at  the  taste  and  skill  displayed  in  the  workmanship. 

The  Sheikh  now  took  us  across  the  same  valley  to  other 
clusters  of  caverns  in  the  northern  hill  ;  more  extensive  indeed 
than  the  former,  occupying  in  part  the  bowels  of  the  whole  hill ; 
but  less  important  and  far  less  carefully  wrought.  These  con- 
sist chiefly  of  bell-shaped  domes  lighted  from  above,  like  those 
at  Deir  Dubban  ;  though  some  are  merely  high  arched  cham- 
bers excavated  in  the  face  of  the  rock,  and  open  to  the  day. 
The  rock  is  here  softer,  and  very  many  of  the  domes  are  broken 
down.  The  Sheikh  related,  that  one  chamber  before  unknown 
having  recently  fallen  in,  he  thinking  there  might  be  treasure  in 
it,  sent  down  a  man  to  explore  it  ;  but  he  found  only  a  human 
skeleton.  In  one  of  these  caverns  was  a  small  fountain  ;  and  near 
by  were  two  short  inscriptions  in  very  old  Cufic,  which  my  com- 
panion copied.  They  seem  however  to  have  been  the  work  of 
casual  visitors  ;  and  afford  no  explanation  of  the  age  or  object 
of  the  excavations.' 

We  now  struck  down  to  the  chtirch  of  Santa  Hanneh,  pass- 
ing on  the  way  the  well  already  described  as  lying  northeast  of 
the  ruin.'^  On  inquiring  of  the  Sheikh,  whether  there  was  any 
living  fountain  in  the  vicinity,  he  said  that  according  to  their 
tradition,  the  well  in  the  valley  half  way  towards  the  town,^  was 
once  a  fountain,  whose  waters  overflowed  and  ran  along  the  val- 
ley ;  but  in  order  to  obtain  more,  they  dug  it  deeper  and  walled 
it  up  ;  so  that  the  water  now  no  longer  rises  to  the  top.  It  is 
called  Um  Judei'a.  This  circumstance,  as  we  shall  see,  is  of 
some  historical  importance. 

We  next  bent  our  course  towards  the  Tell  on  the  south  of 
the  valley,  where  from  the  accounts  of  the  Arabs  there  seemed 
to  be  a  prospect  of  finding  ruins.  At  its  foot,  just  out  of  the 
valley,  we  passed  several  excavated  tombs.  I  entered  one,  de- 
scending by  a  few  steps  ;  and  found  it  to  be  about  fifty  feet  long 
by  fifteen  or  twenty  broad,  with  deep  niches  on  each  side  and  at 
the  end  for  dead  bodies.  The  others  were  similar  externally. 
The  Tell  itself,  consisting  of  chalky  limestone,  is  rather  a  strik- 
ing object  in  this  part  of  the  country  ;  a  truncated  cone  with  a 
flat  circular  plateau  on  the  top,  some  six  hundred  feet  in  diame- 
ter.   On  this  plat  are  no  traces  of  foundations,  except  a  few  on 

'  See  Kote  XXXIII,  end  of  the  volume.       '  Page  26. 
»  Page  26. 
ii.  300,  397 


IUt  22.] 


BEIT  JIBRIN.  CAVERNS. 


53 


the  southwest  part.  But  towards  the  southeast  and  especially 
on  a  lower  plateau  or  projection  of  the  hill  on  that  side,  there 
are  many  foundations  of  walls  and  buildings  ;  yet  no  hewn 
stones,  nor  any  remains  of  the  superstmctures.  There  would 
seem  to  have  been  here  an  ancient  site  ;  the  materials  of  whose 
buildings  may  perhaps  have  been  absorbed  in  the  later  erections 
of  Beit  Jibrin. 

But  the  most  remarkable  spot  of  all  remained  yet  to  be  vis- 
ited. This  was  another  series  of  immense  excavations  on  the 
southern  end  of  the  same  hill,  below  the  traces  of  foundations 
just  described.  Lighting  several  candles,  we  entered  by  a  nar- 
row and  difficult  passage  from  a  pit  overgrown  with  briers,  and 
found  ourselves  in  a  dark  labyrinth  of  galleries  and  apartments, 
aU  cut  from  the  sohd  rock,  and  occupying  the  bowels  of  the  hill. 
Here  were  some  dome-shaped  chambers  as  before  ;  others  were 
extensive  rooms,  with  roofs  supported  by  columns  of  the  same 
rock  left  in  excavating  ;  and  all  were  connected  with  each  other 
by  passages,  apparently  without  order  or  plan.  Several  other 
apartments  were  still  more  singular.  These  were  also  in  the 
form  of  tall  domes,  twenty  feet  or  more  in  diameter,  and  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  high  ;  they  were  entered  by  a  door  near  the 
top,  from  which  a  staircase  cut  in  the  same  rock  wound  down 
around  the  wall  to  the  bottom.  We  descended  into  several  of 
these  rooms  ;  but  found  nothing  at  the  bottom,  and  no  appear- 
ance of  any  other  door  or  passage.  We  could  discover  no  trace 
of  inscriptions  ;  nor  any  thing,  indeed,  which  might  afford  the 
slightest  clue  for  unravelling  the  mystery,  in  which  the  history 
and  object  of  these  remarkable  excavations  are  enveloped. — Near 
by  were  said  to  be  other  similar  clusters,  which  our  time  did  not 
permit  us  further  to  explore. 

Such  was  the  further  amount  of  information  which  we  ob- 
tained at  Beit  Jibrin  on  this  our  second  visit.  The  question 
naturally  now  came  up  again.  Whether  this  was  to  be  regarded 
as  the  site  of  Eleutheropolis  ?  The  massive  ruins  in  the  village, 
the  fine  church  of  Santa  Hanneh,  and  the  immense  and  singular 
excavations  which  we  had  now  explored,  testify  sufficiently  to 
the  existence  here  of  a  great  and  important  city  ;  more  impor- 
tant indeed,  by  far,  than  any  other  in  the  whole  tract  between 
the  coast  and  the  cities  of  the  mountains.  We  had  also  now 
passed  through  the  whole  region  north  and  west  of  Beit  Jibrin,  in 
which,  if  not  here,  Eleutheropolis  must  have  stood  ;  and  that 
without  finding  the  slightest  trace  of  any  site,  which  could  even 
with  the  remotest  probability  be  referred  to  that  ancient  city. 
All  these  circumstances  tended  strongly  to  produce  upon  our 
minds  an  impression  of  the  identity  of  EleutheropoHs  with  Beit 
Jibrin  ;  but  as  they  were  not  in  themselves  decisive,  we  preferred 

Vol.  II.— 5*  ii.  397-399 


54 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBHON. 


[Sec.  XI. 


still  to  suspend  our  judgment,  and  prosecute  our  inquiries  yet 
further. 

From  Beit  Jibrin  two  roads  lead  to  Hebron.  The  easier  and 
more  usual  one  goes  up  the  left  hand  valley  by  the  village  of 
Terknmieh.  On  or  near  this  road  we  were  told  of  a  place  now 
called  Beit  Nusib  ;  in  which  name  it  was  easy  to  recognise  the 
Nezib  of  the  plain  of  Judah,  situated  according  to  Eusebius 
nine,  and  according  to  Jerome  seven  miles  from  Eleutheropolis 
towards  Hebron.'  The  other  road  passes  up  the  southern  valley 
by  Santa  Hanneh  ;  and  on  this  was  said  to  be  a  village  called 
Idhna,  which  could  be  no  other  than  the  Jedna  of  Eusebius 
and  Jerome,  lying  on  the  way  to  Hebron,  six  Roman  miles 
from  Eleutheropolis.  The  distance  of  Beit  NQsib  and  Idhna, 
and  especially  the  latter,  would  therefore  furnish  a  decisive  test 
as  to  the  probable  identity  of  Eleutheropolis  with  Beit  Jibrin  ; 
and  we  accordingly  determined  to  take  the  road  leading  by 
Idhna.  The  village  ed-Dawaimeh  was  also  spoken  of ;  and 
having  received  the  impression  that  it  lay  on  the  way  to  Idhna, 
we  concluded  to  proceed  thither  for  the  night. 

The  valley  in  which  Santa  Hanneh  stands,  has  its  head  a 
few  minutes  above  the  church  ;  and  beyond  the  water-shed 
towards  the  south,  is  a  small  plain,  formed  by  the  junction  of 
two  Wadys,  one  coming  down  from  the  E.  S.  E.  and  the  other 
shorter  one  from  the  S.  S.  E.  This  point  of  junction  is  ten 
minutes  from  the  church,  or  half  an  hour  from  Beit  Jibrin. 
The  outlet  of  this  little  area  is  towards  the  west,  passing  off 
south  of  the  TeU  towards  the  western  plain.  We  descended 
fi-om  the  caverns  under  the  Tell  into  the  little  plain  ;  and  at  half 
past  4  o'clock  proceeded  on  our  way  up  the  southern  valley  S. 
20°  E.  for  forty-five  minutes.  The  Sheikh  accompanied  us  for  a 
■considerable  distance  in  token  of  respect,  and  to  show  us  the 
road  ;  and  then  clapping  spurs  to  his  fine  animal,  soon  disap- 
peared down  the  valley.  The  hills  were  bushy  and  green.  For 
a  part  of  the  way,  near  the  head  of  the  little  valley,  there  were 
traces  of  an  ancient  road,  with  walls  in  several  places.  Here 
were  also  several  rude  pillars  ;  and  one  weather-worn  column 
might  well  have  been  a  Roman  milestone. 

At  5f  o'clock  we  crossed  the  water-shed  at  the  head  of  this 
valley,  and  immediately  began  to  descend  along  another  similar 
Wady  running  S.  20°  W.  After  about  twenty  minutes,  it 
enters  a  much  broader  Wady  coming  from  the  southeast,  which 
then  bends  off  south  of  west,  and  passing  on  into  the  western 
plain,  runs  by  Faliijy,  and  finally  unites  with  Wady  Simsim. 
On  a  high  rocky  ridge  beyond  this  valley,  and  around  which  it 
thus  bends,  stands  the  \'illage  of  Dawaimeh.    We  reached  it  at 

'  Josh.  15,  43.    Onomast.  art.  Neetib.    See  p.  17,  above, 
ii.  399,  400 


Mat  22.] 


DAWAIMEH. 


55 


5|  o'clock,  making  one  hour  and  three  quarters  from  BeitJibrin. 
The  surface  of  the  hill  is  so  rocky  and  uneven,  that  for  some 
time  we  could  not  find  a  place  to  pitch  our  tent.  At  length, 
however,  after  passing  the  village,  we  came  upon  several  thresh- 
ing-floors towards  the  south,  where  the  stones  had  been  cleared 
away  ;  and  here  we  encamped  for  the  night. 

On  inquiring  of  the  people  respecting  Idhna,  we  were  not  a 
little  surprised  to  hear,  that  we  had  taken  a  wrong  road,  and 
were  now  nearly  as  far  from  that  place  as  we  had  been  at  Beit 
Jibrin.  The  right  road,  it  seemed,  passed  up  the  left  hand 
Wady  from  the  little  plain  south  of  Santa  Hanneh  ;  while  we 
had  followed  the  other  valley.  The  mistake  was  owing  to  the 
well  meant  officiousness  of  our  guide  ;  who  hearing  us  inquire 
respecting  Idhna  and  Dawaimeh,  and  wishing  to  show  us  both 
places,  had  first  brought  us  hither,  intending  to-morrow  to  take 
Idhna  in  our  way  to  Hebron.  This  circuit  was  of  course  likely 
to  frustrate  the  whole  purpose  of  our  visit  to  Idhna  ;  and  we 
were  not  a  little  disappointed. 

The  hiU  on  which  Dawaimeh  stands,  is  one  of  the  highest  in 
the  surrounding  tract.  It  affords  a  -view  of  several  villages  and 
sites  towards  the  east  among  *he  hills,  and  also  on  the  higher 
mountain ;  while  on  the  west  an  elevated  ridge  shuts  out  aU 
view  of  the  great  plain.  On  this  ridge  stands  the  Wely  we  had 
seen  from  Tell  el-Hasy.' 

The  people  of  the  village  came  around  us  as  usual ;  and  we 
found  here  also  several  Christians  from  Beit  Jala,  employed  as 
labourers  in  the  harvest.  The  barley  harvest  was  just  at  an  end, 
and  the  wheat  harvest  just  beginning  ;  so  that  the  treading 
out  of  both  species  of  grain  was  going  on  at  the  same  time. 
Camels  laden  with  sheaves  were  coming  in  as  we  arrived,  carry- 
ing on  their  backs  almost  a  smaU  cart-load. — After  coffee  in  our 
tent,  most  of  the  people  went  away  ;  but  the  Sheikh  remained. 
We  were  not  much  disposed  to  like  him  ;  he  was  cringing  in  his 
manner,  and  at  the  same  time  reserved  and  unaccommodating. 
He  still  sat  and  sat,  until  dinner  was  served,  and  then  partook 
of  our  meal ;  the  first  time  that  an  Arab  had  yet  eaten  ^^ith  us, 
though  we  had  always  invited  them. 

The  Sheikh  and  others  spoke  much  of  a  ruined  fortress 
called  el-Burj,  of  which  we  had  already  heard,  situated  an  hour 
or  two  south  of  Dawaimeh.  The  former  offered  to  give  us  a 
guide  thither  in  the  morning  ;  and  we  concluded  on  the  whole 
to  take  this  course,  and  return  at  a  later  period  directly  from 

'  "We  obtained  at  Dawaimeh  the  follow-  N.  85=  E.  Kusbur  X.  72'  E.  Bukkar  N. 
ing  bearings:  Beit'Anwa,  ruin,  S.  45 ■  W.  72'  E.  Beit  Ummar  X.  70'  E.  Idhna 
Neby  Nuh  (Xoah)  near  Dura  on  the  moun-  N.  70'  E.  Wely  seen  from  Tell  el-Hasy 
tain,  S.  70°  E.    Taijibehonthe  moontain    N.  75°  W. 

iL  400-402 


56 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON, 


[Sbc.  XI. 


Hebron  to  Beit  Jibrin.  The  guide  was  accordingly  selected, 
and  received  his  instructions  to  be  ready  at  early  dawn.  We 
paid  eight  piastres  for  his  services  into  the  hands  of  the  Sheikh  ; 
and  regarded  it  as  a  much  higher  price  than  usual,  it  being  indeed 
the  wages  of  a  whole  day ;  while  less  than  half  a  day  would  be 
occupied  by  the  man,  both  in  going  and  returning. 

Here  as  elsewhere  men  were  set  to  watch  all  night  around 
our  tent  ;  but  in  this  instance  their  charge  probably  extended 
also  to  the  adjacent  threshing-floors.  Yet  the  Sheikh  took  good 
care  not  to  burden  his  own  peoj^le  ;  but  laid  the  task  upon  the 
poor  labourers  from  Beit  Jala.  No  pay  or  present  was  now  or 
at  any  time  demanded  on  account  of  the  watch.  Our  guards 
here,  however,  took  their  own  pay  in  grain  from  the  threshing- 
floors,  which  they  parched  and  ate  during  the  night ;  solacing 
themselves  with  this  favourite  article  of  harvest  food,  and  turning 
their  watch  into  a  wake. 

Wednesday,  May  2Zd.  We  rose  early  ;  and  just  as  we 
were  mounting  to  set  oif  for  el-Burj,  the  guide  came,  and  with 
him  the  Sheikh,  saying  he  could  not  go  with  us  unless  we  paid 
him  a  larger  price.  As  this  was  a  barefaced  attempt  at  extor- 
tion, I  decided  instantly  to  take  .the  road  back  to  Beit  Jibrin 
and  so  to  Idhna,  in  order  to  determine  at  once  the  question  a8 
to  Eleutheropolis.  Indeed,  we  did  not  regret,  either  now  or 
afterwards,  that  this  occasion  had  intervened  thus  to  change  our 
proposed  course.  We  demanded  back  our  money,  which  was  re- 
paid with  evident  chagrin.  This  was  the  first,  and  I  think  the 
only  instance  we  met  with  of  a  like  meanness  after  a  bargain 
had  once  been  concluded  ;  for  however  variable  and  extravagant 
an  Arab  may  be  in  his  previous  demands,  yet  when  an  agree- 
ment had  been  actually  made,  we  usually  found  them  faithful 
to  their  engagements. 

Setting  off  at  once,  we  returned  by  our  road  of  last  evening 
to  the  junction  of  the  two  Wadys  in  the  little  plain  south  of 
Santa  Hanneh,  half  an  hour  from  Beit  Jibrin.  Here  turning 
into  the  more  eastern  valley  at  Q\  o'clock,  we  followed  it  up  on 
the  way  to  Idhna.  I  know  not  when  I  have  felt  more  the  ex- 
citement of  suspense,  than  while  traversing  this  short  distance. 
A  question  of  some  historical  moment  was  depending  on  the 
circumstance,  whether  we  reached  Idhna  at  8  o'clock.  If  so, 
our  researches  after  the  long  lost  Eleutheropolis  would  be  crowned 
with  success  ;  if  not,  we  were  again  afloat,  and  certain  of  no 
thing. 

In  this  valley  also  there  were  occasionally  traces  of  an  an- 
cient road,  skirted  by  walls  which  probably  enclosed  fields. 
Our  general  course  all  the  way  to  Idhna  was  E.  S.  E.^E.  The 
valley  became  narrower  as  we  advanced,  with  green  bushy  hills 

iu  402,  403 


May  28.] 


IDHNA. 


57 


on  both  sides.  The  hills  round  about  had  evidently  once  been 
terraced  for  cultivation  ;  but  the  tillage  is  now  confined  mostly 
to  the  bottoms  of  the  valleys.  At  a  quarter  past  seven,  we 
passed  a  well  in  the  valley,  and  the  ruins  of  a  village  called  Beit 
'Alam,  on  a  low  mound  at  our  left. 

Soon  after  this  we  saw  a  man  walking  before  us  with  a  gun  ; 
a  suspicious  circumstance  in  these  days,  when  the  people  had  been 
all  disarmed.  Sending  forward  a  man  to  reconnoitre,  we  found 
he  was  a  peaceable  Fellah  from  Dura  in  the  mountains.  The  in- 
habitants of  that  village,  in  their  quarrels  among  themselves, 
had  recently  employed  fire  arms  ;  thereby  showing  to  the  gov- 
ernment that  they  still  possessed  them,  although  they  had  form- 
erly professed  to  give  them  all  up.  In  consequence  of  this,  the 
governors  of  G-aza,  Jerusalem,  and  Hebron,  were  now  at  Dura, 
demanding  from  the  inhabitants  their  arms.  Every  man  was 
required  to  bring  in  a  gun  ;  no  matter  whether  he  possessed  one 
or  not.  This  poor  fellow,  who  had  none,  had  been  searching 
after  one  for  three  days  in  the  plain,  and  had  finally  purchased  a 
miserable  old  thing  for  sixty  piastres.  He  was  now  returning 
home  in  order  to  surrender  it  to  the  governors. 

At  7.50  we  came  to  the  head  of  the  valley  ;  and  here  in 
the  midst  of  a  rocky  tract  of  gradual  ascent  was  a  large  public 
well.  The  stones  round  about  it  were  much  worn,  by  the  fric- 
tion of  the  ropes  in  drawing  water.  It  now  wanted  but  ten 
minutes  of  8  o'clock  ;  and  as  yet  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of 
Idhna.  But  as  we  reached  the  top  of  the  ascent,  the  village  lay 
before  us,  somewhat  lower  down  on  the  other  side  ;  and  precisely  at 
8  o'clock  we  entered  the  place  and  dismounted  at  the  house  of  the 
Sheikh.  We  thus  found  Idhna  to  be  just  two  hours,  or  six  Ro- 
man miles,  from  Beit  Jibrin  ;  which  is  the  specified  distance  of 
Jedna  from  Eleutheropolis. 

At  a  later  period  we  visited  Beit  Nusib,  lying  near  the  other 
road  from  Beit  Jibrin  to  Hebron,  not  far  from  Terkumieh. 
This  latter  village  is  reckoned  at  two  and  a  half  hours  from 
Beit  Jibrin,  and  Nusib  is  apparently  a  little  less  distant ;  cor- 
responding well  to  the  account  of  J erome  respecting  Nezib,  that 
it  lay  seven  Roman  miles  from  Eleutheropolis  towards  Hebron. 

ELEUTHEROPOLIS. 

I  have  thus  detailed  aU  the  circumstances  of  direct  evidence, 
which  led  us  to  the  conviction,  that  Eleutheropolis  must  have 
been  identical  with  Beit  Jibrin,  the  ancient  Betogabra.  The 
latter  was  the  earlier  native  appellation,  for  which  (as  in  so 
many  other  cases)  the  Greek  name  Eleutheropolis  was  officially 
substituted  ;  yet  the  ancient  name  maintained  its  place  in  the 

ii.  403-405 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


mouths  of  the  people,  and  the  later  one  at  length  fell  into  disuse 
and  was  forgotten.  An  exact  parallel  is  presented  by  the  cases 
of  Lydda,  Emmaus,  Jerusalem,  and  several  other  cities  ;  which 
after  having  been  for  centuries  officially  known  as  Diospolis, 
Nicopolis,  and  -^lia,  afterwards  resumed  their  native  names, 
while  the  others  sunk  into  oblivion.  In  these  and  similar  in- 
stances, there  is  indeed  historical  testimony  to  the  identity  of  the 
native  and  foreign  appellations  ;  while  in  the  case  of  Eleuthero- 
polis  and  Betogabra,  it  happened  that  no  such  incidental  testimony 
was  then  known  to  exist.  But  on  the  other  hand,  as  we  shall 
see,  there  also  existed  none  more  direct  against  the  identity ; 
and  the  accidental  silence  of  history  could  not  weigh  against 
the  mass  of  positive  evidence. 

Our  conviction  of  the  identity  of  Eleutheropolis  with  Beit 
Jibrin,  was  derived  solely  and  exclusively  from  the  specifications 
of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  respecting  the  distances  of  various 
places  from  the  former,  the  sites  of  which  we  were  able  to  as- 
certain.   These,  as  we  have  already  seen,  were  the  following  : 


In  respect  to  these  places,  it  is  to  be  remarked,  that  the  dis- 
tances specified  are  not  to  be  regarded  as  definitely  exact,  or  as 
having  been  accurately  measured  ;  xmless  perhaps,  in  the  case 
of  those  which  might  happen  to  lie  directly  upon  a  great  road. 
Now  such  a  road  from  Eleutheropolis  to  NicopoHs,  let  the  former 
have  lain  where  it  may,  certainly  did  not  pass  through  Beth- 
shemesh  and  Zorah  ;  it  ran  without  doubt  among  the  hills  near 
the  plain,  and  crossing  the  mouth  of  Wady  es-Surar,  passed 
along  near  the  mountains  to  the  city  in  question.  At  the  tenth 
mile  from  Eleutheropolis,  a  traveller  would  see  Beth-shemesh 
and  Zorah  on  his  right  ;  one  in  the  mouth  of  Wady  es-SurS.r, 
and  the  other  on  the  hill  farther  north. — To  J erusalem  there  ap- 
pear to  have  been  two  roads.  One  seems  to  have  followed  the 
Nicopolis  road  until  it  approached  Wady  es-Surar ;  and  then  turn- 
ing through  the  hills  to  or  near  Beth-shemesh,  went  up  per- 
haps through  the  Surar,  or  more  probably,  as  now,  by  way 
of  Haris  ;  this  would  pass  at  or  near  Jarrauk,  which  could  not 
well  have  been  seen  from  the  Nicopolis  road.  The  other  proba- 
bly was  nearly  the  same  as  the  present  road  through  the  Wady 
el-Musiirr     on  this  Socoh  would  be  visible  and  not  from  the 


Zorah 

Beth-shemesh 
Jarinuk 


on  the  way  towards  Nicopolis. 
on  the  way  towards  Jerusalem, 
on  the  way  towards  Hebron. 


Socoh 
Jedna 
Nezib 


7  or  9 


ii.  405,  406 


'  See  pp.  15,  20. 


Mat  23.] 


ELEtJTHEROPOLIS. 


59 


former. — From  Eleutberopolis  to  Hebron  tbere  must  also  bave 
been  two  roads,  as  tbere  are  now  from  Beit  Jibrin  ;  for  from  no 
conceivable  position  of  Eleutberopolis,  could  a  traveller  pass  by 
or  even  see  both  Jedna  and  Nezib  on  one  and  tbe  same  route  to 
Hebron  ;  inasmuch  as  they  both  lie  among  tbe  bills,  nearly  two 
hours  apart  in  a  direction  from  north  to  south,  and  are  not  vis- 
ible from  each  other.* 

These  things  being  premised^  and  making  all  due  allowance 
for  tbe  merely  approximate  specifications  of  Eusebius  and  Je- 
rome, it  appears  from  our  routes  and  examination,  as  already  de- 
tailed, that  the  space  actually  travelled  over  by  us,  in  connection 
with  short  estimated  distances  from  the  first  four  places,  Zorah, 
Betb-shemesh,  Jarmuk,  and  Socoh,  renders  it  certain  that  Eleu- 
tberopolis could  not  have  lain  at  tbe  most  more  than  half  an 
hour  further  north  or  further  south  than  Beit  Jibrin.*  In  like 
manner  the  ascertained  distances  of  Jedna  and  Nezib  show, 
that  it  could  have  lain  neither  further  east  nor  further  west  than 
the  same  place.  Further,  we  bad  now  traversed  the  country  by 
five  different  routes  (and  later  by  a  sixth)  on  the  north,  west, 
south,  and  east  of  Beit  Jibrin,  anxiously  searcliing  out  every 
trace  of  former  sites  ;  and  bad  found  nothing,  which  with  tbe 
slightest  degree  of  probability  could  be- tortured  into  the  site  of 
Eleutberopolis.  Indeed,  in  no  other  position  do  all  these  dis- 
tances from  various  known  points  meet  at  all  ;  wliile  in  Beit 
Jibrin  they  come  together  of  themselves,  and  all  the  other  cir- 
cumstances likewise  correspond.^  Further,  the  Itinerary  of  An- 
toninus places  Eleutberopolis  at  twenty-four  Koman  mDes  from 
Askelon,  which  nearly  coincides  with  the  true  distance  of  Beit 
Jibrin.* 

Such  is  the  amount  of  the  direct  and  positive  topographical 
evidence  in  favour  of  the  identity  of  Eleutberopolis  and  Beit 
Jibrin  ;  and  in  the  absence  of  collateral  historical  testimony,  I 
can  hardly  conceive  of  a  case  more  strongly  supported.  Future 
travellers,  by  more  exact  measurements,  may  add  to,  or  modify 
in  some  degree,  this  evidence  ;  but  I  have  no  apprehension  that 
the  main  result  will  ever  be  disturbed. 


•  There  are  doubtless  also  corruptions 
in  the  Onomasticon.  Thas,  according  to 
Eusebius,  Nezib  was  nine  miles  from  Eleu- 
theropolis,  while  Jerome  gives  it  at  seven, 
which  appears  to  be  correct. — In  respect  to 
Jedna  the  specification  of  six  miles  rests 
on  the  authority  of  Eusebius ;  Jerome's  ar- 
ticle reads  as  follows :  "  Jedna,  in  deserto 
ab  Eleutheropoli  lapide  pergentibns  Gttie- 
bron."  Here  "lapide"  is  without  any  ad- 
junct, and  tbe  word  "  deserto "  should 
doubtless  be  read  "  sexto," 

»  Pages  22,  27. 


'  Thus  if  the  site  of  Eleutberopolis  were 
to  be  assumed  at  Kudna,  then  Socoh  be- 
comes less  than  six,  and  Jedna  more  than 
nine  miles  distant ;  the  latter  besides  not 
then  being  on  any  direct  road  to  Hebron. 
So  too  of  any  other  position. 

*  See  above  p.  27  sq.  Antonin.  Itin.  ed. 
Wess.  p.  200.  Roland  Pal.  p.  420.  The 
same  Itinerary  sets  Eleutberopolis  at  xx 
Roman  miles  from  Jerusalem,  which  should 
probably  read  xxx  ;  an  x  having  been  lost. 
This  would  correspond  well  with  the  actual 
distance. 

ii.  406-408 


60 


FBOM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


Let  MS  look  now  at  the  notices  of  Eleutheropolis  which  have 
come  down  to  us  in  ancient  writers,  and  compare  them  with 
those  of  Betogabra.  Not  indeed  in  the  hope  of  thus  decidedly 
tracing  the  identity  of  the  two  ;  for  the  slight  link  wliich  might 
connect  them  in  the  chain  of  historical  evidence, — a  single  lihe 
upon  the  page  of  history, — was  unfortunately  omitted  or  had 
since  been  lost  ;  but  in  order  to  see  whether  there  is  any  thing 
which  militates  against  this  identity  ;  and  if  not,  to  see  further, 
whether  this  very  silence  and  the  attendant  circumstances  do  not 
tend  indirectly  to  confirm  the  same  hypothesis. 

The  earliest  mention  of  Betogabra,  as  we  have  seen,  is  by 
Ptolemy  in  the  beginning  of  the  second  century  ;  and  again  in 
the  Peutinger  Tables,  probably  in  the  reign  of  Alexander  Sev- 
erus,  about  A.  D.  230.'  Whether  the  name  Eleutheropolis 
already  existed  in  the  days  of  Ptolemy  we  do  not  know  ;  but 
before  the  construction  of  the  Tables,  this  name  is  found  upon 
coins  of  the  city  inscribed  to  Julia  Domna,  the  wife  of  Sep- 
timius  Severus,  and  dated  in  the  eighth  and  ninth  years  of  the 
reign  of  that  emperor,  corresponding  to  A.  D.  202  and  203. 
The  emperor  had  been  in  Palestine  about  that  time  (A.  D.  202), 
and  had  conferred  privileges  and  immunities  on  various  cities.' 
Among  them  Eleutheropolis  appears  to  have  shared  his  favour, 
and  thus  testified  its  gratitude.  Another  coin  of  the  same  city, 
struck  in  honour  of  Caracalla,  the  next  emperor,  is  also  extant.^ 

The  earliest  writer  who  mentions  Eleutheropolis,  is  Eusebius 
in  his  Onomasticon  about  A.  D.  330  or  later,  followed  by  Je- 
rome near  the  close  of  the  same  century.  In  their  day  it  was 
an  episcopal  city  of  importance  ;  and  was  so  well  known,  that 
they  assumed  it  as  the  central  point  in  southern  Palestine,  from 
which  to  determine  the  position  of  more  than  twenty  other 
places.  The  renown  and  the  very  name  of  the  greater  central 
city  have  long  since  passed  away  ;  whde  many  of  these  minor 
places  still  remain,  and  have  afibrded,  in  their  turn,  to  strangers 
from  a  new  world,  the  means  of  determining  the  site  and  re- 
establishing the  claims  of  the  ancient  metropolis. 

In  that  age  this  city  was  indeed  the  metropolis  of  the  adja- 
cent country,  which  is  frequently  spoken  of  as  the  region  of 

"  Ptolemsens  4.  16,  Jndaea.  Reland  Pa*  the  able  essay  of  the  Abb6  Belley,  "  Snr  les 

laest.  pp.  461,  421.  Medailles  des  villes  de  Diospolis  et  d'Eleu- 

'  Spartian.  in  Severe,  cap.  1 6,  17.    Bel-  theropolis,"  A.  D.  17.54,  in  Memoires  de 

ley  p.  431.    See  the  next  note.  VAcadcniie  des  Inscriptions  et  Belles-Let- 

*  See  a  description  of  these  three  coins,  tres,   Tom.  XX\7.  p.  429  sq. — On  the 

(one  of  which  is  in  the  collection  of  Sir  reverse  of  these  coins  the  city  styles  itself 

Hans  Soane,)  in  Mionnet  Me<iailles  An-  Lucia  Srptimia  Scveriana,  after  the  name 

tiqnes,  Tom.  V.  p.  .'534.    Haym  Tesor.  of  thfe  emperor ;  just  as  Ca:s;irea  and  Nea- 

Brittan.  L  p.  261.    Eckhel  Doctr.  Nura-  polis  took  on  coins  the  appellation  of  Flo 

mor.  Tom.  III.  p  448.    R!is«;he's  Lexicon  via,  Tiberias  that  of  Ciaudi  i,  Gadara  that 

ait.  EUatheropolit.    See  also  particularly  of  Pompt  iiimi,  etc.    Bolley  p.  431. 

ji.  408,  409 


May  23.] 


ELEUTHEROPOLIS. 


61 


Eleutheropolis.*  The  names  of  five  of  its  bishops  are  found  in 
the  records  and  signatures  of  councils,  from  that  of  Nicea  in 
A.  D.  325  to  that  of  Jerusalem  in  A.  D.  536  ;  besides  historical 
notices  of  three  others  during  the  same  period.*  Epiphanius, 
who  flourished  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fourth  century,  is  said 
to  have  been  bora  at  a  village  three  miles  distant  from  Eleuthe- 
ropolis ;  he  is  thence  called  a  native  of  that  city,  which  he 
several  times  mentions  in  his  writings.^  To  the  next  following 
centuries  belongs  the  mention  of  Eleutheropolis  as  an  episcopal 
city,  in  two  Greek  ecclesiastical  Notitice ;  one  of  which  was 
compiled  before  A.  D.  451,  since  it  stUl  speaks  of  Caesarea  as 
the  metropolitan  see  ;  while  the  other,  to  judge  from  the  pre- 
amble, refers  to  a  time  not  very  long  after  the  erection  of  J eru- 
salem  into  a  patriarchate.*  The  same  age  was  also  the  age  of 
legends  and  lives  of  saints  ;  and  in  these  the  name  of  Eleuthe- 
ropolis not  unfrequently  occurs.'  About  the  close  of  the  sixth 
or  beginning  of  the  seventh  century,  Antoninus  Martyr  appears 
to  have  visited  this  city  ;  the  name  of  which  is  corrupted  in  his 
account,  to  Eliotropolis  and  also  Heliopolis.' 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  with  the  exception  of  the 
coins  above  mentioned,  the  name  of  Eleutheropolis  occurs  in 
profane  history  only  in  two  writers  ;  both  of  whom  mention  it 
incidentally,  in  connection  with  the  same  period  of  ecclesiastical 
renown.  The  first  of  these  is  Ammianus  Marcellinus,  the  co- 
temporary  of  Jerome,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fourth  century. 
.From  his  language  the  conclusion  has  sometimes  been  drawn, 
though  without  sufficient  ground,  that  Eleutheropolis  was  built 
up  in  the  third  century,  and  did  not  exist  before  that  time.^ 

'  Onomast.  art.  Esthemo,  Maspha,  etc.  gends  respecting  Ananias,  ■wrhich  will  be 

Hieron.  Ep.  39,  ad  Theophilntn  :  "Monas-  mentioned  further  on;  Acta  Sanctor.  Jan. 

teriiun  S.  Epipbanii  in  Eleutheropolitano  Tom.  II.  p.  613.    Also  in  tbe  life  of  St. 

territorio  et  non  in  Eliensi  situm  est"  Euthymins,  OoteL  Monum.  Eccl.  Graee. 

'  Reland   Pala;st.  p.  750.    Le  Quien  II.  p.  329.  Acta  Sanctor.  Jan.  Tom.  11. 

Oriens  Christ.  III.  p.  633  sq.  p.  326. 

'  See  the  references  in  Reland  ib.  pp.       "  Itin.  32.    Reland  ib.  p.  752. 
751,  752.  '  Reland  p.  749.    The  passage  of  Am- 

*  See  these  Notitim  in  Reland  Patest.  mianus  is  as  follows ;  he  is  enumerating 

pp.  214  sq.   219  sq.    The  last  is  ascribed  the  cities  of  Palestine :  "  Csesaream  .  .  . 

to  Nilus  in  A.  D.  1151 ;  but  it  evidently  Heleutheropolim,  et  Neapolim,  itidemqne 

refers  to  a  time  preceding  tbe  Mubamme-  Ascalonem,  Gazam,  aevo  superiore  extruc- 

dan  conquests.    Jerusalem  was  made  an  tas;"  14.  8.  11.    Here  the  last  clause, 

independent  patriarchate  at  the  council  of  "  sevo  superiore  extructas,"  can  obviously 

Chalcedon  A-  D.  451-3 ;  see  above,  Vol.  apply  in  no  stronger  sense  to  Elc-utheropo- 

I.  p.  380.    In  both  these  Notitiae  the  name  lis,  than  it  does  to  Neapolis,  Askelon,  and 

of  Betogabra  does  not  occur.  Gaza ;  in  respect  to  all  which,  if  understood 

'  So  in  the  tract  ascribed  to  Dorotheus  to  imply  that  they  were  then  fii  st  built,  it  is 

bishop  of  Tyre  ;  where  Simon,  one  of  the  notoriously  false.    To  say  nothing  of  the 

«postles,  is  said  to  have  preached  at  Eleu-  antiquity  of  Gaza  and  Askelon,  I  need  only 

theropolis  ;  and  Jesus  sumamed  Justus,  to  remark  of  Neapolis,  that  this  name  is  al- 

have  been  its  first  bishop ;  see  the  passages  ready  mentioned  by  Josephus ;  B.  J.  4. 8. 1. 
cited  in  Reland  p.  751.    So  too  in  the  le- 

VoL.  II.— 6  ii.  409,  410 


62 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


The  other  writer  is  the  grammarian  Suidas  ;  whose  work  per- 
haps belongs  rather  to  ecclesiastical  history.  Writing  not  ear- 
lier than  the  close  of  the  tenth  century,  from  sources  now  lost, 
be  mentions  circumstances  which  formerly  took  place  in  Eleu- 
theropolis.  These  are  wholly  unimportant,  relating  merely  to 
the  unsuccessful  attempt  of  Eutocius,  a  Thracian  soldier,  to 
become  a  citizen  and  senator  of  the  city  ;  and  also  to  Marianus, 
a  late  poet  at  Rome,  whose  father  removed  to  Eleutheropolis, 
and  who  acquired  honours  under  the  reign  of  the  emperor 
Anastasius,  A.  D.  493-51 8.  ^ 

This  is  the  amount  of  all  we  know  of  Eleutheropolis  before 
the  Muhammedan  conquest  of  Palestine,  which  was  completed 
in  A.  D.  636.  After  that  time  the  city  is  mentioned  only  once 
by  a  cotemporary  writer  ;  and  that,  in  monastic  annals,  in  order 
to  record  its  fall.  In  the  year  796,  the  cities  of  Gaza,  Askelon, 
and  Sariphasa  are  said  to  have  been  laid  waste,  and  Eleuthero- 
polis converted  into  a  desert,  during  a  civil  war  among  the  vari- 
ous tribes  of  Saracens  in  Palestine.'  Whether  it  recovered  in 
any  degree  from  this  desolation,  we  are  nowhere  informed. 

During  the  Muhammedan  dominion  and  the  prevalence  of 
the  Arabic  tongue,  it  would  be  natural  to  expect,  that  the  an- 
cient name  of  Betogabra,  (later  Heb.  Beth  Gabriel  or  Beth  Go- 
brin,)  which  had  doubtless  remained  among  the  common  people, 
would  again  become  current  ;  and  cause  the  Greek  name  which 
so  long  had  usurped  its  place,  to  be  forgotten.  And  here,  as  in 
so  many  other  instances,  this  seems  actually  to  have  been  the 
case  ;  the  ancient  name  revived,  and  assumed  the  Arabic  form 
in  which  we  find  it  at  the  present  day.  In  two  Latin  Notitice, 
the  date  of  which  is  uncertain,  but  which  were  obviously  first 
compiled  in  reference  to  the  centuries  jjreceding  the  crusades, 
the  name  of  Eleutheropolis  is  no  longer  found  ;  but  in  its  place 
appears,  in  one  the  name  Beigeberiu,  and  in  the  other  Beit  Ger- 
bein.^    Not  improbably  both  these  notices  are  to  be  referred  to 

'  SuidasJ^exiconart.  EuT<{)cios,  Mapio;'(^j.  phen  a  cotemporary  monk  of  Mar  Saba, 

Reland  Paloest.  pp.  753,  754.    That  the  Acta  Sanctor.  JIart.  Tom.  III.  p.  167  sq. 

reign  of  Anastasius  I.  is  intended,  is  appa-  Reland  Pal.  p.  087.    Le  Quien  Oriens 

rent ;  for  the  short  sway  of  the  second  em-  Christ.  III.  p.  313.     Comp.  Vol.  I.  p. 

peror  of  that  name  (A.  D.  713-715),  falls  391. 

nearly  a  century  after  Palestine  was  in  ^  Reland  ib.  pp.  222,  227.    The  latter 

the  hands  of  the  Muhamniedans.  Notitia  is  found  appended  to  the  History 

Aiacl>6pous  yap  iToKvav^pwrrovs  ir<(Afij  of  William  of  Tyre ;  Gesta  Dei  per  P'ran- 

Tipilixaxrav  ■  Koi  yap'  Z\(vpdep6Tro\ty  iravT^-  cos  p.  1014. — A  comparison  of  this  last 

Xoii  ad  aoiKT\rov  idj}Kay,  Tracav  fKirop^i,-  I.atin  Notitia  with  the  Greek  one  of  Nilus 

(rai/T(S  •  aWa  Ka\ ' hvKakwva  ical  Ya^av  jcal  (Reland  p.  220)  shows  that  in  the  seventh 

'S,ap((palav  xal  irfpas  irSKfii  Sfivus  ('i\Hv-  place  of  each,  the  Greek  has  JiUutheropo- 

aavTo.    "Depopulati  sunt  frequentissiraas  /js,  and  the  Latin  Beit  Gcrbcin.   This  af- 

urbes  nonpaucas;  Eleutheropolini,  ubductis  fords  a  strong;  corroborative  testimony  to 

in  captivitatem  universis,  dcsertam  fcccre.  the  identity  of  the  two ;  but  is  not  of  itself 

Ascalonem,  Gazam,  et  Sariphosam,  aliusque  decisive.    See  Raumer's  Pal.  ed.  3,  p.  168^ 

civitates,  violenter  diripueraut."    So  Ste-  Biblioth.  Sao.  1844,  p.  218,  219, 

ii.  411,  412 


Mat  23.] 


ELEUTHEROPOLIS. 


63 


the  eighth  century,  before  the  destruction  of  the  city.  At  any 
rate,  the  crusaders  found  the  place  in  ruins  ;  and  if  not  wholly 
deserted,  yet  at  least  it  had  long  ceased  to  be  an  episcopal  see. 
They  rebuilt  the  fortress  ;  and  its  subsequent  history  I  have 
already  recounted.'  At  that  time  the  name  and  position  of 
Eleutheropohs  were  so  thoroughly  forgotten,  that  Cedrenus,  in 
the  last  half  of  the  eleventh  century,  held  it  to  have  been  the 
same  with  Hebron.* 

On  comj)aring  the  preceding  notices,  it  is  to  be  observed, 
that,  with  one  apparent  exception  hereafter  to  be  considered,  all 
the  writers  who  mention  Betogabra,  make  no  allusion  to  Eleu- 
theropolis  ;  whUe  all  those  who  so  often  speak  of  the  latter,  are 
silent  as  to  Betogabra.  Indeed,  the  latter  name  is  found  only 
quite  early  in  Ptolemy  and  the  Peutinger  Tables,  or  again  quite 
late  in  the  two  Latin  Notitise.  The  Greek  name,  as  appears 
from  the  coins,  had  been  adopted  before  A.  D.  202  ;  but  the 
subsequent  mention  of  Betogabra  in  the  Tables,  shows  that  this 
more  ancient  appellation  was  still  generally  current.  In  the 
fourth  century,  when  Constantine  had  adorned  Jerusalem  with 
splendid  churches,  and  Palestine  became  the  abode  of  thousands 
of  foreign  monks  and  ecclesiastics,  all  using  the  Grreek  language, 
it  was  natural  that  the  Greek  name  of  this  episcopal  city  should 
obtain  the  ascendency.  Accordingly  we  hear  no  more  of  Beto- 
gabra until  this  ecclesiastical  authority  had  been  crushed  by  the 
Muhammedan  conquest,  and  the  ancient  name  found  a  more 
ready  utterance  upon  the  lips  of  a  people  speaking  a  kindred 
tongue.    The  already  suggested,  is  entirely  parallel  to 

those  of  Diospolis,  Nicopolis,  and  jElia  or  Jerusalem  itself. 

The  exception  above  aUuded  to,  where  the  names  of  Beto- 
gabra and  Eleutheropolis  appear  to  be  once  mentioned  by  the 
same  writer,  is  the  expression  "  Betogabra  of  Eleutheropolis,"  to 
which  reference  has  already  been  made.^  Tliis  expression,  in 
view  of  the  evidence  which  has  since  come  to  hght,  can  only  be 
regarded  ^s  originally  a  gloss,  transferred  afterwards  from  the 
margin  into  the  text.  In  this  way,  the  expression  wliich  at 
first  probably  meant  nothing  more  than  "  Betogabra  or  Eleu- 
theropolis," assumed  its  present  form  "  Betogabra  of  Eleuthero- 
polis." The  examples  of  various  readings  arising  from  like 
glosses  in  the  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  and  other  an- 
cient writings,  are  too  numerous  and  well  known,  to  admit  a 
question  as  to  the  propriety  of  applying  the  same  principle  for 
the  solution  of  this  case  ;  and  further,  this  gloss  appears  to  be 

'  Pages  27,  28.  >  'Ev  Biiboyavpy  rr/s  'E\€vdepoTr6\eais. 

'  Geo.  Cedreni  Historiar.  Compend.  See  p.  28,  above.  The  Latin  version  of 
Pari-;  ir>47,  Tom.  I.  p.  33,  ^ajTrerai  Hervetus  has  "Betagabre  Exeutheropolis;" 
(t)  2op  ja)  iy  Xffipwv,  Tjris  vvy  'EKeu^epSvo-  Acta  Sanctor.  Jan.  Tom.  IL  p.  614, 
\ts  KaKurai.  Note  b. 

ii.  412-417 


i54  FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON.  [Sec.  ^. 

the  only  shadow  of  historical  testimony,  which  might  tend  to 
excite  a  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  Eleutheropolis  with  the 
present  Beit  Jibrin.' 

Another  ancient  tradition  connects  itself  also,  in  some  de- 
gree, with  the  position  of  Eleutheropolis  ;  I  mean  that  respect- 
ing the  miraculous  fountain,  springing  out  of  the  jaw-bone  of 
an  ass  with  which  Samson  smote  the  Philistines.*  Josephus,  in 
relating  the  same  event,  says  the  fountain  sprang  out  of  a  rock, 
and  the  place  in  his  day  still  bore  the  name  of  the  "  Jaw-bone  ; " 
though  it  may  be  doubtful  whether  he  does  anything  more  than 
merely  copy  the  words  of  Scripture.'  All  this  has  no  connection 
with  Eleutheropolis.  Nor  is  the  language  of  Jerome  much  more 
definite,  who  in  tracing  the  journey  of  Paula  from  Jerusalem  or 
Bethlehem  to  Egypt,  makes  her  pass  by  way  of  Socoh  to  the  foun- 
tain of  Samson  ;  around  which  he  then  loosely  mentions  the  Ho- 
rites  and  Gittites,  and  the  names  of  several  other  cities.^  By 
the  Horites  he  probably  meant  Eleutheropohs,^  and  the  tradition 
appears  to  have  been  current  in  his  day,  that  this  fountain  of 
Samson  was  in  that  region.  Somewhat  more  definite  is  the  tes- 
timony of  Antoninus  Martyr,  not  long  before  the  Muhammedan 
conquest ;  in  travelling  from  Jerusalem  to  Askelon  and  Gaza, 
he  came  to  Eleutheropolis,  where  the  fountain  of  Samson  was 
stni  pointed  out.*  All  this  however  only  shows  that  the  foun- 
tain was  held  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  that  city. 

No  further  mention  of  this  fountain  occurs  before  the  age 
of  the  crusades  ;  nor  do  any  of  the  Frank  or  Arabian  historians 
of  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries,  appear  ever  to  have 
heard  of  the  fountain  of  Samson,  or  of  Eleutheropolis.  Yet  a 
wandering  tradition  respecting  both  the  fountain  and  city,  would 
seem  to  have  maintained  itself  in  the  Greek  church  even  out  of 
Palestine  ;  for  in  the  twelfth  century  the  historian  Glycas  re- 
lates, that  Samson's  fountain  was  to  be  seen  in  his  day  in  the 
suburbs  of  Eleutheropolis.  But  the  value  of  this  tradition  is 
shown  by  the  fact,  that  a  century  earlier,  Cedrenus  had  declared 


'  For  the  "  vicus  Betagabseoram  "  which 
has  been  supposed  to  lie  the  same  with 
Betog.ibra,  see  Note  XXXIV,  at  the  end 
of  the  volume. 

»  Judg.  15,  18.  19. 

'  Antiq.  5.  8.  9,  6  Qths  mrf^v  Kari.  ri- 
vos  trerpas  ivlricriv  r/Suau  Jtol  iroAA^v  •  Sbfv 

ixixpi  Tov  Sfvpo  rovro  Ktytrai.  So  the 
Heb.  Tib,  Lehi,  i.  q.  Jaw-bone,  Judg.  15, 
19. 

*     Transibo  ad  iEgyptum ;  et  in  So- 
choth  atque  apnd  fontem  Samson,  quenj 
de  molarl  maxillae  dente  produxit,  subsis- 
tam  parumper ;  et  arentia  ora  coUuam,  ut 
ii.  417,  418 


refocillatus  videam  Morasthira,  sepulchrnm 
quondam  Micliasa!  Prophetae,  nunc  Eccle- 
siam.  Et  ex  latere  derelinquam  Chorreos, 
et  Gettheos,  Maresa,  Idumajam,  et  La- 
chis,"  etc.  Hieron.  Ep.  8(>,  Epitaph.  Paulse, 
0pp.  Tom.  IV.  iL  p.  677.  ed.  Mart. 

'  He  elsewhere  speaks  of  the  Horites  as 
inhabiting  Eleutheropolis.  Comm.  in  Obad. 
vs.  1.    Sec  pp.  68,  69,  below. 

•  Antoniiii  MartjT.  Itin.  30,  32,  "  Veni- 
mus  in  civitatem  quae  dicitur  Eliotropolis 
(al.  Heliopolis)  in  loco  nbi  Sampson,  etc. — 
Qui  fons  usque  in  hodiernum  dinem  loca 
ilia  irrigat ;  nam  in  loco  nbi  surgit  fui- 
mus." 


Mat  23.] 


ELEUTHZBOPOLIS. 


65 


Eleutlieropolis  to  be  the  same  vrith  Hebron.*  From  the  same 
legendary  source  apparently,  Marinus  Sanutus  in  the  fourteenth 
century  derived  a  notice  of  the  same  fountain,  but  not  of  the 
city.  He  makes  a  water  ran  from  Bethsur  first  west  and  then 
south ;  where,  after  being  joined  by  a  stream  from  the  north 
from  the  fountain  of  the  Jaw-bone,  it  flows  west  to  the  sea  near 
Askelon.-  Now  the  Bethsur  of  that  day  was  at  the  present 
fountain  of  St.  Philip  in  Wady  el-Werd  which  indeed  flows 
west  to  the  great  "Wady  es-Surar.  This  again  rans  in  a  south- 
westerly direction  to  the  plain  ;  entering  the  sea,  however,  not  at 
Askelon,  but  near  Yebna.  Hence  whatever  position  be  assigned 
to  the  foimtain  on  the  testimony  of  Sanutus,  it  lying  north  of 
Wady  es-Surar,  can  never  have  been  less  than  ten  Eoman  miles 
distant  from  EleutheropoHs. 

Thus  the  testimony  to  the  existence  of  Samson's  fountain 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Eleutheropolis,  which  at  first  sight 
seemed  so  explicit,  becomes  on  a  nearer  view  quite  indefinite. 
Of  this  however  we  were  not  aware  at  the  time,  and  therefore 
inquired  the  more  diligently  after  the  fountains  throughout  the 
whole  region,  in  the  hope  of  being  thus  able  to  discover  a  trace 
of  Eleutheropolis.  But  we  could  neither  find,  nor  hear  of,  a 
single  Kving  spring  or  ranning  brook  throughout  the  district  in 
which  that  city  must  have  lain.  The  nearest  and  only  approach 
to  it,  was  in  the  large  well  called  Um  Judei'a,  half  way  between 
Beit  Jibrin  and  the  ruined  church  of  Santa  Hanneh,  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  tradition  of  the  inhabitants,  was  once  a  running 
fountain.*  This  testimony  is  at  least  as  definite  and  good,  as 
that  on  which  rests  the  proximity  of  the  ancient  foiintain  to 
Eleutheropolis  ;  and  furnishes,  so  far  as  it  goes,  another  proof 
of  the  identity  of  that  city  with  Beit  Jibrin. 

I  have  now  done  with  Eleutheropolis ;  and  if  the  reader  (as  I 
fear)  shall  regard  the  investigation  as  prolix  and  tedious,  I  beg 
him  to  bear  in  mind,  that  the  subject  is  one  of  some  historical 
importance,  and  has  never  before  been  discussed  by  any  one  who 
had  visited  the  spot. 

Such  was  the  evidence  on  the  strength  of  which  I  formerly 
ventured  to  assume  the  identity  of  Eleutheropolis  with  Beit 
Jibrin  ;  a  conclusion  as  to  which  I  have  yet  to  learn,  that  any 
scholar  has  ever  taken  exception.  Yet  there  was  still  wanting 
some  decisive  historical  testimony,  to  show  that  the  two  names 

'  MicL  Glycse  Annales,  Par.  1660,  p.  ei  jnngitnx  fom  invoeantit  de  maxilla,  \e- 

164,  71  toioiJtt)  rtfY^  M<X/"  ""^  riiiiepov  iv  niens  a  parte  aquilonis ;  et  ibi  prope  fuit 

To'j  ■KpooffTfiois  'E,\.fv^€poir6\fws  (pa'ii/frat,  baptismus  Eunnchi  ;  et  descendit  ultra  Staol 

2iay6vos  iwoyofia^oufva  irriyfi.     For  Ce-  prope  Ascalonem,  versus  occidens  in  mare." 

drenus  see  above,  p.  63.  n.  2.  '•'  Brocardus  c.  10.  p.  186.  Adfichomi- 

'  Marin.  Sanut.  p.  252,  "  De  prope  Beth-  us  p.  44.    Qnaresmius  Tom.  II.  p.  696  sq. 

sura  descendit  aqua,  primo  fluens  versus  *  See  above,  p.  52. 
occidens,  deinde  prope  meridiem,  et  tone 

Vou  II— 6*  ii,  418-420 


66 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


were  applied  to  one  and  the  same  place.  This  last  absent  h'nlr 
of  testimony  was  discovered  by  Prof.  Eoediger  of  HaUe  in 
1842.'  In  the  Acta  Sanctorum  MaHyrum,  published  by  Asse- 
mani  in  Syriac,  Greek,  and  Latin,  the  martyr  Peter  Abselama 
is  said  to  have  been  born  at  Anea  ;  which  lay,  according  to  the 
Syriac  account,  in  the  district  of  Beth  Guhrin  ;  while  both  the 
Gieek  and  Latin  accounts  read,  in  the,  district  of  Eleutheropo- 
lis.^    This  evidence  is  decisive. 


Having  thus  presented  the  evidence  which  goes  to  fix  the 
site  of  Eleutheropolis  itself,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  look  for  a 
moment  at  two  or  three  other  ancient  places,  the  situation  of 
which  is  only  known  from  their  relative  position  to  that  city. 

The  first  of  these  is  Gath,  one  of  the  five  cities  of  the  Phi- 
listines, whither  the  ark  was  carried  from  Ashdod  ;  it  is  also 
celebrated  as  the  residence  of  Goliath,  and  was  afterwards  forti- 
fied by  Kehoboam.'  It  appears  early  to  have  been  destroyed,  or 
at  least  to  have  lost  its  importance  ;  the  prophet  Amos  alludes  to 
such  an  event,  and  Gath  is  not  enumerated  by  the  later  pro- 
phets along  with  the  other  four  cities  of  the  Philistines.^  Tra- 
dition seems  also  to  have  been  already  at  fault  in  the  days  of 
Eusebius,  who  enumerates  two  places  of  this  name  ;  one  five 
miles  from  Eleutheropolis  towards  Diospolis  ;  and  the  other,  a 
large  village,  between  Antipatris  and  Jamnia,  which  he  held  to 
be  the  Gath  whither  the  ark  was  carried.'  Yet  Jerome,  who  in 
the  Onomasticon  merely  translates  the  words  of  Eusebius,  gives 
us  in  another  work  the  definite  specification,  that  Gath,  one  of 
the  five  cities  of  Philistia,  was  situated  near  the  borders  of 
Judea,  on  the  way  from  Eleutheropolis  to  Gaza,  and  was  then 
a  very  large  village.*  He  does  not  mention  the  distance  at 
which  it  lay  from  either  of  these  cities  ;  nor  whether  it  still  bore 
the  name  of  Gath  ;  thus  leaving  it  uncertain,  after  all,  whether 
this  specification  is  anything  more  than  a  conjecture  of  his  own. 

No  subsequent  mention  of  Gath  or  its  position  occurs  in  his- 
tory or  in  the  accounts  of  Palestine  ;  and  we  sought  in  vain  for 
any  present  trace  of  the  name  throughout  the  whole  region.  On 

'  Allgem.  Lit.  Zeitung,  1842,  No.  72.  Baders  held  Gath  to  be  in  this  quarter,  or 

Biblioth.  Sacra.  1844,  p.  218.  rather  at  Jamnia  itself;  and  erected  upon 

*  Assemani  Acta  Sanctor.  Mart.  Orien-  the  supposed  site  the  castle  of  Ibelin  or 
tal.  Tom.  II.  p.  209,  coll.  p.  207.  Hibelin,  which  Benjamin  of  Tudela  identi- 

»  1  Sam.  5,  7.  8.  17,  4.  23.  2  Chr.  fies  with  Jabneli,  now  Yebna.  Will.  Tjr, 
11,  8.  15.  24,  25.    Wilken  Ge.sch.  der  Kr.  II.  p. 

*  Jer.  25,  20.     Amos  G,  2.  1,  7.  8.    615.    Benj.  of  Tud.  p.  79. 

Zeph.  2,  4.    Zech.  9,  5.   Reland  supposes  *  Hieroii.  Comm.  in  Mich.  i.  11,  "Geth 

this  to  have  taken  place  about  the  time  of  una  est  do  qninque  urbibtis  Palxstinte, 

the  destruction  of  the  first  temple ;  Paloest.  vicina  Jndseae  confine,  et  de  Eleutheropoli 

p.  78U.  euntibus  Gazam  nunc  usque  vicus  vel  max- 

'  Ouomast.  art.  Geth,  Gttha, — The  cru-  imus." 


Mat  23.] 


GATH.  MARESHA. 


67 


our  return  from  Gaza  to  Beit  Jibrin,  we  took  the  road  by  es-Suk- 
kariyeh  and  el-Kubeibeh,  because  these  villages  were  much 
spoken  of  ;  and  we  thought  perhaps  traces  of  antiquity  might  be 
found  there,  from  which  at  least  a  presumption  might  be  drawn 
as  to  the  site  of  G-ath.  But.  as  already  related,  we  found  noth- 
ing to  authorize  even  the  slightest  conjecture.  Another  road 
somewhat  further  north  passes  through  the  villages  el-Falujy 
and  'Arak  el-Menshiyeh,  which  we  did  not  visit,  although  they 
were  in  sight.  We  could  not  learn  that  they  contain  any  remains 
of  antiquity. 

The  Gath  which  Eusebius  and  Jerome  place  at  five  Koman 
miles  north  of  Eleutheropolis  towards  Diospohs,  appears  to  be  the 
same  with  Gath  Rimmon,  a  Levitical  city  in  the  tribe  of  Dan,* 
which  the  same  writers  describe  as  lying  twelve  miles  from  Dios- 
polis  towards  Eleutheropolis.  The  distance  from  Eleutheropolis 
accords  well  with  the  site  of  Deir  Dubban,  near  which  we  first 
fell  in  with  the  remarkable  excavations  of  this  region.  From 
that  place  to  Beit  Jibrin  we  travelled  not  quite  two  hours,  by  a 
somewhat  winding  road.''  The  distance  to  Lydda,  however, 
must  be  more  than  four  hours,  or  twelve  Koman  miles. 

Another  ancient  city  which  lay  not  far  from  Eleutheropolis, 
was  Maresha,  the  Maresa  or  Marissa  of  Josephus,  situated  in  the 
plain  of  Judah  and  afterwards  fortified  by  Rehoboam.'  Here 
Asa  defeated  the  immense  host  of  Zera  the  Ethiopian  ;  and 
Judas  Maccabaeus,  after  having  captured  Hebron  from  the  Idu- 
means,  descended  by  way  of  M?resha,  which  he  laid  desolate,  to 
Ashdod.*  After  various  changes  of  masters,  it  was  at  length  re- 
built and  fortified  by  Gabinius  ;  but  was  again  destroyed  by  the 
Parthians  during  their  irruption  against  Herod.^  In  the  days  of 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  the  ruins  of  Maresha  were  shown  "in  the 
second  mile  "  from  Eleutheropolis.'  The  direction  is  not  given ; 
but  from  all  the  circumstances,  it  would  seem  probable,  that 
Eleutheropolis  (at  first  Betogabra)  had  sprung  up  after  the  de- 
struction of  Maresha,  and  had  been  built  with  its  materials.'' 
Assuming  Beit  Jibrin  as  the  site  of  EleutheropoKs,  we  were  led 
to  suppose  at  the  time,  that  the  foundations  we  discovered  on 

'  Josh.  19,  45.    21,  24.    1  Chr.  6,  69.    togabra),  as  Rufinus  read  it  in  his  copy, 

*  See  above  p.  23.  (Joseph.  B.  J.  4.  8.  1.  Reland  Falsest  pp. 
'  Josh.  15,  44.    2  Chr.  11,  8.  626,  628 ;   comp.  p.  28,  n.  1,  above,) 

*  2  Chr.  14,  9.  10.  Joseph.  Antiq.  12.  then  this  village,  which  Vespasian  captvir- 
8.  6.  Comp.  1  Mace.  5,  6^-68,  where  as  ed  in  Idumea,  would  seem  to  have  sprung 
Reland  shows,  Maresa  should  be  read  for  into  note  after  the  destruction  of  Maresha, 
Samaria ;  Falsest,  p.  889.  Comp.  p.  31,  as  related  in  the  text ;  and  grew  up  into 
above.  the  later  and  more  renowned  Eleutherop- 

'  Jos.  Antiq.  14.  5.3.  ib.  14.13.  9.        olis.  That  the  Idumea  of  Josephus  extend- 

*  Onomast.  art.  Masera,  Kapriad.  ed  thus  far,  will  be  immediately  shown  in 
'  If  we  may  assume  with  Reland,  that    the  text ;  pp.  68,  69. 

the  Betaris  of  Josephus  is  for  Begabris(Be- 

U.  421,  422 


68 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XI. 


the  southeastern  part  of  the  remarkable  Tell  south  of  the  place, 
were  remains  of  Maresha.  The  spot  is  admirably  adapted  for  a 
fortress  ;  it  lies  about  a  Eoman  niile  and  a  half  from  the  ruins 
of  Beit  Jibrin,  that  is,  within  the  second  mile,  though  certainly 
not  two  miles  distant.  Nowhere  else  in  the  vicinity  could  we 
find  or  hear  of  any  trace  of  ruins." 

Somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Eleutheropohs  lay  also  the  vil- 
lage of  Moresheth,  the  birth-place  of  the  prophet  Micah.*  The 
name  Moresheth-Gath,  under  which  it  once  occurs,  seems  to  im- 
ply that  it  was  near  to  Gath  ;  Eusebius  and  Jerome  place  it 
eastward  of  Eleutheropohs  ;  and  the  latter  writer  in  another 
place  remarks,  that  it  was  stUl  a  small  vUlage  near  that  city.^ 
In  the  journey  of  Paula,  Jerome  again  speaks  of  the  village  in 
connection  with  the  fountain  of  Samson,  as  having  formerly  con- 
tained the  sepulchre  of  Micah,  where  was  now  a  church.*  This 
latter  circumstance  .seems  not  improbably  to  refer  to  the  ruined 
church  of  Santa  Hanneh,  twenty  minutes  S.  S.  E.  of  Beit  Jibrin, 
close  by  which  are  the  ruined  foundations  of  a  village,  which  may 
or  may  not  be  ancient.  In  this  case  Jerome  would  appear  either 
to  have  confounded  Maresha  and  Moresheth  ;  or  else  the  one  lay 
perhaps  upon  the  hill,  and  the  other  in  the  valley  north,  be- 
tween the  church  and  the  excavated  sepulchres.  That  they  were 
two  distinct  places,  appears,  partly  from  the  diflference  of  the 
names,  which  come  from  different  roots  ;  and  partly  from  the 
fact  that  the  prophet  Micah  mentions  them  together.'  More 
difficult  is  it  to  account  in  any  case  for  the  epithet  Gath. 

It  appears  from  history,  that  during  or  soon  after  the  Jewish 
exile,  the  Edomites  spread  themselves  throughout  the  south  of 
Judea,  which  they  continued  to  occupy,  and  wliich  consequently 
is  included  under  the  name  of  Idumea  by  Josephus  and  latei 
writers.  Judas  Maccabfeus  captured  from  them  Hebron,  Maris- 
sa,  and  Ashdod  ;  and  John  Hyrcanus,  after  taking  Adora  and 
Marissa,  compelled  the  Idumean  inhabitants  of  the  whole  region 
to  conform  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  the  Jews.'  Jerome  also 
in  speaking  of  the  Idumeans,  calls  them  Horites,  and  makes 
them  dwell  within  the  borders  of  Eleutheropohs.^    Now  we 

'  Benjamin  of  Ttidela  places  Maresha  at  Morasthim,  sepulchrum  qnondam  Michsea 

Beit  .Jibrin  itself;  Itin.  p.  77.    "  Sed  ejus  prophetae,  nunc  Ecclesiam." 

auctoritas  tanti  non  est,"  is  the  remark  of  '  Mic.  1,  14.  15. 

Keland,  p.  890.  '  Joseph.  Antiq.  12.  8.  G.  ib.  13.  9.  1. 

'•'  Mic.  1, 1.  Jer.  26,  18.  Moresheth-Gath,  Comp.  1  Mace.  5,  6.5-68.    Josephus  speaka 

Mic.  1,  14.  expressly  of  Hebron  as  in  Idumea;  B.  J. 

'  Onomast.  art.  Morasthi.  Hieron.  Comm.  .4.  9.  7.    He  says  too  that  Idumea  was 

in  Mic.  Prol.  "  Ad  Michipamde  Morasthi,  round  about  Gaza;  c.  Apion.  2.  9.  [10.] 

qui  usque  hodie  juxta  Eloutheropolin  ur-  '  "  In  finibus  est  'EKevdtpoir6\eu!,  ubi 

bem  Pahnstiiia!,  hand  grandis  est  viculus."  ante  habitaveraut  Horrsei,  qui  interpretan- 

*  Ep.  86,  ad  Eustoch.  ICpitaph.  Piiulai,  tur  liberi,  uiide  ipsa  urbs  postea  sortita  vo- 

p.  677.  ed.  Miirt.  "  Ut  refocillatus  videam  cabulum  est ; "  Comm.  in  Obad.  vs.  1. 

ii.  422.  424 


Mat  23.] 


IDHNA. 


69 


know,  that  the  original  inhabitants  of  Idumea  proper  were  ac- 
tually Horites,  that  is,  Troglodytes,  "  dwellers  in  caverns,"  or 
under  ground  ;  who,  although  dispossessed  by  the  Edomites, 
continued  to  live  among  the  latter,  and  apparently  became  with 
them  one  people.'  It  is  for  this  reason,  probably,  that  Jerome 
thus  calls  the  whole  nation  Horites  ;  adopting  however  a  differ- 
ent signification  of  the  word,  "  the  free,"  in  order  (by  a  Rab- 
binic conceit)  to  make  out  a  Hebrew  etymolog}'  for  the  later 
name  Eleutheropolis.  Yet  it  is  also  possible,  that  the  Edomites 
were  called  Horites  in  Palestine  in  the  original  acceptation  of 
the  word  ;  for  Jerome  also  asserts,  that  Idimiea,  or  the  whole 
southern  region  from  Eleutheropolis  to  Petra  and  Ailah,  was 
iuU  of  habitations  in  caves  ;  the  inhabitants  using  subterranean 
dwellings  on  account  of  the  great  heat.^ — Does  not  this  language 
suggest  the  idea,  that  Jerome  here  alluding  in  part  to  the  sin- 
gular excavations  which  we  discovered  near  Deir  Dubban,  and 
which  are  so  particularly  numerous  around  Beit  Jibrin  or 
Eleutheropolis  ?  May  we  perhaps  suppose,  that  the  Idumeans 
"brought  with  them  their  habits  of  life,  and  preferred  to  excavate 
for  themselves  here  dwellings  under  ground  in  the  soft  limestone 
rock  ?  It  did  not  indeed  occur  to  us  at  the  time,  that  possibly 
this  had  been  the  object  of  these  caverns  ;  but  it  might  well 
have  been  the  case  ;  for  they  were  aU  dry,  and  in  general  well 
lighted.  We  needed  candles  only  in  exploring  those  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Tell  near  Beit  Jibrin  ;  and  even  these  may  not 
improbably  have  once  received  light  by  openings  now  filled  up. 
— I  do  not  wish  to  be  considered  as  here  advancing  an  hypothe- 
sis ;  but  merely  as  bringing  forward  a  suggestion,  which  may  de- 
serve consideration.^ 


May  23d  continued.  The  village  of  Idhna  lies  just  east  of 
the  water-shed  at  the  head  of  the  valley  we  had  ascended. 
Just  beyond  it,  another  larger  valley,  Wady  el-Feranj,  comes 
from  the  southeast  and  running  by  the  place  towards  the  north- 
west ultimately  passes  down  to  Beit  Jibrin,  forming  with  others 
the  broad  valley  which  there  comes  in  on  the  north  side.  The 
present  Idhna  is  a  small  village,  divided  into  two  parts  by  a  short 
Wady  or  gully  running  into  Wady  el-Feranj.  Each  part  has 
its  separate  Sheikh  with  his  Kusr  or  tower  ;  and  the  inhabitants 
are  divided  into  two  parties,  according  as  they  live  north  or 

'  Gen.  14,  6.    Deut.  2,  12.  22.    Gen.  lashabet;  et  propter  nimios  calores  solis, 

36,  20.  21.  quia  meridiana  provincia  est,  subterraneis 

'  Coinra.  in  Obad,  vs.  5.  6,  "  Omnia  tuguriis  utitur." 

australis  regio  Idumaeorum  de  Elputbero-  '■'  See  tbe  account  of  these  various  cav- 

poli  usque  ad  Petram  et  Ailam  (hsec  est  ems,  not  less  than  five  different  clusters  in 

possessio  Esau)  in  Epecubos  habitatiuneu-  all,  pp.  23,  29,  51-53. 

ii.  424.  425 


70 


FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


Bouth  of  the  water-course.  In  all  civil  broils,  the  Sheikhs  with 
their  followers  usually  take  different  sides. 

We  had  alighted  at  the  Kusr  of  the  Sheikh  on  the  north  side, 
a  rude  square  building  of  stone,  two  stories  high.  He  was  an 
old  man,  who  welcomed  us  kindly,  and  went  with  «8  to  the  top 
of  the  hill  which .  overhangs  the  village  on  the  north,  to  point 
out  and  name  the  places  in  sight.  According  to  him,  the  village 
once  stood  upon  this  hill.  It  is  now  cultivated,  and  covered 
with  young  orchards  of  fig  trees  ;  the  ground  haAdng  been  cleared 
of  stones  by  lajrng  them  up  in  walls.  In  this  way  all  traces  of 
ancient  foundations  have  been  destroyed  ;  but  I  picked  up  on 
the  top  a  handful  of  marble  tesserse,  once  belonging  to  ancient 
Mosaic  work.'' 

Idhna  lies  near  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  where  the  steep 
ascent  of  the  higher  ridge  soon  begins.  Here  a  \'illage  called  et- 
Tai}dbeh  came  in  sight,  situated  on  the  high  ridge  above  ;  and 
the  direction  of  Nusib  or  Beit  Nusib  at  the  foot,  was  also 
pointed  out,  though  the  place  itself  was  not  visible.  Beit  Ula 
lay  beyond,  also  out  of  sight.  These  with  Nuba  and  Khir&s 
form  a  cluster  of  villages  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  near  Ter- 
kumieh ;  through  which  last  passes  the  more  travelled  road  from 
Beit  Jibrin  to  Hebron.* 

While  taking  our  obsei-vations  on  the  hiU,  we  were  exceed- 
ingly incommoded  by  a  strong  southwest  wind,  which  was  blow- 
ing with  some  violence,  although  we  had  felt  it  comparatively 
little  in  the  valleys.  Before  going  with  us,  it  seems,  the  hospita- 
ble old  Sheikh  had  without  our  knowledge  given  orders  to  prepare 
a  breakfast  for  us  ;  and  on  our  return,  the  women  announced 
that  the  bread  was  baked,  and  the  meal  would  be  ready  in  a  few 
minutes.  Although  anxious  to  get  on,  we  yet  waited  for  some 
time,  rather  than  disappoint  his  well  meant  though  ill  timed 
hospitality  ;  but  as  we  saw  no  end  to  the  delay,  we  at  length 
mounted  and  moved  off.  The  Sheikh  now  came  running  with 
his  bosom  full  of  bread,  which  he  distributed  among  our  mule- 
teers ;  assuring  us  that  the  semen  (melted  butter)  and  leben 
(soured  milk)  were  already  poured  upon  the  bread  in  a  bowl  for 
the  breakfast  ;  and  beseeching  us  to  wait  and  partake  of  it. 
We  thought  it  better  to  proceed  ;  much  to  the  dissatisfaction  of 
the  muleteers,  who  complained  long  afterwards,  that  we  had 

'  I  am  not  aware  that  Idhna  (Jedna)  be.irings  of  places,  all  but  one  (the  last) 

can  be  brought  into  connection  w  ith  any  lying  east  of  the  meridian  line  :  Um  Buij 

scriptural  ii;ime.    Reland  indeed,  forget-  N.  3'  E.    Jcmriirah  N.  8"  E.    Ribba  N. 

ting  his  usual  sagacity,  finds  in  it  the  Ith-  10'  E.    Deir  el-Hawa  N.       E.  Khftras 

nan  of  .Tosh.  1. 5,  23.  "But  this  latter  place  N.  56"  E.    Nuba  N.  60' E.    Beit  Nusib 

lay  quite  at  the  southern  extremity  of  Ju-  nearly  N.  62'  E.    Jedur  N.  63'  E.  Beit 

dab,  towards  Edom;  comp   vs.  21.    Re-  Ummar  N.  67'  E.    Bukkar  N.  70°  E. 

land  Pulajst.  p.  862.  Kusbur  N.  73'  E.    Sufa  N.  87"  E.  Tai- 

»  We  took  here  at  Idhna  the  following  yibeh  S.  80'  E.    Dawuimeh  S.  70'  W. 

ii.  425-427 


Mat  23.] 


TEFFUH,  BETH  TAPPUAH. 


71 


taken  them  away  from  a  savoury  breakfast. — We  had  thus  far 
found  it  so  much  against  the  custom  to  offer  money  in  return  for 
our  entertainment,  that  we  had  given  it  up  ;  and  from  Gaza  to 
Hebron  we  did  not  pay  a  para,  nothing  being  expected.  We 
were  doubtless  thought  the  better  of,  for  not  making  the  at- 
tempt. 

Leaving  Idhna  at  9^  o'clock,  we  followed  up  Wady  el-Feranj 
on  a  course  E.  S.  E.  into  the  mountains,  which  here  began  im- 
mediately to  rise  on  Our  left.  The  Wady  soon  became  a  deep 
and  narrow  glen.  At  10.10  we  reached  a  fork  of  the  valley, 
where  on  a  projection  of  the  right  hand  mountain  stands  a  ruined 
tower.  A  path  leads  along  up  the  right  hand  Wady  towards  the 
village  of  Dura,  and  another  up  the  left  hand  branch  to  Taiyi- 
beh  ;  while  our  road  began  immediately  to  climb  the  mountain 
between  the  two  valleys.  The  ascent  was  long  and  steep,  but 
rendered  easier  by  many  zigzags.  At  10.50  a  vUlage  (probably 
Dx\ra)  appeared  S.  10°  W.  on  a  distant  part  of  the  mountain. 
We  reached  the  top  at  11  o'clock,  just  by  a  cistern  of  rain  water 
excavated  in  the  rock.  Here  our  course  back  bore  W.  N.  W. 
and  Taiyibeh,  now  about  upon  the  same  level,  N.  by  E. 

We  came  out  here  upon  a  somewhat  narrow  ridge  of  high 
table  land,  between  the  two  valleys  above  mentioned,  which  here 
run  nearly  parallel  to  each  other  towards  the  northwest  and  into 
both  of  which  we  could  look  down  almost  perpendicularly  to  a 
great  depth.  This  plateau  we  found  after  a  short  distance  to  be 
well  tilled  ;  its  surface  being  occupied  by  fields  of  grain,  olive 
groves  and  vineyards.  The  bottoms  of  the  two  deep  valleys  on 
each  side  were  also  in  high  cultivation. 

Pursuing  the  same  general  course  and  gradually  ascending, 
we  reached  Teffuh  at  11^  o'clock ;  an  old  village  on  a  higher  and 
broader  part  of  the  same  ridge.  It  contains  a  good  number  of 
inhabitants,  and  Hes  in  the  midst  of  oHve  groves  and  vineyards, 
with  marks  of  industry  and  thrift  on  every  side.  Indeed  many 
of  the  former  terraces  along  the  hill  sides  are  still  in  use  ;  and 
the  land  looks  somewhat  as  it  may  have  done  in  ancient  times. 
Several  portions  of  walls,  apparently  those  of  an  old  fortress,  are 
visible  among  the  houses  ;  and  seem  to  attest  the  antiquity  of 
the  place.  The  large  stones  of  which  they  are  built,  are  soft  ; 
and  the  edges  being  worn  away  by  the  weather,  the  chinks  are 
everywhere  filled  in  with  thin  pieces  of  stone,  which  give  to  the 
whole  a  more  modern  aspect  than  really  belongs  to  it.  The  name 
Teffuh  marks  this  as  the  site  of  the  ancient  Beth  Tappuah  of 
the  mountains  of  Judah,  not  far  from  Hebron.'    From  here 

'  Josh.  15,  .53.  Another  Tappuah  lay  Josh.  15,  Si.  Which  of  these  was  the 
in  the  plain  of  Judah,  apparently  in  the  place  conquered  by  Joshua,  it  is  difficult 
vicinity  of  Zauoah,  Jarmuth,  Socoh,  etc.    to  say  ;  Josh.  12,  17,  comp.  10,  36.— Eu- 

ii.  427.  428 


78  FROM  GAZA  TO  HEBRON,  [Skc.  XI. 

Neby  Niali,  tlie  Wely  near  Dura,  bore  S.  41°  W.  Taiyibeb  N. 
17°  W. 

After  a  stop  of  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  we  set  off  again  at 
12;^  o'clock,  still  ascending  gradually  along  the  ridge  on  a  course 
E.^S.  The  direction  of  the  deep  valleys  on  each  side  is  here 
more  from  east  to  west,  and  for  a  time,  our  way  led  along  the 
steep  declivity  overhanging  that  upon  the  south,  among  slippery 
rocks,  which  rendered  the  jjath  difficult  and  dangerous.  The 
bottom  of  the  valley,  far  below  us,  was  highly  cultivated  and 
full  of  vineyards.  The  Sirocco  wind  which  we  had  felt  all  day, 
now  increased  to  a  violent  tempest,  bringing  up  the  dust  and 
sand  from  the  desert,  and  filling  the  air  so  as  to  obscure  the  sun. 
The  whole  atmosphere  became  of  a  deep  dun  or  yellowish  hue, 
such  as  we  had  seen  before  in  the  desert  near  Ruhaibeh.'  As 
we  approached  the  height  of  land,  a  few  drops  of  rain  feU,  and 
left  upon  our  clothes  spots  of  mud,  as  if  we  had  been  spattered 
from  a  puddle.  The  guide  said  immediately,  this  would  blast 
the  grain  ;  he  thought  the  mud  had  a  saltish  taste,  which  we 
could  not  perceive  ;  nor  did  we  afterwards  hear  of  any  damage 
to  the  crops. 

At  1.10  we  reached  the  top  of  the  whole  ascent,  the  height 
of  land  and  water-shed,  between  the  valleys  behind  us  and  the 
branches  of  that  in  which  Hebron  lies.  The  town  itself  here 
came  in  sight  down  a  valley,  S.  65°  E.  fifty  minutes  distant. 
Descending  gradually  for  ten  minutes,  we  came  to  the  head  of 
the  fine  open  valley  north  of  the  town.  Here  in  a  field  on  our 
left,  was  a  very  large  and  beautiful  oak  tree,  {Quercus  ilex, 
Arabic  Sindidn,)  which  passes  among  the  Muhammedans  for 
the  tree  of  Abraham,  where  his  tent  was  pitched.  Towards 
the  city  followed  fine  vineyards  and  fields  of  grain,  occupying 
most  of  the  valley,  all  now  in  high  verdure.  At  2  o'clock  we 
reached  Hebron,  and  selected  a  spot  for  our  tent  on  the  grassy 
slope  west  of  the  town,  not  far  above  the  lower  pool,  and  near 
the  straggling  cemetery  which  covers  a  part  of  the  open  ground. 
We  found  great  difficulty  in  pitcliing  the  tent,  as  the  Sirocco 
had  now  become  almost  a  tornado ;  the  ropes  were  several  times 
broken,  and  had  at  last  to  be  doubled  on  the  windward  side. 
The  air  became  dark,  almost  like  night,  from  the  sand  and  dust. 
After  a  short  time,  however,  the  tem])est  abated  ;  and  we  had  at 
evening  a  fine  cool  wind  from  the  northwest.  The  actual  heat 
was  not  unusually  great ;  the  thermometer  rose  only  to  86°  F. 

We  here  dismissed  our  trusty  muleteers  and  our  guide  ; 
with  all  of  whom  we  had  been  well  satisfied,  and  indeed  much 

jebius  and  Jerome  seem  to  refer  the  names    wards  Egypt;  Onomast.  arts.  Bethaphu, 

Tappuah  and  Beth  Tappuah  to  one  and  Thaffu. 

the  same  village,  and  to  place  it  more  to-       '  See  Vol.  I.  pp.  195,  196. 

ii.  429,  430 


Mat  24.] 


ARRIVAL  AT  HEBRON. 


73 


pleased.  We  too  were  able  to  satisfy  all  their  expectations  ; 
and  they  returned  with  light  hearts  the  same  evening  to  their 
homes  near  Jerusalem. 

As  we  were  pitching  the  tent,  Elias  of  Damascus  (Elyas  esh- 
Shamy),  the  only  Christian  resident  in  Hebron,  sent  to  invite  us 
into  the  town,  and  to  take  up  our  quarters  at  his  house.  We 
however  declined  ;  and  he  then  came  himself  to  repeat  and  urge 
the  invitation.  This  he  did,  not  knowing  who  we  were,  but 
Bupj^sing  us  to  be  some  "  Milords"  or  other  ;  probably  from  the 
rather  showy  appearance  of  our  tent.  We  again  declined,  and 
positively  ;  for  we  knew  that  we  should  be  far  more  masters  of 
our  time  and  actions  in  our  own  tent,  than  in  the  house  of 
another  person  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  inconvenience  and  ver- 
min to  which  we  should  have  been  thus  exposed.  The  refusal 
was  softened  on  our  part,  by  accepting  a  dinner,  which  he  soon 
after  sent  us. — EUas  had  two  years  before  removed  hither  from 
Damascus,  and  occupied  the  post  of  secretary  or  banker  (or  per- 
haps both)  to  the  governor  of  Hebron.  It  was  his  ambition  to 
become  the  agent  of  a  Frank  consul  ;  and  his  applications  in 
this  behalf,  both  to  English  and  American  visitors  at  Hebron, 
were  unceasing  and  somewhat  burdensome.'  In  the  mean  time, 
he  was  fond  of  appearing  as  the  host  and  protector  of  Frank 
travellers,  expecting  thus  to  gain  a  sort  of  consideration  in  the 
eyes  of  his  Muslim  neighbours.  This  indeed  had  been  the  se- 
cret of  his  ready  and  somewhat  officious  hospitality  towards 
ourselves. 

Before  leaving  Jerusalem,  we  had  made  arrangements,  as  we 
supposed,  to  have  men  and  camels  from  the  Jehahn  ready  for  us 
at  Hebron,  so  as  to  be  able  to  set  oflF  immediately  for  Wady 
Musa.  We  had  accordingly  expected  to  find  them  waiting  our 
arrival  ;  but  by  some  mishap,  connected  probably  with  the  shut- 
ting up  of  J erusalem,  our  orders  had  never  been  transmitted  to 
Hebron  ;  and  we  were  therefore  compelled,  to  our  great  disap- 
pointment, to  lose  the  whole  of  the  two  following  days  in  wait- 
ing for  camels.  Our  chagrin  was  still  further  aggravated  by  the 
mismanagement  of  Elias,  by  which  we  were  led  to  expect  the 
arrival  of  the  camels  at  every  hour ;  and  were  thus  prevented 
from  making  excursions  to  various  places  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
town. 

Thursday,  May  24th.  The  general  appearance  of  Hebron, 
and  the  impression  it  made  upon  us  as  we  formerly  passed  through 
it,  on  our  way  to  Jerusalem,  have  already  been  described.* 
It  is  situated  in  a  deep  narrow  valley,  which  having  its  head  in 

*  See  Mr.  Stephens'  description  of  the  Elias  however  was  not  a  Copt,  as  there  rep- 
visit  and  similar  application  of  Elias  to  resented, 
himself;  Incidents  of  Travel,  II.  p.  166. —       "  Vol.  I.  pp.  213,  214. 

Yoi,.  II.  -7  ii.  430,  431 


74 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XI. 


the  open  country  an  hour  north  of  the  place,  passes  down  S.  S. 
E.  at  first  broad,  with  many  vineyards,  and  then  narrower  as  it 
approaches  the  town,  with  high  hills  on  either  side.  The  town 
itself  consists  of  three  parts.  The  main  quarter  is  around  and 
north  of  the  great  mosk,  upon  the  slope  of  the  eastern  hill ; 
here  are  the  bazars  and  the  chief  places  of  business.  Further 
north,  and  separated  from  this  part  by  an  open  space  of  fields, 
is  another  smaller  cluster  of  houses,  like  a  suburb.  On  the 
slope  of  the  western  hill,  opposite  the  mosk  and  the  soutk  end 
of  the  main  quarter,  is  also  a  smaller  tract  of  houses  ;  or  rather, 
perhaps,  the  main  quarter  may  be  said  here  to  extend  across  the 
valley  and  occupy  the  lower  portion  of  both  declivities.  The 
town  is  without  walls  ;  yet  at  the  entrance  of  one  or  two  of 
the  streets,  in  coming  from  the  country,  there  are  gates. 

Directly  overagainst  the  main  part  of  the  town,  the  high 
western  hill  retreats  somewhat,  leaving  a  recess  with  the  gen- 
tle slope  on  which  we  were  encamped  ;  while  north  of  this 
the  hUl  again  advances,  and  the  acclivity  is  thickly  covered  with 
olive  orchards  of  very  old  trees.' — The  geographical  position  of 
Hebron,  so  far  as  yet  determined  by  a  comparison  of  routes,  is 
in  Lat.  31°  32'  30"  N.  and  Long.  35°  8'  20"  E.  from  Green- 
wich.^ The  elevation  above  the  sea  is  given  by  Schubert  at 
2664  and  by  Russegger  at  2842  Paris  feet.^ 

*  In  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  towards  the  south,  where  the 
town  extends  across  it,  is  the  lower  pool  ;  a  square  reservoir, 
measuring  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  English  feet  on  each 
side,  built  with  hewn  stones  of  good  workmanship.  The  whole 
depth  is  twenty-one  feet  eight  inches,  of  which  the  water  now 
occupied  not  quite  fourteen  feet.  Flights  of  steps  lead  down  to 
it  at  each  corner.  J ust  at  the  north  end  of  the  main  part  of  the 
town  is  another  smaller  pool,  also  occupying  the  bed  of  the  val- 
ley, measuring  eighty-five  feet  in  length,  by  fifty-five  feet  broad ; 
its  depth  is  eighteen  feet  eight  inches,  of  which  the  water  occu- 
pied not  qiiite  seven  feet.  These  reservoirs  seemed  to  furnish  the 
chief,  if  not  the  sole  supply  of  the  toAvn  at  the  time  ;  and  were 
constantly  frequented  by  persons  carrying  away  the  water  in. 
skins.  That  of  the  upper  pool  seemed  to  be  neither  clear  nor 
clean.  The  pools  were  said  to  be  filled  only  from  the  rains. — Near 
the  summit  of  the  hill,  north  of  our  tent,  was  a  fine  cool  foun- 
tain, from  which  we  obtained  our  supply  ;  it  is  sunk  in  the 
ground  and  arched  over,  with  a  flight  of  steps  by  wliich  to  de- 

'  Schubert  mentions  here  on  the  west  '  See  Kieperfs  Memoir  in  the  former 

of  the  town  a  number  of  very  old  Pistacia-  edition  of  this  work.  III.  App.  p.  34,  42. 

trees  (Pistacia  vrra)  with  Inrge  trunks ;  '  Schub'  rt's  Reise  II.  p.  4C!).  Berg- 

Reise  II.  p.  478.    These  we  failed  to  no-  haus'  Aimalen,  Marz  1839,  p.  429. 
tice. 

ii.  431-433 


Hat  24.] 


THE  POOLS.     THE  HARAM. 


75 


Bcend  to  it.  Just  north  of  the  town  too,  by  the  side  of  the  road 
along  the  bed  of  the  valley,  is  another  small  fountain  ;  which 
seemed  to  serve  chiefly  at  this  season  for  watering  animals. 

The  pools  above  described  are  doubtless  of  high  antiq^uity  ; 
and  one  of  them  is  probably  to  be  regarded  as  the  "  pool  of  He- 
bron" over  which  David  hanged  up  the  assassins  of  Ishbosheth.' 
The  other  alleged  antiquities  of  Hebron,  (with  the  exception  of 
the  great  mosk.)  did  not  occupy  our  attention.  We  neither  saw 
nor  inquired  after  the  tomb  of  Abner,  nor  that  of  Jesse,  nor  the 
red  earth  of  which  Adam  was  formed,  nor  the  place  where  Cain 
slew  Abel,  nor  various  other  legendary  spots  mentioned  by  early 
and  later  travellers.  The  place  called  by  the  Jews  the  "  House 
of  Abraham,"  an  hour  from  Hebron  towards  Jeru-salem,  with  the 
remains  of  massive  walls,  has  already  been  described,  as  the 
probable  site  of  what  was  held  to  be  Mamre  in  the  early  Chris- 
tian ages.'^ 

The  great  Haram,  or  rather  the  exterior  wall  which  encloses 
the  mosk,  constitutes  the  most  remarkable  object  in  Hebron,  and 
one  of  the  most  so  in  all  Palestine.  It  is  also  one  of  the  most 
sacred  places  of  the  Muhammedans  ;  being  held  to  cover  the 
sepulchre  of  Abraham  and  the  other  patriarchs.  We  had  looked 
at  it  with  some  care  in  our  previous  Adsit ;  and  it  was  now  one 
of  the  first  things  to  claim  our  further  attention.  On  our  way 
thither  this  morning,  we  called  at  the  house  of  EUas  in  the 
north  part  of  the  main  quarter,  to  pay  him  our  respects  in  re- 
turn for  his  kindness.  We  found  that  he  and  his  family  had 
already  gone  out  to  spend  the  day  imder  the  great  oak,  which 
we  had  passed  yesterday  ;  and  had  left  an  invitation  for  us  to 
join  them  there,  and  breakfast  with  them  at  a  later  hour.  We 
then  proceeded  to  the  mosk. 

The  exterior  has  the  appearance  of  a  large  and  lofty  building 
in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram  ;  its  longest  -dimension  being 
along  the  valley  from  N.  N.  W.  to  S.  S.  E.  and  not  as  in  most 
ancient  churches  from  W.  to  E.  We  measured  on  a  line  parallel 
to  its  eastern  side  and  southern  end,  as  near  to  it  as  we  could  ; 
thovi^  not  without  some  hints  to  desist,  from  an  old  man  or  two 
who  came  along.  The  length  proved  to  be  nearest  two  hundred 
feet,  and  the  breadth  one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet.  The  height 
cannot  be  less  than  fifty  or  sixty  feet.  The  walls  are  built  of  very 
large  stones,  all  bevelled  and  hewn  smooth  ;  and  similar  in  all 
respects  to  the  most  ancient  parts  of  the  walls  around  the  Ha- 
ram at  Jerusalem.  But  they  are  not  in  general  so  large,  nor  is 
the  bevelling  so  deep.^    The  architecture  has  this  peculiarity, 

'  2  Sam.  4,  12.  npwards  of  twentv-five  feet  in  length; 

»  See  Vol.  I.  pp.  215,  216.  Travels  p.  343.  Legh  under  May  8th. 

'  According  to  Irby  and  Mangles,  and  We  did  not  notice  any  larger  than"  about 
also  Mr  Legh,  some  of  these  stones  are    eighteen  feet. 

ii.  433.  434 


76 


HEBROif, 


[Sec  X£ 


that  the  walls  are  huilt  up  externally  with  square  pilasters,  six- 
teen on  each  side  and  eight  at  each  end,  without  capitals,  ex- 
cept a  sort  of  cornice  which  extends  along  the  whole  building. 
Above  this,  the  walls  have  been  raised  by  the  MusHms  eight  or 
ten  feet  higher,  with  a  small  turret  or  minaret  at  each  corner. 
There  are  no  windows  in  any  part  of  these  walls.  The  places 
of  entrance  are  at  the  two  northern  corners,  where  along  and 
broad  flight  of  steps  of  very  gentle  ascent,  built  up  and  covered 
along  each  side  of  the  biiilding  externally,  leads  to  a  door  in 
each  wall  opening  into  the  court  within.  That  at  the  northwest 
corner  seemed  to  be  the  principal  entrance,  merely  perhaps  as 
being  the  most  conveniently  situated. — The  building  stands 
upon  the  slope  of  the  eastern  hill ;  the  rocks  having  been  exca- 
vated along  the  upper  side,  in  order  to  lay  the  foundations. 

According  to  all  accounts,  the  structure  here  described,  in- 
cluding all  that  is  visible  from  without,  is  merely  an  exterior 
enclosure  of  walls,  around  a  court  within.  In  this  court  stands 
the  much  smaller  mosk,  which  is  said  to  have  been  once  a  Chris- 
tian church.'  Here  in  different  parts,  the  Muhammedans  have 
built  tombs  for  the  patriarchs  ;  while  their  actual  place  of  sep- 
ulchre is  held  to  be  in  a  cavern  below,  which  even  the  faithftil 
are  not  permitted  to  enter.''  But  as  the  jealous  bigotry  of  the 
Mussulmans  of  Hebron  precludes  all  admittance  to  Franks  and 
Christians  ;  and  the  height  of  the  exterior  wall  prevents  any 
view  of  the  interior,  even  from  the  adjacent  hill  ;  we  are  yet 
without  any  intelligible  description  of  the  mosk  and  its  appur- 
tenances, and  know  nothing  at  all  of  the  cavern  which  thus  rep- 
resents the  cave  of  Machpelah.^ 

The  outer  structure  thus  described,  evidently  belongs  to  a 
high  antiquity  ;  and  the  resemblance  of  its  architecture  to  that 
of  the  remains  of  the  ancient  temple  at  Jerusalem,  seems  to 
point  to  a  Jewish  origin.''    Yet  we  have  no  certain  accounts  of 

'  Life  of  Giovanni  Finati,  edited  by  Mr.  ceedingly  brief ;  and  that  of  the  former, 

Bankes,  VoL  11.  p.  236.    Finati  as  a  Mus-  besides  being  brief,  is  so  confused,  that  I 

sulman  entered  the  mosk.  can  make  out  notliing  either  from  his  de- 

"  "All  the  sepulchres  of  the  patriarchs  scription  or  his  plates.    Ali  Bey,  Vol.  IL 

are  covered  with  rich  carpets  of  green  silk  pp.  232,  233. — Alonro  gives  a  mor^.intel- 

magniJicently  embroidered  with  gold ;  those  ligible  account ;  but  as  he  does  not  men- 

of  their  wives  are  red,  embroidered  in  like  tion  the  source  of  his  information,  we  are 

manner.    The  Sultans  of  Constantinople  still  left  in  the  dark  as  to  its  credibility ; 

furnish  these  carpets,  which  are  renewed  he  speaks  indeed  as  if  from  personal  obser- 

from  time  to  time.    I  counted  nine,  one  vation,  for  which  most  assuredly  he  never 

over  the  other,  upon  the  sepulchre  of  Abra-  had  an  opportunity;  nor  docs  he  indeed 

ham.    The  rooms  also  which  contain  the  expressly  say  so  ;  Summer  Ramble  I.  p. 

tombs,  are  covered  with  carpets."     Ali  243  sq. — Benjamin   of  Tudela  professes 

Bey's  Travels  II.  p.  233.  to  give  a  description  of  the  cavern,  in  which 

'  The  only  Europeans,  who  have  enter-  he  says  are  deposited  vast  quantities  of  the 

ed  this  Haram,  are  the  Spaniard  Badia  bones  of  Jews ;  Itin.  p.  76  sq. 

(Ali  Bey)  travelling  as  a  Mussulman,  and  *  So  too  Mr  Legh  :  "  From  the  general 

Giovanni  Finati,  the  Italian  ser\'ant  of  Mr  aspect  of  the  building,  resembling  neither 

Bankes.    The  account  of  the  latter  is  ex-  Grecian,  Roman,  nor  early  Christian  ar- 
il. 434-430 


j£at24.]  the  haram.  77 

it ;  and  all  we  can  learn  respecting  it  is  from  a  few  scattered 
hints  in  ancient  writers,  which  merely  serve  to  cast  a  further 
gleam  of  prohahility  upon  this  conclusion.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  monastic  tradition  refers  the  edifice  to  Helena,  as  one  of 
her  churches  ;  but  for  this,  as  we  have  seen,  there  is  not  the 
slightest  ground  while  the  form,  direction,  and  elevation  of 
the  strudture,  and  especially  the  absence  of  windows,  all  go  to 
show,  that  these  waUs  were  never  any  thing  more  than  what 
they  are  at  present,  an  exterior  enclosure  around  an  inner  edi- 
fice or  court. 

I  know  of  nothing  that  should  lead  us  to  question  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  tradition,  which  regards  this  as  the  place  of  sep- 
ulchre of  Abraham  and  the  other  patriarchs,  as  recorded  in  the 
book  of  Genesis.'  On  the  contrary,  there  is  much  to  strengthen 
it.  J  osephus  relates,  that  Abraham  and  his  descendants  erected 
monuments  over  the  sepulchres  in  question  ;  which  implies  at 
least,  that  in  his  day  the  place  was  marked  by  some  ancient 
memorial.  In  another  passage  he  says  expressly,  that  the  sep- 
ulchres of  the  patriarchs  were  still  seen  in  Hebron,  built  of  mar- 
ble and  of  elegant  workmanship.'  In  the  days  of  Eusebius  and 
Jerome,  the  monument  of  Abraham  was  yet  pointed  out  ;*  and 
the  Bourdeaux  pilgrim  in  A.  D.  333,  describes  it  as  a  quadran- 
gle, built  of  stones  of  admirable  beauty.^  This  description  ap- 
pears to  me,  without  much  doubt,  to  refer  to  the  exterior  struc- 
ture, as  we  see  it  now  ;  and  I  venture  to  suppose,  that  this  ex- 
isted already  in  the  days  of  Josenhus  and  probably  much  earlier  ; 
and  was  either  itself  the  monument  referred  to  by  him,  or  per- 
haps the  sacred  enclosure  within  which  the  tombs  of  the  patri- 
archs were  erected.  The  whole  appearance  of  the  building,  as 
well  as  its  architecture,  leads  decidedly  to  such  a  conclusion. 

The  next  notice  we  have  of  the  sepulchre  of  the  patriarchs 
is  from  Antoninus  Martyr,  not  long  before  the  Muhammedan 
conquest.  He  describes  a  "  Basilica "  upon  the  spot,  a  quad- 
rangle with  an  interior  court  open  to  the  sky,  into  which  Jews 
and  Christians  entered  from  different  sides,  burninsr  incense  as 
they  advanced.^  Arculfus  visited  Hebron  near  the  close  of  the 
seventh  century  ;  he  describes  the  several  sepulchres  themselves 
as  small  and  mean  ;  the  feet  being  turned,  not  as  usual  towards 
the  east,  but  towards  the  south ;  they  were  situated  about  a 

chitecturc,  it  seemed  to  me  to  be  possibly       '  "Inde  Therebinto  Cbebron,  Mil.  II. 

of  Jewish  origin."    May  8th.  Ubi  est  memoria  per  quairum  ex  lapidibus 

'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  375.  miras  pulchritudiiiis,  in  quo  positi  Abra- 

'  Gen.  c.  23.  c.  25,  9.  49, 30.  31.  50,  13.  ham,"  etc.  Itin.  Hiefos.  ed.  Wesseling  p. 

'  Ant.  1.  14.    B.  J.  4.  9.  7.  599.    J/e>noj  •ia  is  iere  i.  q.  monumentum 

•  Onomast.  art.  Arboch  ('ApKti).    The  sepulchrum ;  see  Wesseling's  note  on  the 

church  described  by  Jerome  in  the  same  passage. 

article,  was  at  the  Terebinth ;  Eusebius       '  Antoniui  Mart.  Itin.  30. 

does  not  mention  it. 

Vol.  II.— 7*  ii.  436  437 


78  HEBRON.  [Sec.  XL 

stadium  from  ancient  Hebron  towards  the  east,  and  surrounded 
by  a  low  wall. '  In  the  latter  half  of  the  eighth  century,  St.  Wil- 
libald  passed  here  on  his  way  from  Gaza  to  J erusalem,  and  men- 
tions the  sepulchres  of  the  patriarchs  at  a  place  called  the 
"  Castle  of  Aframia."*  In  this  corrupt  reading  we  may  recog- 
nise the  first  trace  of  the  "  Castle  of  St.  Abraham,"  the  name 
by  which  Hebron  was  generally  known  in  the  age  of  the  cru- 
sades, and  in  allusion  to  which  it  is  still  called  among  the  Arabs 
el-Khulil.  In  like  manner  Sfewulf,  about  A.  D.  1103,  speaks 
of  the  monuments  of  the  patriarchs  as  surrounded  by  a  strong 
castle.^ 

Thus  far  we  find  no  mention  either  of  a  church  or  mosk 
within  the  enclosure  ;  unless  it  be  the  above  notice  of  a  Basi- 
lica," by  Antoninus  Martyr,  before  the  Muhammedan  conquest. 
This  seems  however  merely  to  refer  to  the  exterior  structure  ; 
for  certainly  Christians  and  J ews  would  not  be  found  occupying 
a  church  together.  Ali  Bey  indeed  describes  the  present  mosk 
as  having  formerly  been  a  Greek  church  ;  remarking  at  the 
same  time,  that  the  body  of  it  is  Gothic*  But  here  is  an  in- 
consistency ;  no  Greek  church  has  pointed  arches,  which  were 
first  introduced  by  the  Saracens  and  imitated  by  the  Latins. 
Hence,  if  the  latter  assertion  of  AK  Bey  be  correct,  the  edifice 
may  not  improbably  have  been  built  as  a  church  by  the  Lat- 
ins, when  they  erected  Hebron  into  a  bishopric  in  A.  D.  1167.' 
The  historians  of  that  age  do  not  indeed  mention  the  building 
of  a  church  on  that  occasion  ;  but  neither  do  they  speak  of  the 
Latin  church  at  Neby  Samwil,  as  to  which  however  there  can 
be  no  question.  The  Arabian  historian  of  J  erusalem  and  He- 
bron, describes  the  mosk  as  having  a  large  dome  between  two 
smaller  ones  towards  the  east  and  west  ;  and  speaks  of  a  pulpit 
with  carved  work  in  wood,  bearing  date  A.  H.  484  (A.  D.  1091)  ; 
which  however  was  first  brought  hither  by  Saladin  after  the 
capture  of  Askelon  in  A.  D.  1187.' 

Thus  it  appears  to  me,  we  may  rest  with  confidence  in  the 
view,  that  the  remarkable  external  structure  of  the  Haram  is 

■  "Horum  locus  Sepulchrorum  quadrato  '  Will.  Tyr.  20.  3.  Le  Qnien  Or.  Christ, 
hnmili  i-ircumvenitur  muro ; "  Adamnanus  III.  p.  1270.  William  of  Tyre  says  ex- 
ex  Arcullo  2.  10.  The  epithet  kumili  was  pressly,  there  had  never  been  a  Greek  bi- 
probably  added  from  some  misapprchen-  shop  at  Hebron,  but  only  a  prior.  Mejr 
dion  on  the  part  of  Adamnanus  himself  ed-Din  about  A.  D.  1496  refers  tlie  mosk 

'  "  Et  inde  tunc  ibat  ad  castellum  Afra-  to  the  times  of  the  Greeks  ;  by  whom 

mia ;  ibi  rcquiescunt  tres  patriarchae,"etc.  he  most  probably  means  the  crusaders. 

Hodccpor.  21.  p.  377.  lb.  13.  p.  387.  ed.  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  375.    Benjamin  of 

Mabillon.  Tudela,  who  was  here  after  A.  D.  1160, 

'  "  Hebron — in   cujus  orientali  parte  says  the  tombs  had  been  built  up  by  the 

monuiiienta  sanctorum  patriarcharum  an-  Christians  ;  Itin.  p.  76  sq. 

tiquitus  facta  castello  fortissimo  circumcin-  '  Mejr.  ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II. 

guntur."    S^wulf  Peregrinat.  p.  269.  p.  376. 

*  Travels  II.  p.  232. 

ii.  437-439 


Mat  24  ] 


THE  CASTLE.  WATER-SKINS. 


79 


indeed  the  work  of  Jewish  hands,  erected  long  before  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  nation,  around  the  sepulchre  of  their  revered  progen- 
itors, "  the  Friend  of  God"  and  his  descendants.'  The  cave  of 
Machpelah  is  described  in  Scripture  as  at  "  the  end  of  the  field," 
overagainst  Mamre,  the  same  as  Hebron  ;^  and  all  the  later 
writers  above  quoted,  speak  of  the  sepulchres  of  the  patriarchs 
as  at  or  in  Hebron,  not  near  it.  Here  then  the  "  Father  of 
the  faithful,"  as  also  Isaac  and  Jacob,  rested  from  their  wan- 
derings 1 

Just  at  the  left  of  the  principal  entrance  of  the  Haram,  is  a 
small  hole  in  the  massive  wall,  through  which  the  Jews  are  per- 
mitted at  certain  times  to  look  into  the  interior.  Here  several 
Jewish  women  were  reading  prayers  and  waiUng  ;  although  the 
hole  was  now  closed  by  a  shutter  from  within.  I  spoke  to  some 
of  them  in  German  ;  but  they  were  all  from  Spain,  and  we  could 
hold  no  communication. 

A  little  north  of  the  Haram,  on  the  main  street  leading  to 
it,  is  a  castle  or  citadel,  not  high,  but  with  massive  walls  of  great 
Btrength  ;  a  part  of  which  had  been  thrown  down  and  were  now 
lying  in  ruins.  This  was  said  to  have  been  occasioned  by  an 
earthquake.  It  may  perhaps  with  more  probability  be  referred  to 
the  troops  of  Ibrahim  Pasha  in  1834  ;  since  an  earthquake 
powerful  enough  to  overturn  walls  so  massive,  would  hardly  have 
failed  to  leave  behind  other  traces  of  its  devastations. — Near  by 
the  Haram,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  same  street,  the  gateway 
of  a  Khan,  or  some  building  cf  the  kind,  bears  an  inscrip- 
tion with  the  date  of  A.  H.  679  (A.  D.  1280),  recording  that  it 
was  erected  by  order  of  the  Egyptian  Sultan  Seif  ed-Din. 

In  passing  along  the  skirts  of  the  town  on  the  hill  side  north 
of  the  Haram,  we  came  upon  a  large  manufactory  of  water-skins, 
occupying  an  extensive  yard  with  several  tanner's  vats.  These 
are  merely  the  skins  of  goats  stripped  off  whole,  except  at  the 
neck  ;  the  holes  at  the  legs  and  taU  being  sewed  up.  They  are 
first  stuffed  out  full  and  strained  by  driving  in  small  billets  and 
chips  of  oak  wood  ;  and  are  then  fiUed  with  a  strong  infusion  of 
oak  bark  for  a  certain  time,  until  the  hair  becomes  fixed  and  the 
skin  sufficiently  tanned.  This  constitutes  the  whole  process. 
Not  less  than  fifteen  hundred  skins  were  \jmg  thus  stuffed,  in 
rows  about  the  yard.  They  are  sold  at  different  prices,  from  fif- 
teen up  to  forty  piastres.  This  establishment  is  private  pro- 
perty. 

The  bazar  is  on  a  street  not  far  north  of  the  Haram.  We 
were  struck  with  the  abundance  and  large  size  of  the  raisins ; 
finer  indeed  than  we  saw  anywhere  else  in  the  east ;  and  also 
with  the  excellence  and  cheapness  of  the  fruits  in  general.  The 


>  James  2,  23. 


•  Gen.  23,  9.  17.  19.    Comp.  36,  27. 

u.  439  440 


80 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XI. 


large  delicious  oranges  of  Yafa  were  selling  here  eight  or  ten  for 
a  single  piastre.  The  butchers'  stalls  attracted  our  notice  by 
the  abundance  of  mutton  hung  out  before  them  ;  the  fatness 
and  apparent  delicacy  of  which  would  do  credit  to  an  English 
farmer.  In  other  respects,  the  bazars  were  not  well  supplied  ; 
and  portions  of  them  stood  empty  and  desolate  in  consequence 
(it  was  paid)  of  the  decay  of  trade,  after  the  storming  of  the  town 
in  1834. 

In  the  dark  narrow  lanes  near  the  north  end  of  the  main 
quarter,  are  the  manufactories  of  glass  for  which  Hebron  has 
long  been  celebrated.'  We  looked  in  upon  some  of  these,  and 
found  the  processes  in  general  much  the  same  as  elsewhere, 
though  more  rude.  The  aspect  of  these  estabhshments  reminded 
me  much  of  Pittsburg  ;  though  they  are  on  a  far  inferior  scale. 
The  articles  manufactured  consist  almost  solely  of  small  glass 
lamps,  many  of  which  are  exported  to  Egypt  ;  and  rings  of  col- 
oured glass,  worn  by.  females  on  the  arms.  We  had  seen  great 
quantities  of  these  for  sale  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  several  large 
crates  of  rings  and  lamps  were  now  lying  in  the  streets,  ready  for 
loading  on  camels  for  transportation. 

Eeturning  to  our  tent,  we  found  there  several  visitors  from 
Jerusalem.  From  them  we  learned,  that  on  the  day  of  our  de- 
parture proclamation  had  been  made  through  the  streets,  that 
the  city  would  be  shut  up  on  the  following  day  ;  which  was  done 
accordingly.  They  and  many  others  had  left  their  homes  ;  and 
were  now  wandering  about  in  the  neighbouring  towns  and  vil- 
lages. 

About  11  o'clock,  we  went  out  to  pay  our  respects  to  Elias 
and  his  family  under  the  great  oak.  Just  as  we  left  the  town, 
two  camels  escorted  by  a  few  soldiers  came  in  from  DAra, 
loaded  with  the  miserable  spoils  in  the  shape  of  old  and  broken 
fire  arms,  extorted  from  the  people  of  that  place  by  the  three 
governors.*  Our  road  was  the  same  by  which  we  had  arrived 
yesterday,  lying  between  two  walls,  and  leading  through  rich 
fields  and  vineyards.  The  general  character  of  these,  as  well  as 
the  variety  and  abundance  of  other  fruits  which  grow  around 
Hebron,  such  as  figs,  pomegranates,  apricots,  quinces,  and  the 
like,  has  already  been  alluded  to,  in  connection  with  our  former 
visit.'  We  could  now  observe  more  nearly  the  peculiar  manner 
of  training  the  vines.  They  are  planted  singly  in  rows,  eight  or 
ten  feet  apart  in  each  direction.  The  stock  is  suffered  to  grow 
up  large  to  the  height  of  six  or  eight  feet,  and  is  then  fastened 

■  These  are  mentioned  in  tbe  1.5th  cen-       '  See  above,  p.  57. 
tury  as  already  flourishing.   Guni])ent)erg's       '  See  thr  account  of  our  first  visit  to 

Journal,  A.  D.  1449,  Reissb.  p.  44.').    Fe-  Hebron,  Vol.  I.  p.  214. 
lix  Fabri  in  A.  D.  1483,  ibid.  p.  288. 

ii.  440-442 


May  24.] 


TIS'EYARDS. 


THE  OAK. 


81 


in  a  sloping  position  to  a  strong  stake,  and  the  shoots  suffered  to 
grow  and  extend  from  one  plant  to  another,  forming  a  hne  of 
festoons.  Sometimes  two  rows  are  made  to  slant  towards  each 
other,  and  thus  form  hy  their  shoots  a  sort  of  arch.  These 
shoots  are  pruned  away  in  autunm. 

The  vineyards  belonging  to  the  city  are  very  extensive, 
reaching  almost  to  Teffiih,  and  also  for  some  distance  towards 
Dhoheriyeh,  and  covering  the  sides  of  nearly  all  the  hills.  The 
lodges  of  stone,  which  serve  for  the  watchmen,  and  also  in  part 
for  the  families  of  Hebron  during  the  ^-intage,  have  been  before 
mentioned.'  The  vintage  is  a  season  of  hilarity  and  rejoicing 
to  all ;  the  town  is  then  deserted,  and  the  people  Kve  among  the 
vineyards  in  the  lodges  and  in  tents.  The  produce  of  these 
vineyards  is  celebrated  throughout  Palestine.  No  wine  however 
nor  'Arak  is  made  from  them,  except  by  the  Jews  ;  and  this 
not  in  great  quantity.  The  wine  is  good.  The  finest  grapes  are 
dried  as  raisins  ;  and  the  rest  being  trodden  and  pressed,  the 
juice  is  boUed  down  to  a  syrup,  which  under  the  name  of  Dibs^ 
is  much  used  by  all  classes  wherever  vineyards  are  found,  as  a 
condiment  with  their  food.  It  resembles  thin  molasses  ;  but  is 
more  pleasant  to  the  taste. 

The  venerable  oak  (Sindian)  to  which  we  now  came,  is  a 
splendid  tree  ;  we  hardly  saw  another  like  it  in  all  Palestine, 
certainly  not  on  this  side  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  Indeed 
large  trees  are  very  rare  in  this  quarter  of  the  country.  The 
trunk  of  this  tree  measures  twenty-two  and  a  half  feet  around 
the  lower  part.  It  separates  almost  immediately  into  three 
large  boughs  or  trunks  ;  and  one  of  these  again,  higher  up,  into 
two.  The  branches  extend  from  the  trunk  in  one  direction  forty- 
nine  feet  ;  their  whole  diameter  in  the  same  direction  being 
eighty-nine  feet,  and  in  the  other  at  right  angles  eighty-three 
and  a  half  feet.  The  tree  is  in  a  thrifty  state,  and  the  trunk 
sound.  It  stands  alone  in  the  midst  of  a  field  ;  the  ground  be- 
neath is  covered  with  grass  and  clean  ;  there  is  a  well  with  water 
near  by  ;  so  that  a  more  beautiful  spot  for  recreation  cotild  hard- 
ly be  found. 

I  am  not  sure  whether  this  is  the  tree  which  Sir  John  Maunde- 
ville  saw  near  Hebron,  of  which  he  relates  that  it  was  green  in 
Abraham's  day,  but  dried  up  at  the  time  of  our  Saviour's  cruci- 
fixion, like  aU  the  other  trees  then  in  the  world.'  It  seems  to 
be  mentioned  by  Belon  in  the  sixteenth  century,  as  a  terebinth  ; 
and  is  described  as  such  by  writers  in  the  following  century.^ 


•  ToL  I.  p.  213. 

*  This  L5  the  Hebrew  word  signi- 
fying '  honev,'  and  also  '  svrnp  of  grapes.' 

'  Travels  p.  68.  Lond."  1839. 


*  Belon  Observat  Paris  1.588,  p.  32-L 
Qnaresmins  Elncidat.  Terrse  Sanct.  IL  p. 
783.  Jlorone  L  p.  306.  Von  Troilo  Ori- 
ent. Kcisebeschr.  p.  325.  Dresd.  1676. 

iL  -Wi  443 


82 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XI. 


But  tMs  is  not  a  terebinth  (Butm) ;  nor  is  there  any  large  tree  of 
that  species  in  the  vicinity  of  Hebron.  Least  of  all  can  this  be 
either  the  tree  of  Abraham  or  its  successor  ;  for  his  terebinth 
probably  stood  more  towards  Jerusalem,  and  had  already  disap- 
peared in  the  days  of  J erome. ' 

Here  we  found  EHas  and  his  family  spending  the  day,  and 
enjoying  themselves  beneath  the  wide  spreading  shade  of  the 
noble  tree.  The  party  consisted  of  himself,  his  wife,  her  sister  a 
young  woman  about  eighteen,  their  little  son  four  or  five  years 
old,  a  young  man,  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  governor  of 
Jerusalem,  and  two  servants.  They  had  brought  with  them  a 
rope,  and  suspended  it  as  a  swing  from  the  branches  of  the  tree. 
The  two  men  were  lounging  at  their  ease  upon  carpets,  smoking 
and  occasionally  tasting  'Arak,  which  was  presented  in  a  small 
shallow  bowl.  The  young  guest  was  a  man  of  more  intelligence 
and  good  sense  than  the  host.  A  fire  was  kindled  not  far  ofi", 
at  which  the  mistress  and  servants  seemed  to  be  engaged  in 
cooking  ;  while  the  sister  and  child  were  playing  and  swinging. 
We  took  our  seats  upon  the  carpets  ;  pipes  were  offered  and 
'Arak  presented  and  tasted  freely  by  the  others  ;  coffee  was  not 
brought.  The  guest  joined  in  the  sports  of  the  sister  and  child  ; 
pursuing  each  other,  swinging,  laughing,  and  romping. 

After  about  an  hour  a  servant  came  from  the  town,  bringing 
a  warm  breakfast  in  a  tray  upon  his  head,  thickly  covered  over 
with  large  thin  sheets  of  the  common  bread  of  the  country. 
Soon  after  came  the  wife's  mother,  who  had  remained  at  home  to 
prepare  the  food.  She  was  mounted  on  a  fine  gray  mare  ; 
which,  while  yet  at  some  distance,  took  a  start  and  came  up  the 
field  and  steep  banks  at  full  speed  ;  the  lady  sitting  on  both 
sides,  and  exhibiting  no  mean  skill  in  eastern  horsemanship. 
She  was  an  active  lively  elderly  woman,  and  seemed  to  be  the 
life  and  soul  of  the  family.  We  joined  the  men  in  breakfasting 
by  ourselves  ;  after  we  had  finished,  the  women  sat  down  apart 
at  some  distance.  Such  is  the  oriental  custom,  even  among 
Christians.  These  females,  and  especially  the  elder,  were  not 
wanting  in  intelligence,  though  they  had  never  been  taught  to 
read.  They  wore  no  veils,  and  exliibited  no  particular  shyness 
before  strangers.  They  were  however  from  Damascus  ;  where 
the  Christian  females  are  understood  to  enjoy  more  freedom,  than 
in  many  other  parts  of  the  east. — We  spent  here  a  couple  of 
hours  ;  and  then  returned  to  our  tent. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  I  went  out  upon  the  eastern 
hills,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  view  of  the  country  around,  and 
thus  being  able  to  connect  Hebron  with  some  of  the  points  wo 
bad  fonncrly  visited  or  seen.    But  the  prospect  towards  the 

'  Soe  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  216.    Onomast  arts.  Drys,  Arboch, 
ii  443-445 


Mat  25.] 


BREAKFAST.     THE  JEWS. 


83 


east  and  north  was  limited  by  higher  hills  near  at  hand,  so  that 
I  was  compelled  to  return  disappointed  in  my  hope.  The  sum- 
mit of  this  ridge  is  crowned  with  vineyards  ;  as  is  also  that  of 
the  western  hiUs  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley. 

Painfiil  as  was  the  delay  to  which  we  were  here  subjected,  we 
yet  had  enough  to  occupy  our  time  in  writing  up  our  journals, 
and  arranging  our  materials  and  plans  for  further  inquiries.  We 
were  also  amused  with  the  proceedings  of  the  people  round 
about  us.  The  fine  grassy  slope  on  which  we  were  encamped, 
besides  the  cemetery  on  the  north,  was  occupied  towards  the 
south  by  threshing-floors,  where  the  various  processes  of  thresh- 
ing, or  rather  treading  out  the  grain,  were  continually  going  on. 
The  wheat  harvest  here  in  the  mountains  had  not  yet  arrived  ; 
but  they  were  threshing  barley,  'Adas  or  lentiles,  and  also 
vetches,  called  by  the  Arabs  Kersenna,  which  are  raised  chiefly 
for  camels.  The  various  parcels  had  apparently  lain  here  for 
several  days  ;  the  people  would  come  with  their  cattle  and  work 
for  two  or  three  hours,  and  then  go  away.  Some  had  three  ani- 
mals, some  four  ;  and  once  I  saw  two  young  cattle  and  a  don- 
key driven  round  together.  In  several  of  the  floors  they  were 
now  winnowing  the  grain,  by  tossing  it  up  across  the  wind  with 
a  fork.  Here  we  needed  no  guard  around  our  tent.  The  owners 
of  the  crops  came  every  night  and  slept  upon  their  threshing- 
floors  to  guard  them  ;  and  this  we  had  found  to  be  universal  in 
all  the  region  of  Gaza.  We  were  in  the  midst  of  scenes  pre- 
cisely like  those  in  the  book  of  Ruth  ;  where  Boaz  winnowed 
barley  in  his  threshing-floor,  and  laid  himself  down  at  night  to 
guard  the  heap  of  corn.^ 

Friday,  May  25th.  We  had  this  morning  some  ground  for 
hope,  that  we  might  be  able  to  set  off  in  the  course  of  the  day. 
This  hope  too  proved  vain  ;  though  it  encouraged  us  for  the  mo- 
ment. 

We  went  early  to  call  on  the  chief  Eabbi  of  the  Jews. 
Finding  a  young  Jew  before  our  tent,  and  inquiring  of  him  the 
way,  he  said  the  Eabbi  was  his  master,  and  went  with  us.  The 
J ewish  dwellings  are  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  main  quarter 
of  the  town.  We  were  received  at  the  entrance  by  a  Spanish 
Jew  of  middle  age,  with  a  remarkable  bright  eye  and  good  coun- 
tenance ;  and  ushered  by  him  through  a  long  series  of  passages, 
into  a  small  but  very  neat  room,  with  a  divan  around  the  waUs, 
and  the  windows  looking  out  upon  the  western  hills.  Every- 
thing here  was  perfectly  clean  ;  the  walls  and  passages  white- 
washed ;  and  the  whole  appearance  far  neater  than  anything  I  had 
yet  seen  of  eastern  life.  The  old  Rabbi  soon  came  in,  blind  of  one 
eye  and  having  a  long  white  beard.    My  companion  had  already 

'  Ruth  3,  2-14. 

ii.  445,  446 


84 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


seen  him  here  in  1835.  He  was  a  subject  of  Austria,  from 
Venice  ;  and  was  the  same  old  man,  for  whom  our  countryman 
Mr  Stephens  had  procured  a  passport  and  protection  from  the 
Austrian  consul  at  Beirut  in  1836.  He  now  seemed  sincerely- 
grateful  for  this  favour,  and  rejoiced  to  hear  once  more  some 
tidings  of  the  stranger  who  had  thus  been  his  benefactor.'  The 
manner  of  the  two  men  was  very  kind,  without  being  ostenta- 
tiously so.  Sherbet  and  coffee  were  brought ;  and  they  pressed 
us  to  breakfast,  which  we  declined. 

As  we  sat  conversing,  we  saw  the  cavalcade  of  the  three  gov- 
ernors coming  in  from  Dura,  descending  the  western  hill  beyond 
our  tent ;  in  all  about  twenty-five  persons,  mounted  on  beautiful 
horses,  gaily  caparisoned.  It  was  said,  that  they  were  about  to 
pass  on  to  Carmel  ;  but  they  stopped  for  the  day  in  Hebron. 

We  saw  here  none  of  the  Jewish  women,  except  in  passing 
the  open  doors  of  different  rooms  where  they  were  sitting  ;  they 
greeted  us  kindly.  Those  whom  we  had  met  yesterday  at  the 
Haram,  and  indeed  all  we  had  yet  seen  in  Palestine,  were  habited 
in  white, — a  long  piece  of  white  stuff  like  a  veil  or  shawl  thrown 
over  the  head,  drawn  together  under  the  chin,  and  hanging  down 
to  the  feet.  Many  of  the  Arab  women  dress  in  the  same  manner 
when  they  go  out ;  but  they  wear  a  face-veil  to  conceal  their 
features,  which  the  Jewish  females  do  not.  The  appearance  of 
the  latter  was  neat  and  prepossessing.  Indeed,  so  far  as  concerns 
their  general  condition  of  thrift,  cleanliness,  and  welfare,  the 
Jews  of  Hebron  seem  to  be  far  better  off,  than  their  brethren  in 
Jerusalem  or  elsewhere  in  the  Holy  Land. 

As  we  were  about'  to  take  leave,  the  two  Kabbis  of  their  own 
accord  led  us  into  the  synagogue,  situated  under  the  same  roof. 
It  is  a  poor,  but  neat  room,  furnished  with  benches  ;  in  it  was 
now  a  school  of  six  or  eight  boys.  The  manuscripts  of  the  Old 
Testament  are  kept  in  two  cupboards  or  presses  on  one  side. 
Like  all  Hebrew  manuscripts,  they  are  written  upon  long  rolls 
of  parchment,  at  each  end  of  which  a  rod  is  fastened,  so  that 
they  may  be  rolled  backwards  or  forwards  as  a  person  reads  ;  the 
columns  being  perpendicular  to  the  length  of  the  roU.  In  the 
first  cupboard  were  six  or  eight  manuscripts  enclosed  in  cases 
standing  upright.  The  rods  are  inserted  into  holes  in  the  top 
and  bottom  of  the  case  ;  and  extend  up  through  the  top,  where 
they  are  ornamented  with  large  silver  knobs  not  made  fast. 
The  rolls  are  read  as  they  stand  in  the  cases,  without  being  taken 
from  the  cupboard.  The  manuscript  is  thus  wound  off  from  one 
rod  to  the  other  as  the  reader  advances  ;  the  rods  being  far 
enough  apart  to  leave  a  column  imrollcd  between.  The  oth- 
er cupboard  was  also  full  of  rolls  ;  some  of  them  in  cases  cov- 

'  Incidents  of  Travel  in  Egypt,  etc.  IL  p.  167  eq. 

ii.  446-448 


Mat  26.] 


THREE  GOVERNORS. 


85 


ered  over  with  silver  or  embroidery.  These  were  said  to  be  pres- 
ents from  wealthy  Jews  in  Europe. — We  bade  adieu  to  these 
kind  friends  with  feelings  of  respect ;  and  were  highly  gratified 
by  our  visit. 

We  now  repaired  to  the  top  of  the  western  hiU,  in  the  hope 
of  obtaining  a  view  of  the  country  around.  In  this  we  were 
more  successful  than  I  had  been  yesterday  upon  the  eastern  ridge  ; 
and  from  the  watchtower  of  a  vineyard  some  distance  south  of 
the  road  to  Dhoheriyeh,  a  prospect  opened  towards  the  east  and 
south  and  west,  which  was  very  extensive  and  satisfactory. 
Towards  the  north  and  northeast  we  could  see  little  or  nothing. 
Before  us  Beni  Na'im  and  Yukin  were  visible  near  at  hand ; 
while  in  the  distance  we  could  distinguish  Kerak  very  clearly. 
Further  south  the  atmosphere  was  hazy  ;  or  we  might  perhaps 
have  been  able  to  make  out  Mount  Hor.  Carmel  and  the  adja- 
cent region  were  in  full  view.  We  could  also  mark  the  course 
of  the  great  valley,  which  had  formerly  been  on  our  right  as  we 
approached  Beni  Na'im,'  and  into  which  the  valley  of  Hebron 
enters.  It  passes  along  southwest  on  the  north  of  Yutta  and  to 
the  left  of  Dhoheriyeh,  towards  the  region  of  Beersheba,  where 
it  apparently  forms  one  of  the  main  branches  of  Wady  es-Seba'. 
Behind  us,  towards  the  west  and  southwest,  was  a  sea  of  rocky 
hills  ;  on  one  of  which  we  could  distinjiuish  the  village  of  Dho- 
heriyeh.  We  took  here  several  important  bearings,  which  are 
given  in  the  note  below.* 

The  presence  of  three  such  dignitaries  as  the  governors  of 
Gaza,  Jerusalem,  and  Hebron,  could  not  but  naturally  occasion 
some  stir  in  such  a  town  ;  and  accordingly  their  movements  and 
actions  were  the  object  of  general  observation.  They  too  seemed 
not  unwilling  to  make  an  impression  of  their  dignity  and  impor- 
tance. At  the  mid-day  hour  of  prayer,  we  could  perceive  them 
from  our  tent  proceeding,  not  to  the  Haram,  but  to  an  open  plat- 
form adjacent  to  the  west  side  of  the  lower  pool,  near  which 
they  lodged,  where  they  performed  their  devotions  in  public,  sur- 
rounded by  a  crowd  of  idlers.  Although  we  were  not  in  general 
much  disposed  to  seek  intercourse  -with  authorities,  yet  as  we 
were  now  going  into  a  part  of  the  country  where  the  Egyptian 
government  was  less  known  and  less  felt,  we  thought  it  best  to 
lay  before  the  governor  of  Hebron  our  Firman  from  the  Pasha, 
and  inform  him  of  our  purpose,  in  order  that  in  case  of  accident 
he  might  not  throw  off  the  responsibility,  by  saying  we  had  gone 

•  See  above, VoL  L  p.  489.  Yukin  S.  61°  E.    Kerak  S.  -50'  E.  Peak 

'  Bearings  from  the  hill  west  of  He-  in  the  mountains  of  Moab  near  Khanzireh, 

bron:  The  Haram  below  us,  half  a  mile  S.  37'  E.    Carmel,  the  tower,  S.  8=  E. 

distant,  N'.  67"  E.    Beni  Na'im,  estimated  Dhoheriyeh  S.  54°  \V, 

distance  one  hour  and  a  halfj  N.  82°  E. 

Vol.  II.— 8  ii.  448,449 


86 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


■without  his  knowledge.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  "we  there- 
fore sent  our  servant  with  the  Firman  to  his  excellency  of 
Hebron,  preparatory  to  paying  our  respects  to  him  in  person. 
The  servant  soon  came  back,  saying  that  the  three  governors 
were  still  together,  but  could  not  read  the  Firman  ;  it  being  in 
Turkish,  and  they  having  no  Turkish  secretary  with  them. 
They  were  however  ready  to  receive  us. 

We  accordingly  repaired  to  the  house  where  they  lodged^  in 
the  western  quarter  of  the  town,  near  the  lower  pool ;  but  found 
them  at  dinner.  We  were  nevertheless  ushered  into  the  apart- 
ment where  they  were  eating,  after  putting  off  our  shoes  ;  and 
taking  our  seats  at  the  side  of  the  room,  had  leisure  to  observe 
the  scene  before  us,  which  was  not  in  the  slightest  degree  inter- 
rupted by  our  entrance.  The  house  was  not  large.  The  room 
was  a  common  one  of  the  country,  about  twenty  feet  square ; 
the  ceiUng  rising  into  one  of  the  usual  small  domes  upon  the 
roof  above  it.  The  stone  floor  was  nearly  covered  with  small 
carpets  of  various  sizes,  qualities  and  colours  ;  while  a  few  cusli- 
ions  were  scattered  in  different  parts  along  the  walls. 

The  governor  of  Gaza,  Sheikh  Sa'id,  was  the  father  of 
Sheikh  Mustafa,  governor  of  Jerusalem  ;  while  the  governor  of 
Hebron,  whose  name  we  did  not  learn,  is  subordinate  to  him  of 
Jerusalem.  Of  course  the  principal  personage  was  Sheikh 
Sa'id,  a  fine  jolly  elderly  Mussulman,  with  good  natured  intelli- 
gent features,  and  an  air  of  decision,  not  inconsistent  with  an 
evident  hking  for  the  enjoyment  of  good  cheer.  His  son.  Sheikh 
Mustafa,  was  tall  and  slender,  with  a  very  fine  and  prepossessing 
countenance  ;  the  Franks  indeed  complained  of  him  as  uncourt- 
eous,  but  one  would  not  expect  it  from  his  physiognomy.  The 
Sheikh  of  Hebron  had  a  more  vulgar  and  almost  forbidding 
aspect. 

They  were  dining  in  the  true  oriental,  and,  as  it  would  seem, 
official  style.  A  very  large  circular  tray  of  tinned  copper, 
placed  upon  a  coarse  wooden  stool  about  a  foot  high,  served  as 
the  table.  In  the  centre  of  this  stood  a  large  tray  or  dish  with 
a  mountain  of  pillaw,  composed  of  rice  boiled  and  buttered,  with 
small  pieces  of  meat  strewed  through  and  upon  it.  This  was  the 
chief  dish  ;  although  there  were  also  other  smaller  dishes,  both 
of  meat  and  vegetables.  Around  this  table  ten  persons,  includ- 
ing the  three  governors,  were  seated,  or  rather  squatted  on  their 
feet.  Each  had  before  him  a  plate  of  tinned  copper  and  a 
wooden  spoon.  Some  used  the  spoon,  without  the  plate  ;  but 
the  most  preferred  to  eat  with  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand,  without 
the  aid  of  either  spoon  or  plate.  Tliey  all  seemed  earnestly  en- 
gaged, and  took  no  notice  of  any  interruption.  When  at  length 
any  one  had  finished,  he  immediately  rose,  and  went  and  washed 

a.  449-451 


Mat  25.] 


THBEE  GOVERNORS. 


87 


his  hands,  by  having  vrater  poured  upon  them  in  an  adjacent 
room.  The  vacant  place  at  table  vras  immediately  filled  by  a 
new  comer.  The  Sheikh  of  Gaza  outsat  them  all ;  but  at  last 
turned  round  and  greeted  us  kindly.  He  was  the  only  one  who 
did  not  leave  his  place  to  wash  ;  but  had  the  water  brought  to 
him  where  he  sat.  An  old  Derwish  from  Bagdad  was  also  pres- 
ent, now  on  his  return  from  Mecca  ;  he  had  made  use  of  his 
spoon,  and  did  not  wash  at  all. 

Sheikh  Sa'id  now  drew  back  to  the  middle  of  that  side  of 
the  room  where  we  were  sitting,  opposite  to  the  entrance,  so  that 
we  were  now  on  his  left.  His  colleagues  took  their  seats  on  his 
right  ;  the  old  Derwish  sat  down  near  us  on  our  left  ;  ten  or 
twelve  other  persons  were  seated  around  the  room  ;  while  many 
were  continually  passing  in  and  out.  Sheikh  Sa'id  was  em- 
phatically the  great  man,  gave  all  the  orders,  and  led  the  whole 
conversation  ;  his  colleagues  sitting  in  such  a  position,  that 
they  could  not  address  us,  nor  we  them.  A  poor  ragged  peasant 
now  came  in  with  perfect  unconcern,  presented  himself  before 
Sheikh  Sa'id,  uncovered  his  wounded  shoulder,  and  begged 
charity.  The  Sheikh  instantly  sent  him  out  ;  at  the  same  time 
ordering  a  garment  to  be  given  him.  This  is  one  of  the  traits 
of  oriental  society  and  government,  that  the  highest  are  thus 
entirely  accessible  to  the  lowest.  Coffee  was  now  brought,  and 
presented  first  to  the  three  Sheikhs,  then  to  us,  and  afterwards 
to  the  rest.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  conversation  in  the  room  ; 
the  old  Derwish  made  inquiries  about  the  new  world  ;  he  began 
at  length  a  sort  of  homily  upon  the  vanity  of  wealth  and  power, 
in  which  he  was  rather  unceremoniously  cut  short  by  Sheikh 
Sa'id,  and  soon  left  the  room. 

The  Sheikh  confirmed  the  intelligence  we  had  heard,  that 
Jerusalem  was  shut  up  ;  but  said  an  order  had  since  been  re- 
ceived from  the  head-quarters  at  Aleppo,  to  impose  no  quaran- 
tine upon  the  city  at  large,  but  only  upon  the  houses  where  the 
plague  should  actually  exist.  He  supposed  that  the  gates  would 
be  immediately  opened.  This  was  welcome  news  to  us  ;  but 
the  latter  part  at  least  did  not  turn  out  to  be  true.  He  further 
said,  that  there  was  now  no  danger  whatever  in  going  to  Wady 
Musa,  and  made  not  the  slightest  objection  to  our  undertaking 
the  journey,  but  rather  gave  it  his  sanction.  "We  too  were  dis- 
posed to  regard  the  present  as  a  favourable  moment  for  accom- 
plishing our  object ;  for  the  visit  of  the  governors  to  this  region 
would  of  course  be  known  among  the  Bedawin,  and  prevent  for 
the  time  any  hostile  incursion  from  the  Arabs  east  of  the  Dead 
Sea  and  Ghor ;  the  only  source  from  which  any  danger  was  to  be 
apprehended  to  travellers.  The  conversation  of  Sheikh  Sa'id 
showed  him  to  be  a  man  of  quickness  and  good  sense  ;  and  it 

iL  451,  452 


88 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XI 


was  probably  this  union  of  intelligence  and  honhommie,  that  had 
obtained  for  him  the  confidence  of  Muhammed  Aly,  and  the 
powerful  influence  which  he  now  wielded  over  the  ancient  terri- 
tories of  Judah  and  Edom.' 

We  returned  after  an  hour.  As  we  were  now  expecting  to 
set  off  early  the  next  morning,  we  went  to  take  leave  of  EHas, 
whom  we  found  at  home  lounging  on  his  divan. 

The  following  data  for  the  population  of  Hebron  were  given 
us  by  Ehas,  who  had  the  best  opportunity  of  knowing  the  truth. 
According  to  him,  there  were  at  the  time  fifteen  hundred  taxable 
Muhammedans,  and  forty-one  J ews  who  paid  taxes,  besides  some 
two  hundred  Jews  who  had  European  protections.  He  himself 
was  the  only  Christian  in  Hebron  ;  nor  are  there  any  others  in 
the  whole  district.  Not  less  than  seven  hundred  and  fifty  Mus- 
lims had  been  taken  as  soldiers,  and  about  five  hundred  were 
killed  during  the  rebellion  of  1834.  He  estimated  the  whole 
population  at  ten  thousand  souls  ;  which  is  perhaps  not  very 
much  larger  than  the  true  number. 

The  trade  of  Hebron  received  a  heavy  blow  in  1834,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  part  which  the  people  took  in  the  rebellion  of 
that  year,  and  the  subsequent  sacking  of  the  place  by  the  Egyp- 
tian troops.  From  this  shock  it  had  not  yet  recovered.  Many 
of  the  glass  lamps  and  trinkets  manufactured  here,  are  exported 
to  Egypt ;  as  well  as  large  quantities  of  Dibs  and  raisins.  The 
cities  too  of  the  middle  and  south  of  Palestine  appear  to  draw 
their  suppHes  of  all  these  articles  chiefly  from  Hebron.  Not- 
withstanding the  immense  vineyards,  neither  wine  nor  'Arakj  as 
we  have  seen,  is  made  for  exportation. 

I  have  formerly  alluded  in  general  terms  to  the  antiquity  of 
Hebron,  and  to  some  of  the  circumstances  of  its  early  history.* 
It  is  doubtless  one  of  the  most  ancient  cities  still  existing  ;  hav- 
ing been  built,  as  the  sacred  writer  informs  us,  "  seven  years 
before  Zoan  in  Egypt  ; "  and  being  mentioned  in  Scripture  still 
earlier  than  Damascus.^  Its  most  ancient  name  was  Kirjath- 
Arba,  '  City  of  Arba,'  so  called  from  Arba  the  father  of  Anak 
and  the  Anakim,  who  dwelt  in  and  around  Hebron.*    The  town 

'  The  subsequent  fortunes  of  Sheikh  to  Damascus  to  awnit  in  prison  the  plea- 

Sa'id  show,  that  he  might  have  done  well  sure  of  the  p^vernment.    Both  father  and 

to  listen  to  the  homily  of  the  old  Derwish,  son  were  still  in  prison  in  June  1840. 

upon  the  vanity  of  wealth  and  power.    In  "  Vol.  I.  p.  213  sq. 

the  year  1839,  as  I  am  informed,  he  was  '  Num.  13,  22.    Gen.  13,  18  ;  comp. 

deposed  from  his  government  on  a  charge  15,  2. 

of  mal-administration  and  corrupt  prac-  *  Gen.  23,  2.    Josh.  14,  15.    15,  13. 

tices;  his  large  possessions  seized  ;  and  he  21,  11.    Judg.  1,  10.  etc.    In  connection 

himself  thrown  into  prison  at  'Akka,  and  with  this  name,  we  have  a  curious  instance 

subjected  to  the  bastinado,  until  he  gnawed  of  the  origin  of  a  false  tradition.    The  pas- 

the  flesh  of  his  own  arms  in  agony.   At  sage  in  Josh.  14,  15,  reads  literally  thus : 

the  same  time,  his  son,  Sheikh  Mustafa,  "And  the  name  of  Hebron  before  was 

was  also  deposed  at  Jerusalem,  and  sent  (Kirjath-Arba)  the  city  of  Arba,  a  great 

ii.  452-454 


Mat  25.] 


STATISTICS.  HISTORY. 


89 


itself  appears  also  to  have  been  called  Mamre,  probably  from  the 
name  of  Abraham's  friend  ;  while  the  terebinth  of  Mamre  is 
placed,  by  a  tradition  older  than  Josephus,  at  some  distance 
from  the  town  towards  Jerusalem.'  The  ancient  city  lay  also  in 
a  valley  ;  and  the  two  pools,  one  of  which  at  least  is  as  early  as 
the  time  of  David,  serve  unquestionably  to  identify  the  modern 
with  the  ancient  site.* 

Here  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  Hved  and  walked  with 
God  ;  and  here  they  were  all  entombed.  From  Hebron  or  its 
neighbourhood  Jacob  and  his  sons  went  down  by  way  of  Beer- 
sheba  to  Egypt  to  meet  and  dwell  with  Joseph.'  After  the  re- 
turn of  the  Israehtes  from  Egypt,  the  city  was  taken  by  Joshua, 
and  given  over  to  Caleb,  who  drove  out  the  Anakim  from  the 
region  ;*  it  was  afterwards  made  one  of  the  six  cities  of  refuge, 
and  assigned  to  the  Levites  and  priests.'  Hebron  became  at 
length  the  royal  residence  of  David,  where  he  reigned  for  seven 
and  a  half  years  over  Judah  ;  and  here  too  he  was  anointed  king 
over  all  Israel.'  It  was  also  at  Hebron,  that  Absalom  raised 
the  standard  of  rebellion.^  This  was  likewise  one  of  the  places 
fortified  by  Rehoboam ;  and  after  the  exUe  the  returning  Jews 
dwelt  again  in  the  city  and  surrounding  villages.' 

The  name  of  Hebron  does  not  occur  any  further  in  the  Old 
Testament,  and  not  at  all  in  the  New  ;  but  we  learn  from  the 
first  book  of  Maccabees  and  Josephus,  that  it  came  into  the 
power  of  the  Edomites,  who  had  taken  possession  of  the  south 
of  Judah,  and  was  recovered  from  them  by  Judas  Maccabaeus." 


man  among  the  Anakim."  But  as  the 
Hebrew  word  SS'iX  (Arba)  also  signifies 
four,  and  the  word  for  man  (CTX)  Adam, 
is  likewise  used  as  a  proper  name,  some  of 
the  Jewish  Rabbins  ia  this  verse  took  Kir- 
jath-Arba  in  the  meaning  'city  of  the 
four,'  and  read  likewise  '  Adam  the  great ' 
instead  of  '  a  great  man  ; '  then  '  the 
four '  were  held  to  be  the  patriarchs  Adam, 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  who  were 
supposed  to  be  all  buried  here.  The  same 
conceit  Jerome  doubtless  derived  from  his 
Jewish  teacher:  "Arbee,  id  est,  quatnor; 
CO  quod  ibi  quatuor  patriarchse  Abraham, 
Isaac  et  Jacob  sepulti  sunt,  et  Adam  mag- 
nus,  ut  in  libro  Jesu  scriptum  est ;  "  Ono- 
mast.  art.  Arboch.  Comm.  in  Matth.  27, 
33.  Hence  the  Vulgate  likewise  reads  in 
the  same  verse  :  "  Adam  maximus  ibi  inter 
Enacim  situs  est."  See  Bochart  Phaleg, 
ed.  Villem.  p.  300. — A  tomb  of  Adam  was 
shown  here  with  those  of  the  other  patri- 
archs in  the  seventh  century  (Adamnanus 
2.  10) ;  and  from  this  source  probably 
came  the  later  traditions,  which  connect 
the  creation  of  Adam  with  Hebron. 


'  Mamre  is  expresslv  said  to  be  Hebron, 
Gen.  23,  19.  35,  27. '  Comp.  14,  13.  24. 
The  terebinth  of  Mamre,  (Engl,  version 
less  correctly,  plain  of  Mamre,)  seems  to 
be  distinguished  from  Hebron  or  Mamre 
itself,  Gea  13,  18.  18,  1.  See  Vol  I. 
p.  216  and  n.  I.  Reland  Pal.  p.  711  sq. 
For  the  market  which  existed  there,  and 
the  sale  of  the  captive  Jews  under  Adrian, 
see  above,  VoL  I.  p.  369.  P^eland  pp.  714, 
715. 

'  Gen.  37,  14  "  the  vale  of  Hebroa"  2 
Sam.  4,  12. 

^  Gea  37,  14.    46,  1  sq. 

*  Josh.  10,  36.  37.  14,  6-15.  15,  13. 
14.    Judg.  1,  20. 

'  Josh.  20,  7.    21,  11.  13. 

^  2  Sam.  2,  1^.  11.  1  K.  2,  11.  2 
Sam.  5,  1.  3. 

'  2  Sam.  15,  9.  10. 

»  2Chr.  11,  10.    Neh.  11,  25. 

'  1  Mace.  5,  65.  Joseph.  Ant.  12.  8.  6. 
For  this  invasion  of  the  Edomites,  and  their 
subsequeat  subjection  by  John  Hyrcanus, 
see  above,  p.  69. 


Vol.  II.-8* 


ii.  454. 455 


90 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


It  was  afterwards  seized  by  the  rebel  Simon  Giorides  ;  but  re- 
captured and  burnt  by  Cerealis  an  oflScer  of  Vespasian.*  In 
the  same  connection,  Josephus  describes  the  tombs  of  the  patri- 
archs as  existing  there  in  his  day  ;  and  both  Eusebius  and  Je- 
rome, and  all  subsequent  writers  who  mention  Hebron,  down  to 
the  time  of  the  crusades,  speak  of  it  chiefly  as  containing  these 
sepulchres  ;  under  which  they  probably  refer  more  particularly 
to  the  ancient  massive  exterior  walls  described  above,  as  being 
apparently  remains  of  Jewish  antiquity.* 

In  the  course  of  time,  this  remarkable  external  structure, 
enclosing  the  tombs  of  Abraham  and  the  other  patriarchs,  came 
to  be  called  the  "  Castle  of  Abraham  ; "  and  by  an  easy  transi- 
tion, tliis  name  was  afterwards  applied  to  the  city  itself.  We 
have  already  seen  the  earliest  trace  of  it  in  a  notice  pf  St.  Wil- 
libald  in  the  eighth  century  ;^  and  in  the  time  of  the  crusades, 
the  names  of  Hebron  and  the  Castle  of  St.  Abraham,  were  used 
interchangeably.^  Hence,  as  Abraham  is  also  distinguished  among 
the  Muhammedans  by  the  appellation  el-Khfilil,  the  Friend,  i.  e. 
of  God,  this  latter  epithet  passed  over  among  them  into  a  name 
of  the  city  ;  and  they  now  know  Hebron  only  as  el-Khulil.^ 

Soon  after  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by  the  crusaders,  He- 
bron appears  also  to  have  fallen  into  their  hands,  and  in  A.  D. 
1100  was  bestowed  as  a  fief  by  Godfrey  of  Bouillon  upon  Ger- 
hard of  Avenues.^  Seewulf,  two  years  after,  describes  it  as  in 
ruins."  We  hear  not  much  more  of  it  in  the  history  of  those 
times.  In  two  of  the  expeditions  of  king  Baldwin  I,  into  the 
region  southeast  of  the  Dead  Sea,  in  A.  D.  1100  and  1116,  he 
is  said  to  have  passed  by  Hebron  in  going  or  returning  ;  and  the 
same  was  perhaps  the  case  in  the  other  similar  expeditions  of 
the  same  sovereign  in  A.  D.  1115,  and  in  that  of  Baldwin  III, 
in  A.  D.  1145.*    In  A.  D.  1167,  Hebron  was  raised  to  be  a 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  4.  9.  7,  9.  Abraham,  are  referred  by  other  writers  of 

'  Onomast.  art.  Arboch.    See  the  other  the  same  asre  to  Hebron  ;  Gesta  Dei  p. 

notices  down  to  the  time  of  the  cmsades,  580.    Will.  Tyr.  10.  8. — William  of  Tyre 

pp.  77,  78.     See  also  the  general  ac-  speaks  only  of  Hebron,  e.  g.  8.  1.  ib.  10. 

connt  of  the  Haram,  pp.  75-79.  8.  ib.  15.  6.  etc.    Abulfeda  has  Beit  He- 

'  See  p.  78.  hn'tn ;  Tab.  Syr.  ed.  Koehler  p.  87.  Comp. 

*  Edrisi  mentions  Hebron  only  under  Mejr  ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  140. 
the  name   "  Kabr  Ibrahim,"  Abraham's  Abulfeda  describes  here  the  "  Mesjid 

sepulchre :  ed.  Jaubert  p.  338.    Albert  Ibrahim  el-Khulil,"  Tab.  SiiT.  p.  87.  n. 

Aqneiisi.e  (in  Gesta  Dei)  uses  only  the  Schnltcn's  Index  in  Vit.  Salad,  art.  Beit- 

name  "  Castellum  seu  Praesidium  ad  St.  Sjebrinitm.     So  too  Ibn  Batuta  p.  19. 

Abraham,"  7.  15,  41,  43.  ib.  10.  32.  ib.  12.  See  also  d'Herbelot  BibHoth.  Orient,  arts. 

22.  (Comp.  Gesta  Dei  p.  604.)    In  this  Abrahavi  and  Khalil.    Comp.  James  2, 

last  passage,  indeed,  he  seems  to  distinguish  23. 

the  "  Prajsidium  ad  St  Abraham  "  from  the       '  Albert.  Aq.  7.  15.    Wilken  Gesch. 

valley  of  Hebron;  and  in  7.  41  he  places  der  Kr.  II.  p.  44. 

the  former  near  the  Dead  Sea;  eo  that  it       '  Peregrinat.  p.  269. 

is  verj"  possible  he  may  have  thought  it  to       "  For  the  first  of  these  military  expedi 

be  a  diflcrcnt  place  from  Hebron.    Yet  the  tions,  A.I).  1100,  see  Albert.  Aq.  7.  41, 

tame  facts  which  he  here  relates  of  St.  43.    Fulcher  Carn.  23.  p.  405.  Gui- 

ii.  455-457 


Mat  25.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


91 


Latin  episcopal  see,  and  Kainald  appointed  bishop  ;  there  had 
before  been  here  only  a  Greek  priory.'  The  title  of  bishop  of 
Hebron  continued  for  some  time  in  the  Romish  church,  and  four 
other  bishops  are  mentioned,  one  of  them  as  late  as  A.  D.  1365.' 
But  this  was  merely  nominal ;  for  after  the  capture  of  Jerrusa- 
lem  by  Saladin  in  A.  D.  1187,  Hebron  also  reverted  to  the 
Muhammedans,  and  has  ever  since  remained  in  their  possession. 
The  church  which  the  Christians  had  built  or  at  least  decorated, 
within  the  structure  around  the  tombs  of  the  patriarchs,  now 
became  a  mosk,  and  was  honoured  with  presents  from  the 
Sultan.^ 

Thus  far  there  is  nothing  to  excite  a  doubt  as  to  the  identity 
of  the  site  of  the  ancient  and  modem  city.  Arculfus  near  the 
close  of  the  seventh  century,  found  the  place  without  walls,  ex- 
hibiting only  the  vestiges  of  an  ancient  desolated  city  ;  although 
a  multitude  of  people  yet  lived  there  in  miserable  dwellings 
scattered  in  the  valley,  partly  within  and  partly  without  the 
ruins  of  the  former  walls.*  Yet  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  after 
A.  D.  1660,  affirms,  that  the  ancient  city  was  situated  on  a 
mountain,  and  was  then  desolate  and  deserted  ;  the  city  of  that 
day  being  in  the  valley.*  Brocardus,  a  century  later,  repeats  this 
account,  with  more  particulars  ;  according  to  him,  the  ancient 
city  was  on  the  hill  north  of  the  slope  on  which  we  encamped, 
three  bow-shots  west  of  north  from  the  modern  town,  where 
nothing  was  then  visible  except  large  ruins.'  This  story  is 
copied  by  writers  of  the  following  centuries  ;  and  the  idea  seems 
to  have  become  current,  that  the  ancient  city  lay  upon  the  hUl.'^ 
Yet  none  of  the  travellers  of  the  fourteenth,  fifteenth,  and  six- 
teenth centuries,  speak  of  any  ruins  there,  on  their  own  knowl- 
edge. 

We  were  not  aware  of  this  old  report  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  ;  and  therefore  did  not  examine  the  hill  in  question.  My 
companion  has  since  informed  me,  that  according  to  his  impres- 
sion, the  site  of  a  former  village  was  spoken  of  on  that  hill, 

bert  7.  36.     WilL  Tyr.  10.  8.     Wilken  denbach  in  Reissb.  p.  133.  Quaresmius 

Ctesch.  der  Kr.  II.  pp.  88,  89. — For  that  in  II.  p.  771  sq.  Znallart.  Viagg;.  p.  233.  Von 

A.  D.  1116,  see  Alb.  Aq.  12.  22.    Wilken  Troilo  p.  321,  Dresd.  1676.  "The  site  upoij 

ib.  p.  403.    Comp.  WilL  Tvt.  11.  29.— For  the  hill  i.?  alluded  to  (bnt  not  ruins)  by  F. 

the  two  others,  see  WDJ.  Tyr.  11.  26.  Fabri  in  Reissb.  p.  287 ;  and  also  bv  Baum- 

"Wilken  ib.  p.  402.    WilL  Tyr.  16.  6.    Wil-  garten  p.  78.— But  Maundeville,"  Lud.  de 

ken  ib.  III.  i.  p.  208.  Suchem,  and  William  of  Baldensel,  who  all 

'  WUl.  Tyr.  20.  3.    Jac.  de  Vitr.  57.  passed  through  Hebron  in  the  fourteenth 

'  Le  Quien  Oriens  Chr.  IH.  p.  1270.  century;  as  well  as  Stephen  von  Gumpen- 

'  E.  g.  the  carved  pulpit ;  Mejr  ed-Din  berg,  F.  Fabri,  and  Mejr  ed-Din,  who  mi- 

in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  IL  p.  375.    See  above,  nutely  describe  it  near  the  close  of  the 

p.  78.  fifteenth ;  and  also  Belon  who  was  here 

*  Adamnanus  ex  Arcnlfo  2.  8.  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth ;  make 
'  Itin.  p.  76.  no  allusion  to  any  other  site  than  that  of 

•  Brocardus  c.  9.  p.  185.  the  present  town. 


^  Bj  Marinus  Saiiutus,  p.  248.  Brey- 


ii.  457, 458 


92 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XL 


Bimilar  to  several  others  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Hebron  ;  but 
with  the  remark  that  there  w^re  no  remains  there  of  importance. 
Had  we  then  known  the  circumstances  above  related,  we  should 
certainly  have  gone  upon  the  hill,  and  ascertained  the  facts . 
for  ourselves.  The  later  researches  of  friends'  show  conclusively, 
that  there  is  nothing  on  that  hill  to  counterbalance  the  mention 
of  "the  valley  of  Hebron"  in  the  book  of  Genesis,  and  the 
strong  evidence  of  the  ancient  pools.* 

In  the  fourteenth  century,  pilgrims  passed  from  Sinai  to 
Jerusalem  directly,  through  the  desert,  by  Beersheba  and  He- 
bron.' In  the  following  century,  this  route  was  abandoned  for 
that  by  Gaza  ;  yet  the  pilgrims  sometimes  took  Hebron  in  their 
way,  or  visited  it  from  Jerusalem.*  Writers  of  that  period  de- 
scribe here  an  immense  charitable  establishment  or  hospital, 
situated  near  the  Haram,  where  twelve  hundred  loaves  of  bread, 
besides  oil  and  other  condiments,  were  daily  distributed  to  all 
comers,  without  distinction  of  nation  or  religion.'  The  annual 
expenses  were  said  to  amount  to  twenty-four  thousand  ducats  ; 
of  which  two  thousand  were  derived  from  the  vUlage  of  Summeil 
in  the  western  plain.'  Hebron  continued  to  be  occasionally  vis- 
ited by  travellers,  down  to  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century  ;  although,  before  that  time,  it  seems  no  longer  to  have 
been  generally  resorted  to  by  pilgrims. But  from  that  period 
onward  until  the  present  century,  no  Frank  traveller  appears  to 
have  found  his  way  to  the  city  of  the  Patriarchs. 

Morison  relates,  in  A.  D.  1698,  that  a  few  years  before,  a 
French  (Frank  ?)  merchant  on  a  visit  to  Hebron,  being  mounted 
on  a  spirited  horse,  rode  over  and  killed  a  child  in  the  streets. 
Although  he  made  shift  to  escape  the  rage  of  the  people  by 
flight,  yet  such  was  the  excitement  and  the  hatred  caused  by 


'  So  Rev.  S.  Wolcott,  in  Biblioth.  Sac. 
1843,  p.  59,  60. 

'  See  pp.  88-90.  A  remark  of  Je- 
rome may  seem  at  first  to  favour  the  site 
upon  the  hill,  and  perliaps  gave  rise  to  the 
story  ;  Quaest.  in  Gen.  xxxv.  27,  "  pro 
Arbce  in  Septuaginta  campum  habet,  quum 
Chcbron  in  monte  sita  est."  But  this  ex- 
pression "in  monte  "  stands  here  by  way  of 
antithesis  to  a  plain,  and  is  therefore 
equally  applicable  to  a  high  hill-side  ;  in 
■which  sense  it  would  also  be  true  of  the 
present  town.  The  ancient  city  was 
doubtless  larger  and  extended  further  up 
the  sides  of  the  valley. 

'  So  Maundeville,  L.  de  Suchem,  W.  de 
Baldensel. 

*  Gumpeuberg  was  here  in  A.  D.  1449  ; 
Breydenbuch  and  F.  Fabri  in  1483,  on  their 
way  to  Gaza ;  Baumgarten  in  1 507,  com- 
ing from  Gaza ;  Bclou  about  1548 ;  etc. 
ii.  458-400 


'  Gumpenberg's  Journal  in  Reissb.  p. 
445.  F.  Fabri  ib.  pp.  288,  289.  Mcjr  ed- 
Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Orients  II.  p.  377. 
This  last  writer  says  there  were  three  dis- 
tributions of  bread  and  the  hke  daily  ;  in 
the  morning  and  at  noon  to  the  inhabi- 
tants only;  and  in  the  ailerAoon  to  oU 
comers. 

•  F.  Fabri  1.  c. — For  the  error  which 
converts  Sfimmoil  into  St.  Samuel,  ond 
the  greater  blunder  of  Breydenbach,  see 
above  p.  33,  and  Note  XXXI,  end  of  the 
volume. 

'  Zualliirt  speaks  of  Hebron,  probably 
without  having  seen  it ;  p.  233.  So  too , 
Cotovicus,  p.  241  sq.  Quaresmins  of>- 
pears  to  have  been  there,  II.  p.  769  sq. 
Von  Troilo  visited  it  in  1666,  p.  319  sq. 
But  both  Surius  and  Doubdan,  who  were 
earlier  than  he,  and  strictly  pilgrims,  make 
no  mention  of  Hebron. 


Mat  25.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


93 


this  accident  against  the  Christians,  that  from  that  time  no 
traveller  had  ventured  to  approach  the  place.'  It  is  not  unlikely 
that  some  accident  of  this  kind  may  have  alarmed  the  fears  of 
the  monks,  and  led  them  to  dissuade  travellers  from  going  tliith- 
er  ;  hut  their  timidity  was  probably  still  more  wrought  upon, 
by  the  restless  and  warlike  disposition  of  the  people  of  Hebron, 
and  their  continual  feuds  with  the  inhabitants  of  Bethlehem  and 
other  neighbouring  callages  ;  they  being  of  the  Keis  jjarty,  and 
the  latter  of  the  Yemen.*  Hasselquist  in  17.51  mentions,  that 
five  or  six  years  before,  "  the  inhabitants  of  Bethlehem  and 
Hebron  carried  on  such  a  war  as  destroyed  the  greatest  part  of 
the  best  inhabitants  of  both  villages  ;  and  the  neighbourhood  of 
Bethlehem  was  entirely  laid  waste. Even  so  late  as  1807, 
All  Bey  fell  in  with  "  a  band  of  Christian  shepherds,  who  were 
going  to  Jerusalem,  to  lay  a  complaint  against  the  Mussulman 
shepherds  of  Hebron,  who  had  carried  off  a  part  of  their  cattle. 
They  had  with  them  two  camels,  which  they  had  taken  from  the 
Mussulmans  as  reprisals."*  Under  such  circumstances,  it  is  not 
surprising,  that  the  influence  of  the  monks  should  have  been 
successfully  exerted,  to  restrain  travellers  from  extending  their 
excursions  towards  the  south  beyond  the  pools  of  Solomon. 

In  the  present  century,  Seetzen  was  the  first  to  lay  open 
again  the  way  to  Hebron  in  1806  ;  he  travelled  from  here  to 
Mount  Sinai  through  the  desert,  making  however  a  circuit 
almost  to  Gaza.'  He  was  followed  the  very  next  year  by  All 
Bey.'  Then  another  interval  of  eleven  years  elapsed,  before  the 
^isit  of  Irby  and  Mangles  and  their  party  in  1818,  as  they 
passed  this  way  on  their  route  to  Wady  Miisa.^  Thirteen  years 
later,  in  1831,  Poujoulat  made  an  excursion  hither  from  Jerusa- 
lem, as  did  Monro  in  1833.'  Then  came  the  rebellion  of 
1834  ;  in  which  the  people  of  Hebron  and  the  whole  region 
round  about  bore  a  conspicuous  part,  and  brought  down  upon 
themselves  a  heavy  retribution.  They  were  among  the  last 
to  hold  out  ;  and  when,  after  quelling  the  disturbances  at 
Nabulus,  Ibrahim  Pasha  marched  southwards  with  his  troops, 
the  rebels  gave  him  battle  not  far  fi-om  Solomon's  pools,  and 
were  defeated.'  They  retired  and  entrenched  themselves  in 
Hebron ;  but  Ibrahim  pressed  forward,  carried  the  place  by 
storm,  and  gave  it  over  to  sack  and  pillage.  Many  were  slain  ; 
and  the  Jews  especially  are  reported  to  have  sufiered  the  most 

»  Relation  Historique  p.  480.  *  Ali  Bey's  Travels,  II.  p.  230. 

'  See  above,  p.  17.     Quaresmins  re-  '  See  his  letter  in  Zach's  Monatl.  Cor- 

lates,  that  in  his  day  (about  1620)  Tekoa  resp.  XVII.  p.  132  sq. 

was  seldom  visited  for  a  similar  reason  :  '  Travels  II.  pp.  230,  231. 

"Non  facile  possumus  Thecuam  ire,  prop-  '  Trav.  p.  342  sq.  [104.]  Legh,May  7,  8. 

ter  ibi  et  in  \-ia  iuhabitantes  et  discurren-  *  Correspond.    d'Orient  V.  p.  211  sq. 

tos  Arabes."    Vol.  II.  p.  .687.  Summer  Ramble,  I.  p.  232  sq. 

»  Reise  nach  PaList  p  170.  »  See  above,  Vol  L  p.  217. 

ii.  460.  461 


94 


HEBRON, 


[Sec.  XL 


crael  outrages  from  tne  Drutal  soldiery.'  Many  of  the  rebels 
escaped  and  fled  to  Kerak  on  the  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  ;  they 
■were  pursued  by  Ibrahim  and  his  troops  ;  and  that  place  too  was 
taken  and  laid  in  ruins.  These  events  inflicted  a  heavy  blow 
on  Hebron,  from  which  it  had  not  yet  recovered.* 

This  war  removed  aU  obstacles  in  the  way  of  travellers.  My 
companion  was  at  Hebron  in  1835,  with  other  American  friends  ; 
and  since  that  time,  the  city  has  every  year  been  more  or  less 
visited  by  travellers,  with  as  much  facility  as  any  other  part  of 
Palestine. — In  1839,  Hebron  was  for  a  short  time  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  rebel  Abd  er-Rahman  of  Dura. 

'  Stephens'  Incidents  etc.  IL  p.  165.  I'an  1823  a  I'an  1838,  Paris  1839.  pp.  73- 

Paxton's  Letters  from   Palest,  p.    142.  85.    The  narative  is  written  in  an  Egyp- 

Lond.  tian  spirit,  with  several  topographical  bltin- 

'  See  some  notices  of  this  war  in  Men-  ders. 
gin's  Histoire  Sommaire  dc  I'Egypte  etc.  de 
ii.  461,  462 


SECTION  XII. 


FROM  HEBRON 'to  WADY  MUSA  AND  BACK, 

On  our  departure  from  Jerusalem,  we  had  left  a  letter  to  be 
forwarded  to  Elias  in  Hebron,  requesting  him  to  send  word  to  the 
Sheikh  of  the  Jehahn,  and  have  him  waiting  for  las  with  camels, 
when  we  should  arrive  on  the  23d  of  May.  This  letter  never 
reached  its  destination  ;  and  we  were  thus  subjected  to  the  dis- 
appointment and  delay  already  described.  Our  first  care  in 
Hebron  was,  to  despatch  a  messenger  to  the  camp  of  the  Jehalin 
beyond  Carmel.  This  service  Elias  undertook  to  perform  for  us  ; 
and  informed  us,  that  he  had  sent  a  man  the  same  evening. 
As  the  distance  was  not  more  tban  three  or  four  hours,  we 
thought  we  might  reasonably  expect  the  camels,  so  as  to  set  off 
the  next  afternoon,  at  the  latest.  But  the  morrow  (Thursday) 
came  and  went,  without  any  tidings  either  from  the  Jehalin  or 
of  the  messenger. 

The  following  morning,  Friday,  as  we  were  sitting  after 
breakfast  in  our  tent,  we  were  somewhat  surprised  to  see  the  head 
Sheikh  of  the  Jehahn,  Defa'  Allah,  whom  we  had  formerly  met 
at  the  encampment  of  the  Ta'amirah,  riding  up  to  our  tent  ac- 
companied by  a  single  man  on  foot.  It  turned  out,  however,  that 
he  had  come  from  Dura,  where  he  had  been  for  several  days  with 
the  governors  of  Gaza  and  Jerusalem.  He  was  merely  passing 
through  Hebron  on  his  way  home  ;  and  seeing  our  tent,  called 
to  pay  us  a  visit.  He  had  of  course,  seen  or  heard  nothing  of 
our  messenger.  We  now  made  a  bargain  with  him  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Elias,  for  five  camels  to  Wady  Musa  and  back  ;  to  go 
by  way  of  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  Wady  el-'Arabah, 
and  return  by  the  more  direct  route  over  Semu'a.  The  price  of 
the^amels  was  to  be  two  hundred  and  forty  piastres,  or  twelve 
dollars  each.  There  were  to  be  five  men,  all  armed  ;  one  of 
whom  was  to  be  a  responsible  person,  either  the  head  Sheikh 
himself  or  one  of  his  brothers  ;  and  for  these  we  were  to  furnish 
provisions.  Had  we  chosen  to  go  and  return  by  the  direct  route, 
the  price  would  have  been  ten  dollars  for  each  camel.    It  seemed 

ii.  4C3,  464 


96 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


to  be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  Defa'  Allah,  -which  route  we 
took  ;  there  was  not  the  slightest  hint  of  any  more  danger  on 
the  one  than  on  the  other  ;  nor  indeed  was  danger  to  be  appre- 
hended on  either,  excepting  from  casual  predatory  parties,  which 
might  be  crossing  the  Ghor  or  'Arabah.  We  took  the  fifth 
camel  for  the  sake  of  a  supply  of  water  in  the  Ghor  ;  and  there- 
fore concluded  to  take  also  our  second  servant,  whom  we  had  in-: 
tended  to  leave  at  Hebron  till  our  return. 

The  Sheikh  now  left  us,  expecting  on  his  way  home  to  meet 
the  camels  coming  to  us.  But  the  day  again  wore  off  in  expec- 
tation and  in  disappointment.  It  turned  out  afterwards,  that  the 
messenger  said  to  have  been  sent  by  Elias,  had  never  reached  the 
encampment ;  so  that  the  camels  had  to  be  collected  from  the 
distant  pastures,  and  all  the  preparations  made,  after  the  return 
of  the  Sheikh.  This  was  enough  to  occupy  Arab  dilatoriness 
for  the  remainder  of  the  day  ;  and  consequently,  the  camels  did 
not  set  off  for  Hebron  until  the  next  morning. — There  was  rea- 
son to  suppose,  that  no  messenger  had  ever  been  sent  by  Elias, 
notwithstanding  his  assurances  ;  he  had  perhaps  directed  his  ser- 
vant to  send  a  man,  and  given  himself  no  further  trouble  in  the 
matter.  This  and  other  instances  of  shuffling  conduct,  pre- 
vented all  confidence  in  the  man  ;  and  left  only  a  painfal  im- 
pression, in  respect  to  the  sole  representative  of  the  Christian 
name  in  Hebron.  Had  he  performed  what  he  undertook,  we 
should  not  have  lost  a  day ;  or  had  he  frankly  said  he  had  not 
sent  or  could  not  send,  we  should  have  taken  other  measures, 
and  have  improved  our  time  to  visit  Beni  Na'im,  or  Siisieh,  or 
other  places  in  the  vicinity.  As  it  was,  two  days  were  compar- 
atively lost  to  us  ;  and  we,  during  the  whole  interval,  subjected 
to  that  "  hope  deferred  which  maketh  the  heart  sick." 

Saturday,  May  26th.  This  morning  was  the  coolest  we  had 
long  felt ;  the  thermometer  at  sunrise  standing  at  43°  F.  The 
camels  arrived  at  9  o'clock.  But  we  found  they  had  been  has- 
tily collected  ;  were  without  proper  furniture  ;  and  were  indeed 
intended  only  to  transport  us  to  the  territory  of  the  tribe,  where 
we  were  to  stop  over  the  Christian  Sabbath.  Defa'  Allah  also 
made  his  appearance,  and  assured  us,  that  we  should  afterwards 
have  dromedaries  and  better  camels  ;  indeed  some  delay  was  oc- 
casioned by  purchasing  saddles  and  other  funiiture  in  Hebron. 
We  deposited  with  Elias  a  portmanteau  containing  our  papers 
and  books,  and  such  articles  as  we  did  not  need  upon  the  jour- 
ney ;  and  he  afterwards  came  to  bid  us  adieu.  All  these  partic- 
ulars, and  the  loading  of  the  camels,  occupied  what  seemed  to 
our  im])atience  no  little  time. 

At  length,  at  twenty  minutes  past  IX  o'clock,  we  set  off, 
keeping  at  first  down  the  valley,  which  soon  bends  more  to  the 

ii.  464,  4G5 


May  26.] 


PREPARATIONS.  DEPARTURE. 


97 


S.  S.  W.  where  we  left  it,  to  cross  obliquely  the  eastern  hill. 
Descending  afterwards  gradually  through  a  rocky  tract  for  nearly 
half  an  hour,  we  passed  the  great  Wady  into  which  that  of 
Hebron  enters,  and  which  then  bears  the  name  of  Wady  el-Khulil. 
It  is  here  an  open  valley  among  the  rocky  hills. — I  had  soon 
found  that  my  camel,  which  had  been  assigned  to  me  as  having 
a  stuffed  saddle,  had  also  a  most  intolerable  gait,  the  worst 
indeed  I  had  ever  encountered.  I  immediately  exchanged  with 
one  of  our  servants,  and  thus,  after  five  minutes  delay,  obtained 
the  easiest  camel  I  had  yet  mounted. 

The  way  continued  over  a  broken  tract,  approaching  the  open 
plain  or  basin  on  the  west  of  Ziph  and  Carmel.  At  ten  minutes 
before  one  we  passed  a  well ;  and  having  now  come  out  upon  the 
open  country,  we  reached  at  1  o'clock  the  foot  of  TeU  Zif,  where 
we  had  formerly  fallen  into  our  present  road  in  travelling  from 
Beni  Na'im.  The  road  and  country  from  this  point  to  Carmel, 
have  already  been  described.' 

We  reached  Carmel  at  2.25,  in  just  three  hours  from  Hebron  ; 
here  we  stoi-)ped  for  fifteen  minutes  to  water  the  camels.  Pro- 
ceeding on  our  way  at  2.40,  we  passed  on  the  west  of  Ma'in,  not 
far  from  the  foot  of  the  hiU  ;  and  began  soon  to  ascend  the 
mountain  ridge  beyond,  along  the  bed  of  a  small  Wady.' 
Another  road  equally  direct  to  ez-Zuweirah  goes  on  the  left  of 
Ma'in  ;  we  had  taken  the  present  one  in  order  to  encamp  near 
water.  An  hour  from  Carmel  brought  us  to  the  top  of  the  ridge 
at  3.40  ;  from  which  looking  back,  Ma'in  bore  N.  8°  W.  and 
Yutta  N.  30°  W. 

We  now  began  to  descend  by  a  similar  Wady  on  the  other 
side ;  and  a  wide  prospect  soon  opened  before  us,  over  the  coun- 
try towards  the  Dead  Sea  and  on  the  south.  An  eminence  was 
pointed  out  near  Zuweirah,  bearing  S.  20°  E.  The  course  and 
chasm  of  the  Dead  Sea  were  distinctly  visible  ;  but  not  the 
water,  which  lies  too  low.  The  extensive  tract  we  now  over- 
looked, had  much  of  the  general  character  of  that  around  Beer- 
sheba  ;  with  which  indeed  it  is  connected,  stretching  off  in  that 
direction  around  the  southwestern  termination  of  the  long  ridge 
which  we  were  now  crossing.  This  tract  has  apparently  a  lower 
level  than  the  enclosed  plain  behind  us  around  Carmel ;  the  de- 
scent of  the  mountain  on  this  side  being  greater  than  the  ascent 
from  the  north.  The  country  in  general  is  not  fertile  ;  though 
it  is  in  some  parts  used  for  tUlage,  and  affords  tolerable  pastur- 
age.   The  grass,  which  earlier  in  the  season  had  been  good,  was 

'  See  above  Vol.  I.  pp.  492,  493.    With       "  For  Carmel,  Maon,  and  the  country 

camels,  our  rate  of  travel  by  the  hour  had  around,  see  above, Vol.  I.  pp.  493-498.  The 

now  of  course  become  again  nearest  2  geo-  mountain  ridge  is  also  mentioned.  Vol.  I.  pp. 

graphical,  2^  English,  or  2|  Roman  miles.  490,  494. 

Vol.  II.— 9  ii,  465-467 


98 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


now  dried  up  ;  and  very  few  shrubs  or  trees  appeared  throughout 
the  whole  region. 

This  is  the  country  of  the  Jehalin,  who  were  now  gathering 
in  their  scanty  wheat  harvest.  The  tract  belonged  anciently  to 
the  south  of  Judah,  lying  beyond  the  mountainous  district  of 
that  tribe,  and  extending  so  as  to  comprise  Beersheba  and 
Kadesh.' — The  main  encampment  of  the  Jehalin  was  at  this 
time  high  up  on  the  southeast  side  of  the  mountain,  on  a  small 
shelf  or  terrace  of  cultivated  land,  overlooking  the  wide  plain. 
It  lay  at  some  distance  on  the  right  of  our  road  ;  and  we  first 
saw  it  at  4|  o'clock.  We  passed  along  on  a  course  about  S.  S. 
E.  among  occasional  fields  of  grain  in  the  shallow  Wadys,  where 
the  reapers  were  at  work  ;  and  encamped  at  a  quarter  before  5 
o'clock  near  a  small  threshing-floor  belonging  to  the  Jehalin. 
Not  far  off  was  a  reservoir  of  rain  water. 

Thus  far  we  had  only  three  men,  one  of  whom  was  Sheikh 
Salim  ;  but  here  we  were  to  be  fitted  out  with  a  new  set  of 
camels,  with  every  thing  in  proper  order  for  the  journey.  It 
was  not  yet  so  late  but  that  we  received  many  ■visits  ;  and  found 
that  although  encamped  in  the  desert,  we  were  not  Ukely  to 
lack  an  abundance  of  company.  The  encampment  of  the  Jeha- 
lin was  in  full  view  on  the  mountain  towards  the  northwest  at 
the  distance  of  an  hour  or  more,  consisting  of  seventy  or  eighty 
black  tents  arranged  in  a  large  circle.  There  was  said  to  be  one 
other  smaller  encampment,  which  we  did  not  see.  The  whole  tribe 
belongs  to  the  Keis  party,  and  was  said  to  muster  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men.  None  of  them  can  read  or  write  ;  nor  have 
thej^  any  one  to  lead  them  in  their  worship  ;  nor  do  they  assem- 
ble for  prayer  on  Friday,  the  Muhammedan  sabbath.  On  being 
told  that  the  Ta'amirah  have  a  Khatib,  they  said  the  Ta'amirah 
were  Fellahin  ;  implying  that  of  the  real  Bedawin  none  learn  to 
read. — The  tribe  paid  last  year  to  the  government  a  tribute 
(Miry)  of  thirty  purses.  They  are  obliged  also  often  to  furnish 
camels  for  the  public  service  ;  for  which  they  had  only  in  one 
case  been  paid.  The  animals  were  once  taken  to  Damascus,  and 
the  service  credited  as  part  of  their  tribute. 

The  Jehahn  had  at  this  time  twenty-two  horses  and  about 
two  hundred  camels.  The  horses  of  course  belonged  to  the 
Sheikhs  ;  of  the  camels,  the  chief  Sheikh  owned  twenty-five  or 
thirty.  There  is  no  living  water  within  the  territory  of  the 
tribe,  except  at  Kurmul.  The  cistern  near  wliich  we  were  en- 
camped, was  large,  and  excavated  in  a  rocky  ledge,  with  a  hole 
above  like  a  well.  There  had  formerly  been  an  opening  below* 
on  the  side  ;  but  this  was  now  stopped  with  large  stones  laid  in 
mortar.    When  the  cisterns  become  exhausted  later  in  summer, 

'  Josh.  16,  21-32  ;  comp.  vs.  48-60. 

ii,  4G7  468 


Mat  27.] 


THE  JEHALIN. 


99 


they  have  no  resource,  hut  to  remove  their  flocks  and  other  ani- 
mals to  the  vicinity  of  Kurmul ;  where  they  water  in  common 
with  the  Ka'abineh.'  At  this  season  of  the  year,  their  flocks 
were  watered  every  two  days,  and  the  camels  once  in  three  days. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  they  are  exceedingly  careful  of  the  supply 
in  their  cisterns  ;  and  a  man  received  a  sharp  rebuke  in  our  pres- 
ence from  the  Sheikh,  for  having  suffered  some  'Alawin  to  water 
a  few  sheep  at  that  in  our  neighbourhood. 

The  Jehahn  have  not  been  disarmed  ;  they  have  still  their 
old  muskets  with  match  locks  ;  and  make  their  own  gunpowder. 
The  nitre  they  obtain  from  the  dust  of  the  ruined  villages  in 
their  country  ;  and  the  sulphur  from  the  shores  of  the  Dead 
Sea.*  They  mingle  these  ingredients  with  pulverized  charcoal, 
and  thus  obtain  a  very  coarse  and  inferior  powder  ;  which  how- 
ever costs  them  nothing.  They,  as  well  as  the  Tiyahah,  are  at 
war  with  several  tribes  on  the  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  viz.  the 
Beni  Sukhr,  the  Baharat,  and  the  Sulit  ;  the  latter  dwelling 
around  Hesban.  Not  many  months  before,  they  had  made  an 
expedition  with  the  aid  of  the  Tiyahah  against  the  Suht,  by 
way  of  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  ;  and  had  brought  away 
forty-five  camels.  We  now  heard  more  of  the  similar  expedi- 
tion which  we  had  met  in  Bethlehem,  and  learned  the  result.' 
It  wa»  composed  of  eighty-six  horsemen,  of  whom  twenty-two 
were  Jehalin  ;  and  the  main  body  passed  along  the  same  road 
which  we  travelled  from  'Ain  Jidy  to  the  Jordan.  Crossing  the 
river  opposite  Jericho,  they  fell  upon  the  encampment  of  their 
enemies,  the  Suht,  by  surprise,  and  brought  away  a  hundred 
camels.  We  learned  too,  that  the  visit  of  the  Sheikh  Defa' 
Allah  at  Hebron  this  morning,  had  for  its  object,  to  bring  two 
of  the  captured  camels  as  a  present  to  Sheikh  Sa'id  oi  Gaza  ; 
whose  permission  they  had  obtained  before  setting  off  on  the 
expedition. 

Sunday,  May  2*Jth..  We  remained  all  day  encamped  ;  but 
the  number  of  visitors  left  us  no  interval  of  quiet.  In  the 
morning,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  camels  were  driven  by  at 
once  to  water.  We  were  afterwards  \4sited  by  Defa'  AUah,  by 
the  second  Sheikh,  Miisa,  and  by  various  others.  The  former 
was  said  to  have  seven  brothers,  all  of  whom  bore  the  title  of 
Sheikh.  Indeed,  almost  every  man  who  passed  along,  claimed 
to  be  a  brother  of  the  Sheikh,  and  owner  of  the  thresliins-floor 
by  our  tent  ;  so  that  at  last  our  servants  made  it  quite  a  jest,  to 
inquire  of  every  Arab  who  came  by,  if  he  was  the  Sheikh's 
brother  and  owned  this  floor  ? — The  threshing-floor  was  very 
small ;  and  was  watched  every  night.    Bound  about  it  were 

»  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  499.  '  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  470. 

»  See  Vol.  I.  p.  512. 

ii.  46&-470 


100 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADT  MUSA. 


[Sec.  XiL 


lying  several  small  heaps  of  gleaned  "wheat.  The  gleaning  is 
done  by  the  poor  ;  and  their  little  sheaves  were  deposited  here 
for  safe  keeping,  tUl  they  could  beat  them  out. 

Opposite  to  us  the  mountaras  of  Kerak  were  in  yiev?  ;  but 
the  city  itself  was  not  visible.  We  heard  much  to  day  of  'Abdeh 
in  the  desert  south  of  Beersheba  ;  but  the  accounts  were  quite 
indefinite  ;  nor  could  we  learn  that  any  one  of  the  tribe  had 
been  there.'  We  heard  also  of  several  ancient  names  in  this 
region  of  the  south,  some  of  which  we  were  afterwards  able  to 
ascertain  more  accurately. 

Defa'  Allah  visited  us  again  at  evening,  and  informed  us, 
that  there  were  at  his  encampment  five  of  the  Haweitat  from 
the  vicinity  of  Ma'an,  who  had  been  to  Hebron  to  sell  a  flock  of 
sheep,  and  were  now  returning.  As  their  way  would  he  near 
Wady  Musa,  the  Sheikh  ad\ased  us  to  take  them  into  our  ser- 
vice for  a  small  pay,  in  order  to  increase  the  strength  of  our 
party.  This  we  were  willing  to  do,  not  so  much  on  this  account, 
as  because  we  might  hope  to  gather  information  from  them  re- 
specting their  country  ;  and  because  too  their  presence  might 
secure  for  us  a  better  reception,  among  the  Arabs  of  that  region. 
We  therefore  authorized  the  Sheikh  to  offer  ten  piastres  for  each 
man  for  the  whole  time,  without  provisions.  Some  spoke  of 
them  as  Haweitat,  and  some  as  'Alawin ;  the  latter  are  iiMeed  a 
subdivision  of  the  former  ;  but  these  individuals  were  not  'Ala- 
win  of  Sheikh  Husein's  tribe. 

Monday,  May  28th.  We  rose  before  4  o'clock,  hoping  to 
set  off  early.  Very  soon  the  grating  sound  of  the  hand-mill  was 
heard  from  a  cave  not  far  off,  where  an  Arab  family  had  taken 
up  their  abode  during  the  harvest."^  In  spite  of  our  hopes,  and 
notwithstanding  all  our  former  experience,  our  patience  was  this 
morning  not  a  httle  tried  by  the  dilatoriness  of  the  Arabs.  They 
had  yesterday  made  the  fairest  promises,  that  they  would  come 
with  the  camels  at  evening  and  sleep  at  our  tent,  in  order  to  be 
ready  for  an  early  start  ;  yet  only  one  came  ;  and  it  was  nearly 
7  o'clock  this  morning  before  they  all  arrived.  Then  nothing 
was  ready.  The  saddles  had  to  be  put  in  order,  and  some  of 
them  re-stuffed  with  straw.  Then  one  camel  had  to  be  shaved  ; 
that  is,  the  hair  of  its  hps  and  fece  was  regularly  shaved  off 
with  a  sharp  knife,  being  occasionally  lathered  with  spittle  ;  the 
head  was  then  anointed,  apparently  on  account  of  some  disease. 
It  seemed  also  not  yet  to  be  fixed,  who  should  go  with  us.  At 
last  it  appeared  that  only  four  men  instead  of  five  were  going  ; 
and  these  mere  camel  drivers,  no  one  of  whom  was  a  Sheikh  nor 
a  responsible  person.  On  learning  this  we  declined  going  in  that 
manner  ;  and  ordered  the  loading  of  the  camels  to  be  stopped. 

>  See  Note  XXm,  end  of  Vol.  I.  '  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  486. 

ii.  470  471  , 


Mat  28.] 


FURTHER  PREPARATIONS. 


101 


At  length  Sheikli  Hussan,  who  had  come  to  see  us  off,  agreed 
to  take  us  to  the  phice  where  Sheikh  Salim  (who  had  come  with 
us  on  Saturday)  was  reaping  ;  and  if  the  latter  would  not  go,  he 
promised  to  accompany  us  himself.  We  consented  to  the  four 
men  the  more  readily,  because  the  five  Haweitat  or  'AlaAvia 
had  accepted  our  offer  and  now  presented  themselves, — a  set  of 
thievish-looking  ragamuffins  as  one  would  wish  to  see.  We  ac- 
cordingly set  off  at  7^  o'clock,  and  travelling  south  for  fifteen 
minutes,  came  to  the  field  of  reapers,  where  we  stopped  for 
another  hour.  Here  it  was  finally  arranged,  that  Sheikh  Hussan 
should  go  with  us  ;  and  leaving  his  gala  dress  and  his  sleek  mare, 
and  sending  for  his  long  gun,  he  joined  us  on  foot  in  the  common 
Arab  costume.  We  thus  mustered  nine  armed  men,  besides  our 
two  servants  ;  who  also  felt  their  importance  somewhat  aug- 
mented, by  being  now  regularly  intrusted  each  with  a  gun  and 
pistol. 

From  this  point  three  sites  of  ruins  were  visible,  viz.  Jenbeh, 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  and  now  directly  under  the  encamp- 
ment of  the  Jehalin  ;  el-Kuryetein'  also  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain ;  and  el-Beytidh  on  a  low  hill  more  to  the  left.^  All  these 
are  only  foundations  of  small  villages,  or  merely  caves.'  An- 
other similar  site,  el-Khuneifit,  was  spoken  of  somewhere  on  the 
left  of  our  road. 

We  finally  set  off  at  a  quarter  before  9  o'clock,  on  a  course 
nearly  due  south  through  the  rolling  plain,  along  a  small  shallow 
Wady.  After  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  there  was  on  our  right 
a  small  site  of  foundations  and  walls  of  round  stones,  called  et- 
Taiyib,  with  the  remains  of  a  dam  in  the  Wady,  apparently  for 
a  reservoir.  Here  too  a  hill  called  Tell  'Arad,  which  we  had 
seen  for  some  time  in  the  S.  S.  W.  seemed  not  more  than  an 
hour  distant  ;  a  barren  looking  eminence  rising  above  the  coun- 
try around.  This  marks,  without  much  doubt,  the  site  of  the 
ancient  city  Arad,  situated  in  the  south  of  Judah  ;  whose  in- 
habitants drove  back  the  Israelites  as  they  attempted  to  pene- 
trate from  Kadesh  into  Palestine  ;  but  were  afterwards  subdued 
by  Joshua.*  The  Arabs  said  indeed,  that  there  were  now  no 
ruins  upon  or  near  it,  but  only  a  cavern.  We  did  not  visit  it, 
but  the  name  is  too  decisive  to  admit  of  question.^ 

'  El-Kuryetein,  '  the  two  cities,'  seems  '  They  bore  as  follows :  Jenbeh  N.  60° 

to  suggest  the  Kerioth  (cities)  of  Josh.  15,  W.    el-Kuryetein  S.  75"  W.  el-Beyudh 

25,  in  the  south  of  Judah  ;  unless  the  lat-  S.  40°  W. 

ter  is  to  be  united  with  the  next  name  and  *  Judg.  1,  16.    Num.  21,  1.    Josh.  12, 

read  Kerioth-Hezron,  as  Reland  suggests.  14,  comp.  10,  41.    The  English  version  and 

Falsest,  pp.  700,  708.  also  Luther  in  Num.  21,  1,  read  'king 

'  This  name  would  seem  to  correspond  Arad'  incorrectly  for  'king  of  Arad;' 

to  the  '  Al-baid '  of  Irby  and  Mangles  ;  comp.  Josh.  12,  14. 

Travels,  p.  348.    But  their  description  re-  '  Eusebius  and  Jerome  place  Arad  at 

fers  the  latter  apparently  to  Kurmul.  20  Roman  miles  from  Hebron,  equal  to 

Vol.       9*  ii.  471-473 


102 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn, 


Proceeding  on  the  same  course,  we  came  at  10^  o'clock  to 
another  similar  site  of  rude  foundations  and  walls,  called  Ehdeib, 
still  on  the  bank  of  the  shallow  Wady,  which  here  bears  the 
same  name.  Fifteen  minutes  further  on,  the  Wady  turns  to  the 
east,  and  runs  to  the  Dead  Sea,  which  it  enters  under  the  name 
of  es-Seyal,  between  Birket  el-Khulil  and  Sebbeh.'  At  11 
o'clock  we  passed  a  circular  space  blackened  by  fires  and  the 
manure  of  animals,  and  marking  the  place  of  a  recent  encamp- 
ment of  the  Dhullam.  These  Arabs,  in  the  spring,  pasture  in 
this  tract  in  common  with  the  Jehalin  ;  their  proper  territory 
lies  farther  west  towards  Beersheba,  where  both  they  and  the 
Tiyahah  water  in  common. — We  were  now  gradually  ascending 
a  broad  swell  of  land.  At  11.5  was  another  small  ruin,  called 
el-Museik,  similar  to  those  before  mentioned.  "We  reached  the 
height  of  the  swell  or  broad  ridge  at  11.50,  near  another  site  of 
ruins,  and  a  mound  or  low  Tell  on  our  right,  called  Eiijeim  Se- 
ISmeh.  Here  we  halted  for  half  an  hour  for  refreshment  and  to 
survey  the  country. 

We  had  here  an  extensive  view  of  the  district  through  which 
we  had  passed,  as  far  back  as  to  the  mountain  ridge  we  had 
crossed  on  Saturday,  which  extended  far  along  on  our  right  s 
towards  the  southwest.'  Its  furthest  point  in  that  direction,  a 
steep  low  bluff,  now  bore  about  west  ;  and  seemed  almost  to 
close  up  the  plain  towards  Beersheba.  Yet  such  is  not  the 
case  ;  for  the  Wady  es-Seba'  has  its  head  on  this  side  of  the 
mountain,  in  the  district  around  Milh,  and  passes  off  around  the 
bluff.  The  Tell  by  Milh  was  pointed  out ;  and  also  another  hill 
near  a  place  called  'Ar'arah  ;  both  of  which  we  visited  on  our 
return.^  Before  us,  the  country  exhibited  the  same  general  fea- 
tures as  that  in  our  rear.* 

Setting  off  again  at  12.20,  we  passed  in  ten  minutes  another 
small  site  of  foundations,  called  Sudeid.  Our  course  was  now 
in  general  about  southeast.  At  1  o'clock  Rujeim  Selameh  bore 
N.  40°  E.  and  Tell  et-Tawaneh,  a  marked  point  near  Ma'in,  N.  5° 
W.  The  country  continued  to  bear  the  same  general  character 
as  that  we  had  traversed  ;  except  that  Ave  had  found  it  all  day 
becoming  more  and  more  barren,  and  assuming  more  the  features 

about  8  liours  with  camels;  Onomast.  art.  the  mountain  so.    On  tlie  north  side  of  it 

Arath  {'Apani).    This  accords  well  witli  they  would  very  likely  have  called  it  in 

our  present  distance  from  Hebron. — From  the  same  way  Jebel  Ma'in  or  Jebel  Kur- 

tho  point  where  wo  now  were,  Beyiidh  mul.    We  could  not  find  that  the  ridge 

bore  W.    Encampment  of  the  Jehalin  N.  had  a  distinct  name. 
27"  W.    Jenbeh  N.  16"  W.  '  See  under  June  3d  and  4th. 

'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  pp.  501,  502,  525.         *  Hero  at   Hujeim  Selameh  we  took 

'  Lord  Lindsay  says,  the  Arabs  called  bearings :  Encampment  of  the  Jehillin  N. 

this  rid^o  Jebel  el-Kuryct(nn  ;  Letters  Vol.  15  '  W.    Tell  'Ar.id  N.  55^  W.  cl-Milh 

n.    His  Arabs  had  probably  been  speak-  about  W.    'Aj'arah  S.  70'  W. 
ing  of  el-Kuryetcin  and  therefore  uamed 
u.  473,  474 


MAT2S.3 


rPPEK  ZL"  WEI  RAH. 


103 


of  the  desert.  It  was  here  hilly  and  intersected  by  small  ra- 
vines, but  without  precipices  ;  and  had  been  thinly  covered  with 
a  slight  growth  of  grass,  now  dry. 

At  ten  minutes  past  2  o'cLx;k,  we  reached  the  brow  of  the 
first  descent  or  offset  towards  the  Dead  Sea,  a  steep  declivity  of 
seven  or  eight  hundred  feet,  leading  down  to  another  broad  tract 
BtiU  several  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Here  are  a 
few  traces  of  rude  foundations,  the  site  of  a  former  village  called 
ez-Zuweirah  el-Foka,  Upper  Zuweirah."  Leaving  the  camels 
to  descend  by  the  usual  circuitous  p*ss.  we  struck  off  a  short 
distance  to  the  right  along  a  ridge  projecting  somewhat  towards 
the  southeast,  on  the  p>int  of  which  are  the  ruins  of  a  square 
massive  tower,  once  probably  a  watchtower.  Here  a  wide  pros- 
pect spread  itself  out  betore  ns,  over  the  southern  part  of  the 
Dead  Sea  and  the  southern  Ghor  ;  in  which  we  at  once  recog- 
nised all  the  features  that  had  alreadv  become  so  familiar  to  ns 
at  'Ain  Jidy.' 

Below  us,  stm  between  us  and  the  sea,  lay  the  broad  elevated 
tract  above  mentioned,  thickly  studded  with  white  conical  hills 
and  short  ridges  of  limestone  and  chalk  of  fentastic  shapes,  pre- 
senting the  aspect  of  a  frightful  desert.  It  seemed  here  but  a 
short  distance  across  this  tract  ;  but  from  the  foot  of  the  first 
pass  we  travelled  nearly  four  hours,  and  encamped  without 
reaching  the  shore.  Beyond  lay  TJsdum,  a  low  dark  ridge  run- 
ning off  nearly  S.  S.  E.  along  the  shore,  and  then  turning  almost 
southwest.  Here  the  long  penjisula  with  its  isthmus  was  on 
our  left  ;  and  Sebbeh  could  not  have  been  far  distant,  though  it 
was  not  now  visible,  nor  did  we  at  anv  rime  get  sight  of  it. 
The  south  end  of  the  sea  lay  before  us  in  perfect  distinctness, 
opposite  the  southeast  angle  of  Usdum  ;  and  we  could  now  mark 
the  wet  and  slimy  surface  of  the  ground  along  the  Ghor,  which 
had  deceived  us  at  'Ain  Jidy.-  Further  south,  the  Ghor  was 
parrially  covered  with  vegetarion  ;  and  stiU  further  we  could 
perceive  a  line  of  whitish  cliffs  crossing  it  obliquely,  with  which 
we  afterwards  became  better  acquainted.  Beyond  these,  the 
desert  tract  of  the  broad  sandy  valley  stretched  off  in  a  southerly 
direction  beyond  the  limit  of  vision.  The  eastern  moimtains 
were  now  very  distinct  ;  though  Kerak  was  not  %'isible,  being 
hidden  by  intervening  peaks.  Yet  the  Wady  Kerak  or  ed- 
Dera'ah  covdd  be  seen  coming  down  upon  the  isthmus,  and 
covering  the  northern  side  of  it  with  verdure.^  Just  north  of 
this  we  could  distinguish  a  smaU  ravine  caUed  Wady  Beni 
Hemad.    South  of  the  isthmus,  nearly  opposite  to  us,  was 

'  Compare  generally  the  description  of       '  See  above,  VoL  I.  p.  502. 
diis  part  of  the  Dead  Se*  as  seen  from  the       '  See  above,  VoL  L  pp.  519.  520. 
cUff  over  'Aia  Jidy ;  VoL  L  p.  501-503. 

iL  474-476 


104 


FROM  HEBBON  TO  WADT  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


Wady  el-Kuneiyeh  ;  while  a  little  beyond  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  sea,  Wady  el-Kurahy  issues  from  the  mountains,  bearing 
higher  up  the  name  of  Wady  el-Ahsy  ;  this  also  occasions  a 
tract  of  verdure  in  the  Grhor.  Far  in  the  south,  among  the 
eastern  mountains,  Sheikh  Hussan  thought  he  could  point  out, 
though  somewhat  indistinctly,  the  peak  of  Mount  Hor.' 

We  descended  by  a  shorter  and  steeper  route,  and  met  the 
camels  just  as  they  also  reached  the  foot  at  3  o'clock.  Here  we 
crossed  the  bed  of  a  torrent  running  to  the  right,  called  Wady 
el-Jerrah.  Further  down  in  the  same  direction  it  receives  an- 
other called  Wady  el-Fa'iya  coming  from  the  southwest*  and 
then  turning  eastwards,  the  united  Wady  takes  the  name  el- 
Muhauwat,  and  finds  its  way  down  to  the  sea  at  the  north  end 
of  Usdum.  We  now  kept  on  southeast  across  the  tract  of  deso- 
late chalky  hills  above  described,  mostly  along  a  winding  valley. 
Nowhere  had  we  seen  a  more  hideous  desert.  After  a  long 
and  tedious  ride  we  came  out  at  5.50  upon  the  brow  of  the 
second  descent.  Here  is  another  steep  rocky  declivity,  also  of 
not  less  than  seven  or  eight  hundred  feet.  The  path  keeps 
mostly  along  a  ravine  in  the  rock  ;  .and  in  the  lower  part  is 
quite  steep,  though  not  particularly  difficult.  The  ravine  is 
the  head  of  Wady  ez-Zuweirah,  which  here  runs  off  directly 
towards  the  Dead  Sea.  At  the  bottom  of  the  pass,  the  forma- 
tion of  limestone  and  chalk,  through  which  we  had  passed,  gives 
way  to  a  soft  chalk  or  whitish  indurated  marl,  in  horizontal  lay- 
ers, washed  by  the  rains  into  pilasters  and  other  fantastic  shapes. 
At  the  very  bottom,  which  we  reached  at  6.40,  just  where  the 
Wady  runs  off  apparently  on  a  level  towards  the  sea,  stands  a 
small  Saracenic  fort,  on  an  isolated  cUff  of  this  chalky  earth,  so 
soft  as  to  be  easily  broken  off  with  the  hands.  It  is  entirely 
surrounded  and  overlooked  by  other  similar  chalky  cUffs  of  much 
greater  elevation.  The  Wady  is  here  narrow  ;  and  in  the  per- 
pendicular wall  nearly  overagainst  the  fort,  a  chamber  with  loop 
holes  is  excavated  in  the  soft  rock  at  some  height  above  the 
ground.  Near  by  are  two  reservoirs  built  up  of  stone,  and  a 
cistern,  all  now  dry  ;  but  our  Arabs  said  there  was  rain  water  in 
a  ravine  higher  up.  This  spot  is  ez-Zuweirah  ;  in  distinction 
from  which  the  other  is  called  "  the  Upper." 

We  now  followed  down  Wady  ez-Zuweirah.    Through  its 

'  From  this  high  point  at  cz-Zuweirah  E.    Peak  in  mountains  of  Moab  seen  from 

el-F6ka,  tlie  various  places  visible  bore  as  Hebron  S.  52°  E.    Southeast  corner  of  the 

follows :  Encampment  of  the  Jehalin  N.  Dead  Sea  S.  44°  E.    Southeast  angle  of 

25'  W.    Tell  et-Tawiineh  near  Ma'in  N.  I''sdum  S.  41°  E.    Mouth  of  Wady  el- 

10'  W.  North  end  of  the  peninsula  X.  70'  Kunihy  S.  40°  E.    Mount  Hor  about  S. 

E.    Mouth  of  AVady  Beni  Hemad  N.  82°  The  lower  pass  of  ez-Zuweirah  before  na 

E.    North  side  of  Isthmus  and  mouth  of  bore  S,  45^  E. 

Wady  Kerak  N.  8.5°  E.    South  end  of  pe-       '  We  passed  near  the  head  of  Wady  el- 

ninsula  and  south  side  of  Isthmus  S.  78°  Fa'iya  on  our  return ;  see  under  June  3d. 

ii.  476,  477 


Mat  28.] 


PASS  OF  ZrWEIRAH, 


105 


narrow  opening  we  could  look  out  upon  tlie  sea  and  eastern 
mountains,  on  which  the  setting  sun  just  now  threw  its  beams, 
tinging  their  naked  sides  with  crimson  hues.  At  length  at  6.50 
we  turned  aside  into  a  narrow  ravine,  called  Wady  en-Xejd, 
coming  in  from  the  left  ;  and  encamped  for  the  night  in  one  of 
the  wildest  spots  we  had  yet  visited,  shut  in  on  every  side  by 
whitish  perpendicular  cliffs  of  indurated  marl.  Our  guides 
sought  this  retreat,  in  order  that  our  tent  and  fire  might  escape 
notice,  should  there  be  any  strangers  passing  along  this  way. — 
We  here  acrain  encountered  the  cHmate  of  the  Ghor  and  Dead 
Sea  ;  the  thermometer  which  at  sunrise  had  stood  at  52°,  bemg 
now  at  80=  F. 

This  double  pass  of  ez-Zuweirah,  which  we  had  now  de- 
scended, was  first  visited  in  modern  times  by  Seetzen  in  A.  D. 
1806,  who  ascended  it  on  his  way  fi-om  Kerak  around  the  south 
end  of  the  Dead  Sea  to  Jerusalem,  though  he  does  not  name  it.' 
In  A.  D.  1818,  Irby  and  Mangles  with  their  party  passed  on 
this  route  from  Hebron  to  Kerak ;  and  describe  the  pass  and 
fort,  which  they  call  el-Zowar."*  Since  that  time  until  this 
year,  I  am  not  aware  that  it  had  been  visited  by  any  traveller. 
It  must  of  course  have  been  the  road,  by  which  Ibrahim  Pasha 
and  his  troops  passed  from  Hebron  to  Tufileh  and  Kerak  in 
A.  D.  1834. 

With  our  guides  of  the  Jehalin  we  were  better  pleased  than 
we  had  anticipated.  From  M.  de  Bertou,  who  had  made  the 
journey  with  them  a  few  weeks  before,  we  had  heard  only  com- 
plaints of  their  vmaccommodating  spirit  and  extortions  ;  so  that, 
although  our  previous  experience  had  already  taught  us  to  lay 
the  fault  chiefly  at  his  own  door,  yet  we  had  not  expected  to 
avoid  petty  vexations  and  a  general  want  of  fidelity.  In  all 
this  we  were  favourably  disappointed  ;  although  the  strong  pre- 
judice which  we  found  among  the  tribe  against  that  traveller, 
with  whom  it  seems  they  had  been  throughout  on  ill  terms,  did 
not  fail  at  first  to  operate  also  to  our  disadvantage.  Finding 
that  my  companion  was  at  home  in  their  language  and  customs, 
and  that  we  were  disposed  to  treat  them  as  men,  and  not  as 
slaves,  their  jealousy  and  reserve  soon  wore  off  in  a  degree.  Yet 
they  were  never  so  active  and  obliging,  nor  so  communicative, 
as  our  good  Tawarah  ;  and  Sheikh  Hussan  was  not  to  be  com- 
pared with  TuweUeb  or  Beshariih,  in  point  of  good  sense  or 
general  information.  One  of  the  men,  Muhammed,  was  a 
clownish  buffoon.  Indeed,  they  seemed  both  physically  and 
mentally  to  be  a  heavier-moulded  race  than  the  Tawarah. 
Their  camels  were  much  superior  to  those  of  the  peninsula. 

'  Zach'3  Monad.  Corresp.  XVHL  pp.  »  Travels  pp.  3o0,  351.  [107.]  Legh 
437.  438.    Keisen  I.  p.  429.  under  May  10th. 

ii.  477-479 


106 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADT  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


Our  attendants  of  the  Haweitat  proved  to  be  well  acquaint- 
ed with,  the  country  south  of  Wady  Milsa  ;  they  were  at  first 
reserved  ;  but  the  kindness  and  conversation  of  my  companion 
Boon  dissipated  their  jealousy,  and  in  some  degree  won  their  con- 
fidence. One  old  man,  who  seemed  to  be  their  leader,  was  fond 
of  talking,  and  exhibited  more  shrewdness  of  mind  than  any  of 
our  Arab  companions. 

Tuesday,  May  29#A.  We  set  off  without  breakfasting,  ten 
minutes  before  5  o'clock  ;  and  after  returning  from  the  side  val- 
ley en-Nejd,  followed  down  Wady  ez-Zuweirah  running  south- 
east, still  narrow,  rugged,  and  shut  in  by  perpendicular  cliffs  of 
marl,  in  horizontal  layers  of  unequal  hardness.  The  path  lies 
most  of  the  way  along  the  bed  of  the  Wady  ;  yet  at  one  place 
the  latter  makes  a  circuit  towards  the  south,  while  the  road  as- 
cends and  crosses  the  rocky  intermediate  point.  Here  was  the 
last  descent  towards  the  shore  ;  and  just  as  we  reached  it  at  5\ 
o'clock,  the  sun  rose  over  the  eastern  mountains.  As  we  looked 
down  through  the  narrow  opening  of  the  valley,  the  calm  glassy 
waters  of  the. lake  became  liquid  gold  ;  and  the  verdant  shrubs 
upon  the  shore,  tinged  with  sunny  hues,  gave  for  the  moment 
an  impression  of  beauty  to  a  scene  in  itself  stern  and  desolate 
as  death.  Ten  minutes  later  we  issued  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Wady  upon  the  plain  along  the  shore,  here  of  considerable 
breadth,  full  of  shrubs  with  Seyal  and  Turfa  trees,  which  we 
also  found  along  the  bottom  of  the  valley  higher  up.'  Just  at 
the  right  comes  in  Wady  el-Muhauwat  from  the  southwest 
along  the  base  of  the  cliffs,  having  found  its  way  Aovm  through 
the  mountains  jfrom  the  higher  tract  above  ;  it  is  here  broad  and 
full  of  the  like  bushes  and  trees  ;  and  separates  the  north  end 
of  Usdum  from  the  regular  chffs  of  the  coast.* 

As  we  now  took  leave  of  ez-Zuweirah,  it  may  be  proper  to 
remark,  that  neither  this  name,  nor  the  site,  has  any  relation  to 
the  ancient  Zoar  ;  although  a  partial  resemblance  in  the  name, 
might  at  first  be  supposed.  The  Hebrew  Zoar  contains  the  let- 
ter 'Ain,  which  never 'falls  away  from  the  middle  of  a  word; 
and  accordingly  Abulfeda  and  others  write  that  name  repeatedly 
Zoghar,  and  speak  of  it  as  existing  in  their  day.'  The  city  of 
Zoar  too  lay  in  sight  of  Sodom,  in  or  adjacent  to  the  plain,  so  as 
to  be  exposed  to  the  same  destruction  which  overtook  the  other 
cities  ;  and  so  late  as  the  time  of  J erome  it  had  a  Roman  gar- 
rison and  many  inhabitants.*    But  the  present  ez-Zuweirah, 

'  Irby  and  Mangles  mention  here  also  across  the  sea  and  sonth  of  the  isthmus, 

the  Dnm  or  Nubk  ;  p.  .351.  [107.]  S.  80°  E. 

'  From  the  mouth  of  Wady  cz-Zuweirah,       '  Abulfcd.  Tab.  Syr.  ed.  Kfililer  pp.  8, 

the  southwest  extremity  of  the  peninsula,  9,  II,  12,  etc.    Ibn  el-Wardi  ibid.  p.  178. 

as  here  seen,  bore  N.  30"  E.    Jebel  Jil'ad  Sec  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  2'>T>,  n.  2. 
near  es-Sult  N.  24°  E.  Wady  el-Kuneiyeh,       «  Gen.  10,  19-21.    Hieron.  Onom.  art 
ii.  479,  480 


Mat  29.] 


EZ-ZUWEIRAH,  USDTJM. 


107 


taking  even  tlie  lower,  (for  the  upper  is  wholly  out  of  the  ques- 
tion,) lies  more  than  half  an  hour  distant  from  any  part  of  the  sea 
or  plain  ;  is  entirely  shut  in  by  mountains,  so  as  to  be  nowhere 
visible  from  the  plain  ;  and  exhibits  no  trace  of  any  dwellings, 
except  the  small  modern  Saracenic  fort.  Nor  is  there  elsewliere 
in  the  Wady,  or  at  its  mouth,  the  slightest  vestige  of  any  for- 
mer site.  Further,  there  is  decisive  historical  testimony,  that 
the  ancient  Zoar  lay  on  the  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  in  the  territo- 
ries of  Moab.  I  am  therefore  disposed,  with  Irby  and  Mangles, 
to  assign  its  position  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wady  Kerak,  where 
the  latter  opens  upon  the  isthmus  of  the  long  peninsula.  In 
that  spat  these  travellers  found  the  traces  of  an  extensive  an- 
cient site.' 

Our  course  now  became  about  S.  by  E.  and  led  us  across  the 
broad  plain,  somewhat  inclining  towards  the  sea,  formed  by  the 
Wady  el-Muhauwat,  and  thickly  covered  with  bushes  and  trees  as 
described  above.  By  looking  up  this  Wady  we  could  perceive  that 
Usdum  is  only  a  narrow  ridge,  like  a  huge  windrow  ;  while  the 
tract  lying  between  it  and  the  western  cliffs,  from  which  we  had 
descended,  is  filled  out  with  conical  hills  and  short  ridges  of 
chalky  limestone,  like  those  of  the  higher  tract  we  had  traversed 
yesterday.  W^e  reached  the  northern  extremity  of  Usdum  at 
5.50  ;  tliis  lies  at  some  distance  from  the  shore  of  the  sea,  and  the 
space  is  covered  with  shrubs  ;  but  the  flat  shore  soon  trends 
towards  it,  and  becomes  narrower  and  whoUy  desert.*  All  our 
present  Arab  guides  gave  to  the  mountain  the  name  of  Khashm 
Usdum  ;  the  former  word  signifying  "  cartilage  of  the  nose.'''^ 
The  road  continues  along  the  base  of  the  mountain,  here  run- 
ning towards  the  S.  S.  E.  It  was  in  this  vicinity  that  Sheikh 
Hussan  gave  us  the  information,  which  I  have  elsewhere  related, 
respecting  the  appearance  of  bitumen  in  the  lake,  and  as  to  the 
ford  from  this  part  of  the  western  shore  to  the  southern  side  of 
the  peninsula,  by  which  he  himself  had  once  passed.^ 

At  6.10  a  heap  of  stones  lay  between  us  and  the  shore,  called 
Um  Zoghal.^    Beyond  this,  the  ridge  of  Usdum  begins  to  exhi- 


Bala,  "  habitatoribus  quoque  pr<fpriis  fre- 
quentatur." 

'  Travels  p.  448.  [138.]  See  the  his- 
torical notices  and  ancient  testimonies  re- 
spectiug  Zoar  in  Note  XXXV,  end  of  the 
volume. 

'-  It  is  here,  on  and  around  the  northern 
end  of  the  mountain,  that  M.  De  Saulcy 
reports  the  extensive  ruins  of  Sodom ; 
Narrat.  I.  p.  522  sq.  Seetzen,  Irby  and 
Mangles  and  Legh,  as  well  as  ourselves, 
passed  over  the  same  ground  ;  but  saw 
nothing  of  the  kind.  M.  De  Saulcy  no- 
ticed the  ruins  only  on  his  return  from  the 


east  side  of  the  sea ;  when  his  antiquarian 
appetite  had  become  sharpened.  Even  then 
he  did  not  closely  examine  them.  And  as 
there  are  other  instances,  in  which  I  am 
sure  that  M.  De  Saulcy  was  mistaken,  so 
here  I  must  prefer  to  rest  upon  the  nega- 
tive testimony  of  the  keen-sighted  travel- 
lers above  named,  confirmed  as  it  was  by 
our  own  experience. 

'  See  more  on  the  name  and  character 
of  this  mountain,  Vol.  I.  p.  502,  n.  1. 

*  See  Vol.  I.  pp.  521,  522. 

'  This  is  the  Tell  el-Msogal  of  Seetzen ; 
Zach's  Mon.  Corr.  XVII.  p.  140  ;  comp, 
ii.  480-482 


108 


FBOil  HEBRON  TO  VTaDY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


bit  more  distinctly  its  peculiar  fonnation  ;  the  main  body  of 
the  mountain  being  a  solid  mass  of  rock  salt.  The  ridge  is  in 
general  very  uneven  and  rugged,  varying  from  one  hundred  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height.  It  is  indeed  covered  with 
layers  of  chalky  limestone  or  marl,  so  as  to  present  chiefly  the 
appearance  of  common  earth  or  rock ;  yet  the  mass  of  salt 
very  often  breaks  out,  and  appears  on  the  sides  in  precipices 
forty  or  fifty  feet  high  and  several  hundred  feet  in  length,  mere 
crystallized  fossil  salt.  We  could  at  first  hardly  believe  our  eyes  ; 
until  we  had  several  times  approached  the  precipices,  and  broken 
off  pieces  to  satisfy  ourselves,  both  by  the  touch  and  taste. 
The  salt,  where  thus  exposed,  is  every  where  more  or  less  far- 
rowed by  the  rains.  As  we  advanced,  large  lumps  and  masses 
broken  off  from  above,  lay  Kke  rocks  along  the  shore,  or  were 
fallen  down  as  debris.  The  very  stones  beneath  our  feet  were 
whoUy  of  salt.  This  continued  to  be  the  character  of  the 
mountain,  more  or  less  distinctly  marked,  throughout  its  whole 
length  ;  a  distance  of  two  and  a  half  hours  or  five  geographical 
miles.  The  Arabs  affirmed,  that  the  western  side  of  the  ridge 
exhibits  similar  appearances.  The  lumps  of  salt  are  not  trans- 
parent, but  present  a  dark  appearance  ;  precisely  similar  to  that 
of  the  large  quantities  of  mineral  salt,  which  we  afterwards  saw 
at  Varna  and  in  the  towns  along  the  lower  Danube,  the  produce 
of  the  salt  mines  of  those  regions. 

The  existence  here  of  this  immense  mass  of  fossil  salt,  which, 
according  to  the  latest  geological  views,  is  a  frequent  accompa- 
niment of  volcanic  action,  accounts  sufficiently  for  the  excessive 
saltness  of  the  Dead  Sea.  At  this  time,  the  waters  of  the  lake 
did  not  indeed  wash  the  base  of  the  mountain,  though  they  ap- 
pear to  do  so  on  some  occasions  ;  but  the  rains  of  winter,  and 
the  streamlets  which  we  still  found  running  to  the  sea,  would 
naturally  carry  into  it,  in  the  course  of  ages,  a  sufficiency  of  salt 
to  produce  most  of  the  phenomena.' 

XAHI.  p.  437.  Reisen  II.  p.  2.53,  358 ;  crystallized  salt  is  met  with  higher  than 
comp.  I.  p.  428.  This  artificial  heap  of  a  hundred  feet  ahove  the  adjacent  sea. 
stones  (Sleinhau/en  of  Seetzen)  M.  De  The  face  of  the  mountain  is  cuHousIt  fnr- 
Sanlcy  at  once  exalts  into  "a  huilding  rowed  into  a  great  number  of  tent-shaped 
which  was  anciently  a  part  of  Sodom  ; "  or  conical  knolls ;  and  sometimes  these 
Narrat.  I.  p.  26G  sq.  spurs  take  the  form  of  detached  pillars. 

'  According  to  an  analysis  by  Prof.  Rose  During  the  rainy  season  the  process  of  for- 
of  Berlin,  the  salt  of  this  mountain  con-  mation  and  destruction  is  continually  go- 
tains  no  peculiar  ingredients,  and  espe<-ial-  ing  on.  One  of  these  pillars  is  described 
ly  no  Bromium.  It  would  seem,  there-  by  Lieut.  Lynch  ;  it  was  forty  feet  high, 
fore,  that  the  waters  of  the  sea  must  some-  and  its  base  was  forty  to  sixty  feet  above 
where  come  in  contact  with  other  mineral  the  sea;  while  a  prop  or  buttress  connected 
massea  See  above,  Vol.  I.  pp.  514,  .515. —  it  with  the  mountain  back.  It  was  not 
Other  analyses  of  the  salt,  see  in  Anderson's  visible  from  the  shore.  See  Geol.  Re- 
GeoL  lleport  p.  181.  Dr. Vnderson remarks,  port,  pp.  181,  182.  Lynch's  Narrative 
that  only  the  lower  jwrtion  of  the  moun-  3'J7.  Oomp.  De  Saulcy  Narrat.  I.  p.  5:^1. 
tain  is  composed  of  rock  salt ;  and  that  no 
ii.  4,x2,  483 


Mat  29.] 


USDUM. 


109 


The  position  of  this  mountain  at  the  south  end  of  the  sea, 
enables  us  also  to  ascertain  the  place  of  the  "  Valley  of  Salt" 
mentioned  in  Scripture  ;  •where  the  Hebrews  under  Da^•id,  and 
again  under  Amaziah,  gained  decisive  victories  over  Edom.  This 
vaUey  could  vrell  have  been  no  other  than  the  Ghor  south  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  adjacent  to  the  mountain  of  salt ;  it  separates  indeed 
the  ancient  territories  of  J udah  and  Edom. '  Somewhere  in  the 
neighbourhood  lay  also  probably  the  "  City  of  Salt,"  enumerated 
along  with  En-gedi  as  in  the  desert  of  Judah.'^ 

This  very  remarkable  mountain  appears  not  to  be  directly 
mentioned,  either  in  Scripture,  nor  by  J osephus  or  any  other  an- 
cient writer.  Yet  Galen  may  not  improbably  allude  to  it,  when 
in  speaking  of  the  salt  gathered  around  the  Dead  Sea,  he  re- 
marks, that  it  is  called  Sodom  salt,"  from  the  mountains  named 
Sodom  adjacent  to  the  lake.'  In  this  ancient  appellation,  as  has 
been  already  remarked,  lies  probably  the  origin  of  the  present 
name,  Usdum.*  So  singular  a  feature  did  not  escape  the  atten- 
tion of  the  crusaders,  in  their  occasional  expeditions  through  this 
region  ;  and  the  earliest  direct  notice  of  the  mountain  seems  to 
be  that  of  Fulcher  of  Chartres,  who  accompanied  Baldwin  I. 
around  the  south  end  of  the  sea  in  A.  D.  1100.  He  describes 
the  mountain  accurately  ;  and  holds  it  to  be  the  source  of  the 
saltness  of  the  sea.^  His  account  has  probably  been  since  regard- 
ed as  a  fable  ;  for  the  mountain,  like  the  whole  tract  around, 
was  again  forgotten,  and  remained  unexplored  tor  many  centuries. 
Seetzen  in  A.  D.  1806  was  the  first  to  raise  the  veil  of  darkness 
fi-om  the  region  ;  he  mentions  the  mountain  as  being  nearly  three 
hours  in  length,  and  containing  many  layers  of  crystallized  rock 
salt.'  Irby  and  Mangles  with  their  party  followed  in  A.  D. 
1818  ;  and  also  speak  of  the  mountain  and  its  strata  of  salt.' 


'  2  Sam.  8,  13.  1  Chr.  IS,  12.  2  K. 
14,  7.  The  first  two  passages  evidently 
refer  to  the  same  event ;  but  that  in  Sam- 
uel reads  "  Syrians  "  (S^S ',  -while  that  in 
Chronicles  reads  "Edomites"  (STX\  The 
latter  reading  is  doubtless  the  correct  one; 
while  the  former  is  easily  accounted  for, 
by  the  similarity  of  the"  Hebrew  letters 
1  and  The  crusaders  knew  the  Ghor 
in  this  part  as  Vallii  IllustrU ;  Will  Tyr. 
16.  6. 

'  Josh.  1.5,  61.  62. 

'  Tlpo<xayop€voua-i  5*  avrot/s  [rows  o\€(s] 
SoSo.uTjvoi/j  air  J)  twv  TreptoxSmuv  riiv  \iu.vi)v 
opiv,  &  Ka\(7Tcu  SoSofio,  Galen  de  Simpl. 
medic.  Facult  IV.  19.  Reland  Paljest.  p. 
243.  ^ 

*  See  above,  YoL  I.  p.  502. 

Vol.  II.— 10 


'  Fulcher  C.irnot.  23,  in  GestaDeip., 
405,  "  Juxta  quem  lacum,  vel  Mare  illnd 
Mortuum,  estat  mons  uuns  similiter  salsris, 
non  tamen  totas  sed  locaUter,  constans  nt 
petra,  dnrissimus,  et  glaciei  simiUimus  ; 
unde  sal,  quod  saiis  (/einma  vocatnr,  mul- 
totiens  vidistis,  quod  de  monte  iUo  com- 
minuitur."    Comp.  Gesta  Dei  p.  581. 

«  Zach's  Monatl.  Corr.  XVm.  pp.  436, 
437.    Reisen  L  p.  428. 

'  Travels  p.  352.  [107.]  So  too  Legh  : 
"Along  the  foot  of  the  high  mountain- 
ridge,  whose  sides  were  sometimes  formed 
of  pure  rock-salt,  fragments  of  which  had 
rolled  do^vn,  or  were  seen  hanging  in  other 
places  as  stalactites  from  the  perpendicu- 
lar sections  of  the  rock."  May  11th.  BibL 
Repos.  Oct.,  1833,  p.  625. 

iL  483,  484 


no 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADY  MUSA, 


[Sev.  XII. 


From  that  time  to  the  present  year,  I  am  not  aware  that  the  re- 
gion had  been  visited  by  any  traveller.* 

As  we  thus  travelled  along  the  strand,  I  took  the  opportunity 
of  bathing  again  in  the  Dead  Sea,  which  detained  ns  for  twenty 
minutes.  The  bottom  was  here  of  sand,  and  the  water  so  shallow, 
that  although  I  waded  out  some  twenty  rods,  it  reached  little 
more  than  half  way  to  the  knee.  It  left  behind  the  same  oily 
feeling  as  formerly  ;  but  no  deposit  of  salt  upon  the  skin. 

We  came  at  7^  o'clock  to  a  cavern  in  the  mountain,  of 
which  our  Arabs  had  often  spoken.  It  is  on  a  level  with  the 
ground,  beneath  a  precipice  of  salt.  The  mouth  is  of  an  irregu- 
lar form,  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  and  about  the  same  in  breadth. 
Here  we  stopped  forty  minutes  for  breakfast,  and  in  order  to  ex- 
amine the  interior  of  the  cavern.  This  soon  becomes  merely  a 
small  irregular  gallery  or  fissure  in  the  rock,  with  a  water-course 
at  the  bottom,  in  which  water  was  in  some  places  still  trickling. 
We  followed  this  gallery  with  lights,  and  with  some  difficulty, 
for  three  or  four  hundred  feet  into  the  heart  of  the  mountain,  to 
a  point  where  it  branches  off  into  two  smaller  fissures  ;  and  then 
returned.  For  this  whole  distance,  the  sides  and  roof  and  floor 
of  the  cavern  are  solid  salt ;  dirty  indeed,  and  the  floor  covered 
with  dust  and  earth  ;  but  along  the  water-course  it  was  easy  to 
remark  the  pure  crystalhzed  rock,  as  worn  away  by  the  torrent, 
which  at  times  evidently  rushes  violently  through  the  cavern. 

As  we  approached  the  cave,  it  had  been  reported  by  the 
scouts,  of  w^hom  we  had  always  one  or  more  ahead,  that  a  troop 
of  riders  was  seen  coming  along  the  southern  end  of  the  sea. 
As  we  came  out  from  the  interior,  the  report  had  become  more 
distinct.  All  was  now  alarm  and  bustle  ;  the  guns  were  primed, 
and  preparation  made  to  meet  an  enemy.  The  distance  did  not 
allow  the  scouts  at  first  to  distinguish  the  number  of  men,  nor  • 
the  animals  on  which  they  were  riding  ;  but  it  was  concluded, 
that  if  they  were  horsemen,  they  were  certainly  a  Ghuzu  or 
marauding  party  of  their  enemies.  It  was  determined,  at  any 
rate,  not  to  abandon  our  strong  position  in  the  mouth  of  the 
cavern  ;  and  Sheikh  Hussan  himself  went  forward  to  reconnoitre 

'  Nau  in  167-t  relates,  that  at  Dainas-  and  the  water  is  only  mid-leg  deep,  at 
cus  he  met  Daniel,  abbot  of  St.  Saba,  who  least  on  the  east  side ;  and  that  here  is 
had  once  made  the  tour  of  the  whole  another  small  round,  or  rather  oval  lake, 
Dead  Sea.  Daniel  reported,  that  on  the  bounded  by  the  plains  and  salt  mountains 
west  side  of  the  lake,  he  found  a  tree  with  just  mentioned.  Now  all  this  is  founded 
apples  of  Sodom  like  lemons  (doubtless  the  more  or  less  in  truth  ;  but  when  the  abbot 
'Osh(y)  ;  that  the  south  end  of  the  sea  is  (or  Nau)  goes  on  to  say,  that  along  the 
not  pointed,  but  round ;  that  at  this  end  eastern  side  of  the  hike  there  are  rich 
a  stream  (lows  into  it  from  the  southeast  plains  with  vilhiges  and  churches  and  some 
called  Sap/iia  ;  that  hero  too  and  further  Christians,  it  is  plain  tliat  he  or  his  re- 
north  are  vast  plains  and  salt  mountains ;  porter  is  speaking  at  random.  Indeed,  the 
tliat  the  sea  towards  the  south  cud  is  cut  whole  account  is  too  indefinite,  ever  to  have 
in  two,  80  that  it  can  be  forded  in  summer,  gained  credit.  See  Nau's  Voyage  p.  580, 
ii.  484-48G 


Mat  29.]  CAVERN.     ALARM,  111 

and  hold  a  parley.  But  he  soon  ascertained,  tha,t  the  dreaded 
troop  of  marauders  consisted  of  a  flock  of  sheep,  with  two  or 
three  men  on  donlvcys.  All  alarm  now  vanished,  and  we  set  for- 
ward at  8.10,  still  proceeding  along  the  strand. 

As  we  advanced,  the  approaching  party  had  turned  the  corner 
of  the  sea,  and  we  met  them  on  the  western  shore.  They  proved 
to  be  a  Gaza  merchant,  who  had  been  buying  sheep  and  butter 
at  Kerak,  and  was  now  returning  home  with  his  purchases,  ac- 
companied by  two  or  three  men  from  Kerak.'  The  tables  were 
now  turned.  Our  Arabs  thus  finding  themselves  to  be  the  stronger 
party,  were  ^villing  to  make  a  show  of  their  power,  and  requite 
upon  the  poor  strangers  a  little  of  the  alarm  they  had  themselves 
at  first  felt.  They  therefore,  while  we  were  somewhat  in  advance, 
drew  up  in  a  line,  and  approached  the  strangers  with  menacing 
gestures  ;  and  even  Koraeh  was  unwise  enough  to  put  himself 
at  their  head,  and  assume  a  similar  mien.  But  it  turned  out, 
that  what  the  rest  had  intended  as  a  jest,  our  five  Haweitat  had 
meant  in  earnest.  Their  tribe,  it  seems,  being  at  open  war  with 
the  people  of  Kerak,  they  ran  forward  with  all  speed,  and  before 
we  could  believe  our  own  eyes,  they  were  actually  robbing  the 
other  party  !  One  seized  a  lamb,  another  a  pistol,  a  third  a 
cloak,  and  a  fourth  two  small  skins  of  Kerak  butter.  The  in- 
jured party  of  course  appealed  to  us  for  restitution  ;  but  we 
could  only  threaten  the  miscreants  to  dismiss  them  immediately 
without  payiftg  them  a  para  for  their  services,  unless  they  gave 
back  the  articles.  The  old  man,  who  had  taken  the  pistol,  now 
appealed  to  us  with  all  the  eloquence  of  conscious  integrity  ;  he 
said,  the  men  of  Kerak  were  his  enemies,  and  he  was  acting 
lawfully,  and  doing  to  them  only  what  they  would  do  to  him  iu 
like  circumstances.  My  companion,  not  professing  to  be  a  judge 
of  Bedawin  law,  replied,  that  while  he  was  in  our  service  he 
must  be  governed  by  our  laws ;  when  he  was  in  the  desert,  he 
might  act  as  a  Bedawy.  With  much  difficulty,  and  after  great 
exertion  on  the  part  of  our  resolute  Komeh,  (who  seemed  desir- 
ous to  make  good  his  oversight,)  they  were  constrained  to  restore, 
as  we  supposed,  every  thing.  Yet  it  turned  out  afterwards,  that 
they  had  contrived  to  retain  a  skin  of  butter.  Thus  instead  of 
being  robbed,  we  ourselves  might  be  said  to  have  turned  rob- 
bers. 

We  reached  the  southwest  corner  of  the  sea  at  8^  o'clock  ; 
the  shore  being  all  the  way  strewed  with  blocks  of  salt,  the  de- 
bris of  the  mountain  above.  At  the  same  point  is  also  the  south- 
east end  or  angle  of  Usdum,  as  seen  from  'Ain  Jidy  ;  here  the 

"  Kerak  was  foi-merly  celebrated  for  its    in  his  day  it  was  considered  disgraceful  to 
butter,  which  was  made  and  consumed  in    sell  it.    Travels  p.  385. 
great  quantities.    Burckhardt  relates,  that 

ii.  486,  487 


112 


FEOM  HEBRON  TO  WADT  MUSA, 


[Sec.  Xn. 


ridge  trends  off  southwest,  extending  in  that  direction  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  further.  The  breadth  of  the  sea  and  Ghor,  at 
this  point,  is  probably  less  than  two  thirds  of  its  width  at  'Ain 
Jidv,  perhaps  five  or  six  geographical  miles.' 

The  south  end  of  the  sea  is  everywhere  very  shallow  ;  and 
many  little  shoals  and  sand  banks  run  out  into  it  from  the  shores. 
From  the  line  of  water  southwards,  a  large  tract  of  low  naked 
fiats,  in  some  parts  a  mere  salt  marsh,  extends  up  for  several 
miles,  over  which  the  sea  rises  and  covers  it  when  full.  Traces 
of  the  high-water  line,  marked  with  drift  wood,  are  found  at  a 
great  distance  further  south.  This  naked  tract  of  flats  hes  chiefly 
in  the  middle  of  the  Ghor  and  further  west ;  indeed  all  the  western 
part,  quite  to  the  base  of  Usdum,  is  wholly  without  vegetation. 
Through  the  midst  of  it,  in  various  places,  large  sluggish  drains 
were  seen  winding  their  way  towards  the  sea.^ 

The  eastern  side  of  the  Ghor  presented  a  different  appear- 
ance. Here,  not  far  south  of  the  corner  of  the  sea,  comes  in  the 
Wady  el-Kurahy,  which  higher  up  in  the  mountains  is  called 
Wady  el-Ahsy,'  Further  south  is  also  Wady  et-Tufileh  ;  and 
still  beyond  is  another,  called  "Wady  Ghurundel.  The  two  for- 
mer, like  Wady  Kerak,  have  in  them  never  failing  streams. 

The  tract  watered  by  the  Kurahy,  where  it  issues  from  the 
mountains,  is  called  Ghor  es-Safieh  ;  and  is  cultivated  for  wheat, 
barley,  Dhurah,  and  tobacco,  by  the  Ghawarineh.  These  people 
at  Safiieh,  like  the  inhabitants  of  modem  Jericho,  are  a  feeble 
race,  who  alone  can  live  here  on  account  of  the  fevers  which 
prevail.  Our  Arabs  said  of  them,  that  they  are  not  to  be  reck- 
oned either  as  Bedu,  nor  as  Hudr,  nor  as  'Abid  (slaves).  They 
live  in  cabins  of  reeds  or  canes  ;  and  are  much  oppressed  by  the 
extortions  of  the  Bedawin  of  the  mountains.  They  were  said 
to  number  about  fifty  men.  The  Wady  et-Tufileh  in  like  man- 
ner waters  a  tract  at  its  mouth,  called  Feifeh  ;  which  is  also 
cultivated  by  the  Ghawarineh  of  Safieh. 

The  Fellahin  do  not  here  come  down  from  the  mountains,  as 
at  Jericho,  to  plough  and  sow  in  the  valley.    The  tract  on  the 

'  From  this  spot  at  the  sonthwest  cor-  '  This  is  the  Wady  el-Ahsa  of  Burck- 

ner  of  the  sea,  I  took  the  foUowiug  bear-  hardt,  south  of  Khanzlrch,  separating  the 

ings  :  Southern  shore  of  the  sea  runs  due  district  of  Kerak  from  Jebi'i!;  Travels  pp. 

E.    R'lS  cl-Mersed  at  'Ain  Jidy  N.  8'  E.  400,  401.     Seetzen  ■n-rites  it  incorrectly 

Rag  el-Feshkhah  N.  13°  E.    Western  ex-  Wady  al-Hossn;  Zach's  Monatl.  Corresp. 

tremity  of  the  peninsula,  as  here  seen,  N.  XVIII.  p.  43G.    Irby  and  Mangles  have  in 

16''  E.  like  manner  at  first  el-Hiigsan,  Travels  pp. 

'  Irby  and  Mangles,  in  travelling  along  3.55,  373,  374 ;  but  on  their  return  they 

the  south  end  of  the  sea,  passed  six  drains  write  only  cl-Ahsa,  p.  444.    Legh  ■wTites 

before  coming  to  the  stream  of  the  Kurahy  el-Hossan;  though  in  the  mountains  he 

some    wet,   others   dry.     The.se   had  a  speaks  of  the  same  A\'ady  under  the  name 

strong  marshy  smell,  similar  to  what  is  Ellasar ;  May  10th  and  Ifllh. — We  inquired 

perceivable  on  muddy  flats  in  salt-water  often  and  very  particularly,  but  could  hear 

harbours.    Travels  p.  354.  [108.J  only  the  name  el-Ahsy. 

ii.  487-489 


Mat  29.] 


THE  GHOR. 


113 


peninsula  at  the  moutli  of  "Wady  Kerak  called  Ghor  el-Mezra'ah, 
with  the  village  of  Ghawarineh  who  till  it,  has  aheady  been  de- 
scribed.' They  were  said  to  be  fewer  than  those  of  Safieh. 
Many  of  them,  having  fled  from  the  oppressions  of  the  Arabs 
aroimd  Kerak,  were  now  dwelling  in  the  Ghor  of  the  'Adwan 
opposite  Jericho,  around  Ximrin  and  Eameh  in  "Wady  Hesbfin. 

The  eastern  side  of  the  Ghor,  as  thus  described  and  seen 
from  the  spot  where  we  now  stood,  is  covered  with  shrubs  and 
verdure  like  the  plain  of  Jericho  ;  forming  a  striking  contrast 
with  the  middle  and  western  side.  Except  the  tracts  above 
mentioned,  the  rest  of  the  Ghor  is  wholly  unsusceptible  of 
cultivation,* 

But  for  us,  at  the  moment,  the  view  of  the  Ghor  which  here 
opened  to  us  towards  the  south,  had  a  still  higher  interest.  At 
the  distance  of  nearly  three  hours,  this  view  was  now  bounded  by 
the  Hue  of  whitish  cUffs,  which  we  had  seen  from  upper  Zuwei- 
rah,  running  oif  obliquely  quite  across  the  broad  valley,  and  ap- 
parently barring  all  further  progress.  From  ez-Zuweirah,  how- 
ever, we  had  been  able  to  distinguish,  that  above  and  beyond 
these  cHffs,  the  wide  plain  of  the  great  valley  continued  to  run 
on  towards  the  south  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  ;  and  that 
the  cliffs  themselves  were  indeed  nothing  more  than  an  offset  or 
step,  between  the  lower  Ghor  on  the  north  and  the  higher  level 
of  the  more  southern  valley.'  Along  the  foot  of  the  cliffs, 
beyond  the  naked  flats,  we  could  everywhere  perceive  a  broad 
tract  of  verdure  ;  which  we  afterwards  found  to  be  mostly  cane 
brake,  growing  on  marshes  formed  by  many  brackish  springs. — 
We  now  for  the  first  time  learned  the  exact  point  of  division, 
between  the  portions  of  the  great  valley  called  el-Ghor  and  el- 
'Arabah.  It  consists  in  this  line  of  cliffs  ;  all  the  valley  on  the 
north  as  far  as  to  the  lake  of  Tiberias  forming  the  Ghor,  while 
el-'Arabah  on  the  south  extends  quite  to  'Akabah.  Such  was 
the  testimony  of  all  our  Arabs,  both  of  the  Jehalin  and  Ha- 
weitat.* 

Thus  far  we  had  followed  the  route  of  the  few  former  travel- 
lers, who  had  passed  between  Hebron  and  Kerak  around  the 

'  See  above,  VoL  I.  p.  520.  and  closes  the  vallevof  el-Ghor. — We  were 

'  Compare  generallj  the  account  of  told  that  the  plain  on  the  top  of  this  range 

Burckhardt,  pp.  390,  391.    Also  that  of  of  cliffs,  continnes  the  whole  way  to  3Iec- 

Irby  and  Mangles,  which  is  more  fuU  and  ca  ['Akabah .']  without  anv  interruption 

definite,  pp.  353-357.  [107-109.1  of  mountains;"  Travels  p.'  353.  [107.] 

'  See  above,  p.  103. — Irby  and  Mangles  This  is  the  only  mention  of  these  cliffi  pre- 

saw  and  mention  these  cliffs,  as  they  passed  viotis  to  our  visit. 

along  the  south  end  of  the  sea  :  "  The  *  I  speak  here  advisedly ;  because  some 
plain  opens  considerably  to  the  south,  and  have  chosen  to  give  to  the  southern  part 
is  bounded  at  the  distance  of  about  eight  of  the  great  valley  the  name  of  Wady  el- 
miles,  by  a  sandy  cliff,  from  sixty  to  eighty  'Akabah.  This  name  is  not  known  among 
feet  in  height,  which  nms  directly  across  the  Arabs. 

Vol.  n.— 10*  ii.  489,  490 


114 


FEOM  HEBEON  TO  ■WADT  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.'  But  from  this  point  we  were  about 
to  enter  a  new  region,  and  follow  along  a  portion  of  the  great 
valley,  (no  very  extensive  one  indeed,)  into  which  until  a  few 
weeks  before,  the  foot  of  no  Frank  traveller  had  ever  penetrated. 
The  former  attractive  hypothesis,  which  had  been  adopted  after 
Burckhardt's  discovery  of  this  valley,  viz.  that  the  Jordan  an- 
ciently flowed  through  its  whole  length  quite  to  the  Dead  Sea, 
we  knew  to  be  no  longer  tenable.^  The  sagacious  doubts  of 
Letronne  upon  this  point,  founded  chiefly  on  the  direction  of 
the  side  valleys  from  the  adjacent  mountains,  as  laid  down  upon 
Laborde's  map,  had  been  speedily  followed  by  the  discovery  of 
the  depressed  level  of  the  Dead  Sea  ;  a  fact  in  itself  necessarily 
fatal  to  the  hypothesis  in  question.'  All  this  was  known  to  me 
before  I  left  Europe. 

We  had  further  learned  from  Lord  Prudhoe  in  Jerusalem, 
who  had  just  before  travelled  from  Suez  direct  to  Wady  Musa 
and  thence  to  Hebron,  that  in  crossing  the  'Arabah,  his  guides 
of  the  Jehahn  had  repeatedly  assured  him,  that  its  waters  in 
the  rainy  season  all  flowed  towards  the  north.  Such  too  was  the 
subsequent  testimony  of  M.  Bertou  ;  and  our  own  Arabs,  bath 
Jehalin  and  Haweitat,  had  already  confirmed  the  report.  The 
main  fact  therefore  of  a  descent  of  the  valley  towards  the  Dead 
Sea,  was  already  established  ;  but  of  the  character  of  this  descent 
we  as  yet  knew  nothing.  There  were  besides  various  questions 
respecting  the  topography  of  the  region,  as  connected  with  the 
approach  of  the  Israelites  to  Palestine,  which  we  were  desirous 
to  investigate  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  wonders  of  Wady  Musa, 
which  ever  since  the  first  report  of  them  by  Burckhardt,  had 
taken  a  strong  hold  of  my  imagination.  It  was  therefore  with  a 
feeling  of  excited  interest,  that  we  now  set  our  faces  towards  the 
south  and  bent  our  way  along  the  Ghor. 

From  this  spot  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the  sea,  our 
Arabs  pointed  out  a  Wady  called  el-Jeib  in  the  distant  range  of 
chffs,  along  wliich  they  said  our  road  would  pass.  We  however 
could  make  out  only  a  slight  line  of  verdure  ;  marking  as  we 
supposed  a  small  Wady,  by  which  we  were  to  ascend  to  the 
higher  level  of  the  great  valley  further  south.  This  point  now 
bore  about  S.  15°  W.  somewhat  east  of  the  middle  of  the  Ghor  ; 

'  Seetzen,  and  also  Irby  and  Mangles  des  Savans,  Oct.  18Sr>.  p.         sq.  Nouv. 

and  thoir  party.  Aiiiiak-s  des  Voyages,  1839,  Tom  III.  p. 

'  This  hj-pothesis  seems  first  to  have  264. 

been  su!;;;Rstpd  by  Col.  Leake,  in  his  Pre-  '  See  Letronne's  paper  in  the  Journal  des 

face  to  lUirckhardt's  Travels  in  Syria  etc.  Savans  Oct.  1835,  pp.  r>9C-G02.  Nouv. 

Lond.  1822.  4.    Letronne  erroneously  as-  Ann.  des  Voyages,  ibid.  p.  2.'>7  ?q. — 

cribcs  it  to  Ritter;  for  although  the  latter  The  observations  of  Moore  and  Hoke,  and 

speaks  of  the  valley,  he  says  nothing  of  of  Schubert,  by  which  the  depression  of 

the  Jordan;  Krdkunde  Th.  II.  pj).  217,  the  Dead  Sea  was  first  detected,  were  made 

218.    Heil.  1818.    Letronne  in  journal  in  Mivruh  and  April  1837. 

ii.  m-m 


May  29.] 


USDTTM.     THE  GHOR. 


115 


but  as  the  intervening  tract  of  marsliy  land  was  impassable  for 
tbe  camels,  vre  were  compelled  to  keep  along  the  western  side  of 
the  Ghor,  and  thus  make  a  large  circuit. 

Leaving  the  corner  of  the  sea,  at  8^  o'clock,  we  proceeded 
along  the  base  of  Usdum  on  a  course  at  first  southwest.  The 
ground  all  along  was  moist  and  slippery,  sticking  to  our  shoes  as 
we  walked  ;  and  the  naked  tract  on  our  left  was  full  of  salt 
drains,  sluo;crish  and  dead.'  The  mountain  continued  all  the 
way  to  exhibit  the  same  formation  ;  but  the  salt  is  here  less  ex- 
posed than  along  the  sea.  Lumps  of  nitre  were  scattered  along 
the  base  ;  of  which  we  picked  up  several,  one  as  large  as  the 
fist.  We  reached  the  southern  end  of  the  ridge  at  9.25.  Here 
and  stiU  further  south,  we  saw  drift  wood  lying  in  lines  as  thrown 
up  by  the  sea  ;  showing  that  the  level  of  the  lake  must  some- 
times be  not  less  than  ten  or  fifteen  feet  higher  than  at  present. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  passed  a  purling  rill  of  beautifully  limpid 
water,  coming  down  from  near  the  base  of  the  mountain  ;  it 
proved  to  be  salt  as  the  saltest  brine,  though  without  any  bitter 
taste.    Another  similar  rill  occurred  shortly  after. 

^Yhe^e  the  ridge  of  Usdum  thus  terminates,  the  low  cliffs 
and  conical  hills  of  marl,  which  we  had  seen  behind  it  from  the 
mouth  of  Wady  ez-Zuweirah,  come  out  again  and  skirt  the 
western  side  of  the  Ghor  ;  the  regular  limestone  mountains 
lying  stiU  an  hour  or  two  further  back.  This  trending  off"  of 
Usdum  of  course  again  increases  the  breadth  of  the  Ghor,  which 
is  contracted  at  the  extremity  of  the  sea  ;  although  exclusive 
of  the  marl  cliffs,  it  is  here  not  so  wide  as  at  'Ain  Jidy.  "We 
now  kept  along  at  the  side  of  these  hills,  on  a  general  course 
nearly  S.  S.  W.  Ten  minutes  fi-om  the  end  of  Usdum,  a  scat- 
tered vegetation  again  commences  on  this  side  of  the  Ghor  ;  of 
which  there  had  been  no  trace  along  the  whole  extent  of  the 
mountain.  The  tract  towards  the  middle  still  continued  naked. 
Small  Wadys  now  came  in  from  among  the  low  hills.  At  9.40 
a  path  was  pointed  out,  leading  up  the  western  mountains  at 
some  distance  south  of  Zuweirah  ;  it  is  called  Kukb  el-Em'az, 
from  the  Wady  of  the  same  name  further  on.  Two  other  roads 
still  further  south  were  said  to  come  down  into  the  Ghor,  called 
el-Buweib  and  es-Suleisil ;  but  they  are  merely  Arab  paths,  not 
used  by  caravans.  By  them  the  Arabs  DhuUam  and  Sa'idiyeh 
descend  from  the  west,  to  winter  in  the  Ghor  and  el-'Arabah" 

A  brackish  fountain  was  on  our  right  at  9.55,  called  'Ain  el- 
Beida,  with  a  few  stunted  palm  trees  and  many  canes.  The 
stream  which  flowed  from  it  was  too  salt  for  the  camels  to  drink. 
At  10,^  o'clock  the  bed  of  a  torrent,  Wady  el-Em'az,  crossed 
our  path,  coming  down  from  the  western  mountains  ;  and  beyond 

'  Comp.  Anderson's  Report,  p.  182. 

iL  492.  493 


116 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADT  MUSA, 


[SecXIT. 


it,  water  was  springing  up  in  several  places,  all  included  under 
the  name  el-Beida.  Round  about  these  wet  spots  are  cane 
brakes.  Indeed  the  tract  watered  by  all  these  fountains,  is  cov- 
ered with  shrubs  and  bushes  ;  but  it  exhibits  nowhere  arable 
soil,  and  was  now  in  many  places  Avhite  with  salt.  The  shrubs 
were  chiefly  the  Retem,  Tamarisk,  Ghurkud,  and  the  like.  The 
Ghurkud  was  growing  in  abundance,  as  around  other  brackish 
fountains  ;  its  red  berries  were  now  just  ripe,  sweetish  and  yet 
slightly  acidulous  to  the  taste,  very  juicy  and  pleasant,  and  quite 
refreshing  to  the  heated  traveller.* 

Opposite  to  this  part,  the  naked  portion  of  the  Ghor  seemed 
to  end  ;  and  was  succeeded  by  a  broad  tract  of  shrubs  along  the 
foot  of  the  southern  line  of  cliffs.  Two  or  three  large  drains,  ap- 
parently coming  from  Wadys,  extended  further  up  ;  one  of  which 
was  on  our  left  and  nearly  parallel  to  our  course. 

We  were  now  approaching  the  southwest  corner  of  the  Ghor, 
where  the  chalky  hills  on  our  right  sweep  round  to  meet  the  Hne 
of  cliifs  on  the  south,  which  separate  the  Ghor  and  'Arabah. 
These  latter,  as  here  seen,  appear  indeed  merely  as  an  extension 
of  the  former  towards  the  southeast.  As  we  advanced,  the  drain 
upon  our  left  proved  to  be  the  continuation  of  a  broad  valley  en- 
tering the  Ghor  at  its  southwest  corner,  named  Wady  el-Fikreh. 
It  comes  from  the  southwest  near  a  pass  of  the  mountains  called 
es-Sufah  ;  and  its  wide  bed,  strewed  with  stones  and  furrowed 
with  channels,  shows  that  it  occasionally  brings  down  large 
masses  of  water.  In  this  Wady,  some  hours  above  and  not  far 
north  of  the  pass  es-Sufah,  there  was  said  to  be  a  fountain  of  the 
same  name,  with  palm  trees.*  Crossing  the  bed  of  the  Wady, 
we  came  at  11  o'clock  to  the  precipitous  cliff  on  its  eastern  side, 
which  here  forms  the  commencement  of  the  line  of  cliffs  nmning 
obhquely  across  the  great  valley.^ 

We  now  turned  in  a  general  direction  S.  S.  E.  along  the  foot 
of  the  cliffs.  They  are  of  chalky  earth,  or  indurated  marl,  of 
the  same  general  character  as  the  sides  of  the  valley  ez-Zuwei- 
rah,  and  the  conical  hills  back  of  Usdum  and  along  the  western 
side  of  the  Ghor.  They  vary  in  height,  in  different  parts,  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  face  of  the  cliffs,  though 
very  steep,  is  not  jjerpendicular ;  and  they  are  much  furrowed 
by  the  rains  ;  so  that  the  upper  part  presents  a  jagged  appear- 
ance. AU  along  their  base  are  fountains  of  brackish  water, 
oozing  out  and  forming  a  tract  of  marshy  land,  overgrown  with 
canes  intermingled  with  shrubs  and  trees.    Tamarisks  and  the 

'  See  a  description  of  the  Ghurkud,  Vol.  '  From  this  point  the  eastern  angle  of 
L  p.  CG.  the  rUlrra  Usduin,  at  the  southwestern  cor- 

"  We  saw  this  Wady  higher  up  on  our    uer  of  the  sea,  bore  N.  38°  E. 
return,  June  2d. 
ii.  493-495 


Mav  29.] 


THE  GHOR.     LI^'E  OF  CLIFFS. 


117 


Nubk  were  frequent  ;  and  occasionally  there  was  a  stunted  palm. 
With  the  exception  of  a  few  naked  strips  along  brackish  drains, 
the  whole  breadth  of  the  Ghor  was  here  occupied  with  this  spe- 
cies of  verdure.  Around  these  and  all  the  other  fountains  we 
passed  in  the  Ghor,  were  many  tracks  of  wild  swine  ;  they  were 
said  to  abound  in  the  region,  though  we  saw  none. 

Our  path  lay  along  the  very  base  of  the  chffs,  between  them 
and  the  jungle,  above  the  foimtains,  in  order  to  avoid  the  mar.«hy 
ground.  One  of  the  fountains,  to  which  we  came  at  llf  o'clock, 
sends  forth  a  fine  gushing  stream  of  hmpid  water,  veiy  nearly 
pure,  or  at  least  only  slightly  brackish.  A  broad  tract  of  jungle 
lies  below.  It  is  called  'Ain  el-'Anis,  "  the  Bride's  Fountain," 
and  gives  its  name  to  all  the  others.  Here  we  halted  for  nearly 
two  hours,  for  rest,  and  in  order  to  fill  the  water-skins  for  the  day 
and  night.  We  sought  the  shade  of  the  bushes  ;  but  found  the 
heat  very  oppressive  ;  the  thermometer  standing  at  92^  F.  In- 
deed we  were  now  exposed  to  the  fiill  influence  of  the  scorching 
climate  of  the  Ghor.' 

Here  we  could  see  the  Wady  Ghurtindel  already  mentioned, 
which  comes  down  from  the  eastern  mountains,  and  enters  the 
Ghor  just  at  its  southeast  comer.  It  takes  its  name,  according 
to  our  Arabs,  from  a  ruined  place  called  Ghurundel  near  its 
head.  This  was  doubtless  the  ancient  Arindela,  an  episcopal 
city  of  the  Third  Palestine,  mentioned  along  with  Areopohs  and 
Charak  Moab.  The  names  of  its  bishops  appear  in  the  signa- 
tures of  councils  ;  and  it  is  found  still  marked  as  a  bishop's  see 
in  the  latest  Notitice  before  the  time  of  the  crusades.'^  Both 
the  site  and  the  valley  escaped  the  notice  of  Burckhardt,  as  he 
passed  through  the  mountains.  Irby  and  Mangles  visited  the 
site,  but  do  not  mention  the  valley.  The  ruins  are  situated  on 
the  slope  of  a  hill  near  a  spring  of  water,  and  are  of  considera- 
ble extent.' 

While  we  rested  at  'Ain  el-'Arus,  our  Haweitat  took  the  op- 
portunity of  preparing  a  warm  breakfast.  They  had  brought 
along  some  flour,  or  rather  meal,  of  wheat  and  barley  filled  with 
chaff ;  of  which  they  now  kneaded  a  round  flat  cake  of  some 

'  The  following  bearing  are  from  the  two  in  the  other ;  their  diameter  is  two 

fountain 'Ain  el-'Arus  :  Southeast  angle  of  feet;  none  have  capitals.    There  are  also 

Usdum  N.  20'  E.    Peak  of  the  mountains  near  to  this  spot,  fragments  of  columns  of 

of  Moab  near  Khanzireh,  N.  75'  E.    "Wa-  three  feet  diameter ;  the  capitals  appear  to 

dy  et-Tuf  leh,  mouth,  S.  60  "  E.    Wady  be  bad  Doric." — Burckhardt  found  only 

Ghurundel,  mouth,  S.  35"  E.  the  southern  Wady   Ghurundel,  beyond 

'  Keland  Palaest  p.   581.     Compare  Wadv  Mu.^a;  but  was  the  first  to  suggest 

ibid.  pp.  21.5,  217,  223,  226,  533.    Le  the  identity  of  this  name  with  Arindela; 

Quicn  Oriens  Christ.  III.  p.  727.  Travels  p.  iil.    The  northern  Ghurundel 

'  Irhv  and  Mangles  p.  376  [115],  "To-  was  inserted  on  the  map  accompanying  his 

wards  the  centre  of  the  ruins  are  the  re-  work,  from  the  informarion  of  Irby  and 

mains  of  two  parallel  rows  of  columns,  of  Mangles, 
which  three  are  standing  in  one  row  and 

ii.  495;  49G 


118 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADT  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


tliiclmess.  This  they  threw  into  the  ashes  and  coals  of  a  fire 
they  had  kindled  ;  and  after  due  time,  brought  out  a  loaf  of 
bread,  as  black  on  the  outside  as  the  coals  themselves,  and  not 
much  whiter  within.  After  breaking  it  up  small  in  a  dish  while 
still  warm,  they  mixed  with  it  some  of  the  butter  they  had 
stolen,  and  thus  made  their  meal.  Such  is  the  manner  of  life 
among  these  sons  of  the  desert ;  though  the  butter  was  a  luxury 
by  no  means  common.  On  their  journeys^  coarse  black  un- 
leavened bread  is  the  Bedawy's  usual  fare.* 

At  1.35,  we  were  again  upon  the  way,  keeping  still  along 
the  base  of  the  clitFs  on  a  general  course  S.  S.  E.  but  with 
many  curves.  At  2.10  there  was  a  sort  of  angle  in  the  line  of 
cliffs  ;  where  they  trend  in  general  more  towards  the  southeast, 
but  j^et  with  a  hollow  sweep  towards  the  south.  Their  tops 
continued  serrated  and  jagged,  from  the  beds  of  little  torrents 
coming  down  from  the  'Arabah  above.  We  crossed  at  2.20  a 
Wady  of  this  kind,  of  some  size,  called  el-Kuseib. 

At  length  at  2.50,  we  reached  the  opening  of  the  long  ex- 
pected Wady  el-Jeib,  through  which  we  were  to  ascend.  To 
our  surprise,  it  turned  out  to  be,  not  the  mere  bed  of  a  torrent 
descending  from  the  higher  plain  of  the  'Arabah,  but  a  deep 
broad  Wady  issuing  from  the  south  upon  the  Ghor,  and  coming 
down  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  between  liigh  precipitous 
cliffs,  like  those  along  which  we  had  passed.  It  is  indeed  the 
vast  drain  of  all  the  'Arabah  ;  which  has  thus  worn  for  itself  in 
the  course  of  ages  a  huge  channel,  through  the  upper  jilain  and 
the  offset  of  cliffs,  to  the  level  of  the  Ghor  below.* 

We  found  here  the  peculiarity,  that  the  eastern  bank  of  this 
great  Wady  el-Jeib  terminates  nearly  an  hour  further  south  ; 
from  which  point  the  offset,  or  line  of  cliffs,  then  runs  north  of 
east  to  the  eastern  mountains  at  the  mouth  of  Wady  Ghurundel, 
leaving  before  us  a  wide  open  tract  belonging  to  the  Ghor.  The 
water-courses  from  the  Wady  come  down  across  this  tract,  and 
pass  on  through  a  space  without  shrubs  and  trees  to  the  marshy 
flats  nearer  the  sea. 

We  now  turned  up  along  the  western  bank  on  a  course  S.  S. 
W.  and  at  3J  o'clock,  were  opposite  the  angle  of  the  eastern 

'  Burckh.ardt  travelled  from  beyond  Wa-  '  From  the  point  where  we  now  stood, 

dy  Jliisa  across  the  western  desert,  with  viz.  the  western  angle  of  the  cliffs  at  the 

Haweitat  apparently  from  the  same  tribe  entrance  of  Wady  el-.Joib,  we  took  the  fol- 

as  ours.    "  The  frugality  of  these  Beda-  lowing  bearings :  'Ain  el-'Arus  about  N. 

win,"  he  says,  "  is  without  example  ;  my  30°  \V.    Southwest  end  of  Usdum  N.  15° 

companions,    who  walked   at  least  five  W.    Southeastern  angle  of  Usdum  at  the 

hours  every  day,  supported  themselves  for  corner  of  the  sea,  N.  15"  E.    Peak  in  the 

four  and  twenty  hours  with  a  piece  of  dry  mountains  of  Moab  N.  Go"  E.    Wady  et- 

hlack  bread,  of  about  a  pound  and  a  half  Tuf  ileh,  mouth,  N.  Hr>  '  E.    Mouth  of  \Va- 

wcight,  without  any  other  kind  of  nourish-  dy  Ghun'mdel  and  southeast  corner  of  the 

ment."    Travels  p.  439.  Ghor  S.  40'  E. 
ii.  49C-498 


Mat  29.] 


WADT  EL-JUB. 


119 


bank  ;  whence  the  line  of  cliffs  rans  neafly  east  by  north  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  about  an  hour  distant.  Here  we  entered 
the  Wady  itself,  in  this  part  not  far  from  half  a  mile  broad, 
shut  in  between  perpendicular  walls  of  the  same  chalky  earth 
or  marl,  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high, 
which  exclude  all  view  of  the  country  and  of  every  object 
around.  The  banks  indeed  are  so  entirely  perpendicular,  that  it 
would  be  next  to  impossible  to  ascend  out  of  the  valley  on 
either  side.  The  broad  bed  of  the  Wady  is  very  level,  and  has 
to  the  eye  but  a  slight  ascent  towards  the  south  ;  yet  it  bears 
traces  of  an  immense  volume  of  water,  rushing  along  with  vio- 
lence and  covering  the  whole  breadth  of  the  valley.  At  its 
mouth  and  below,  the  bed  Is  covered  with  Tamarisks  (Turfa), 
and  another  shrub  resembling  the  Eetem,  but  larger,  called  el- 
Ghutlhah.^  These  bushes  s<X)n  become  fewer,  and  gradually 
dL'appear. 

We  travelled  on  along  this  remarkable  chasm  ;  which  was 
now  heated  both  by  the  direct  and  reflected  rays  of  the  sim,  to 
the  temperature  of  88'  F.  The  direct  rays  were  scorching  ;  but 
we  avoided  them  by  keeping  within  the  shadow  of  the  high 
western  bank.  At  4.40  the  course  of  the  valley  became  south  ; 
and  livtking  up  it,  we  could  distinguish  the  lone  peak  of  Mount 
Hor  in  the  distance,  bearing  also  south.  At  5  o'clock  a  branch 
Wady  came  in  Irom  the  west,  similar  in  its  character  to  el-Jeib, 
though  much  smaller.  The  Arabs  called  it  Wady  Hash  ;  and 
said  it  had  its  head  in  the  plain  of  the  'Arabah,  at  a  place  where 
there  is  a  natural  po«jl  filled  with  sweet  living  water,  surrounded 
by  much  verdure,  and.  as  the  Arabs  said,  with  some  traces  of 
ruins.  Beyond  this  point,  we  began  to  find  stones  and  blocks 
of  porphyry  scattered  along  the  water-course  of  the  Jeib,  brought 
down  by  the  torrents  from  the  mountains  further  soutL  TUl 
now  the  clifis  on  each  side  had  been  so  high  and  unbroken,  that 
we  had  seen  nothing  whatever  of  the  features  of  the  country 
round  aljout ;  but  here  those  on  our  left  became  occasionally 
lower,  and  we  could  perceive  the  eastern  mountains,  and  in  them 
the  large  Wady  el-Ghuweir  described  by  Burckhardt.^  At  6 
o'clock  we  halted,  still  in  the  shade  of  the  high  western  bank. 
Here  Moimt  Hor  bore  south,  and  the  high  peak  we  had  before 
noted  in  the  mountains  of  Moab,  X.  54^  E. 

The  heat  in  the  Wady  was  so  great,  and  the  prospect  of  the 
coimtry  so  very  limited,  that  we  concluded  to  travel  during  a 
part  of  the  night ;  stopping  now  to  dine  and  rest,  and  intending 
to  set  off  again  at  midnight.    The  evening  was  warm  and  still ; 

'  "  Xomen  arboris.  Kam.  Aptisdmi  ad      '  Travels  in  Sjria  and  the  Holy  Land, 
ignem  ct  pnnmligni:  in  arenU  pracipae    pp.  -409,  -tlO.  # 
provenit.  Gol."    Freyt.  Lex.  lU.  p.  2^1. 

ii.  498,  490 


120 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  "WADT  MUSA, 


[Sec.  Xn 


we  therefore  did  not  pitcTi  our  tent,  but  spread  our  carpets  on  the 
sand,  and  lay  down,  not  indeed  at  first  to  sleep,  but  to  en^oy  the 
scene  and  the  associations  which  thronged  upon  our  minds.  It 
was  truly  one  of  the  most  romantic  desert  scenes  we  had  yet  met 
with  ;  and  I  hardly  remember  another  in  all  our  wanderings,  of 
which  I  retain  a  more  lively  impression.  Here  was  the  deep 
broad  valley  in  the  midst  of  the  'Arabah,  unknown  to  all  the 
ci\alized  world,  shut  in  by  high  and  singular  chffs  ;  overagainst 
us  were  the  mountains  of  Edom  ;  in  the  distance  rose  Mount 
Hor  in  its  lone  majesty,  the  spot  where  the  aged  prophet-broth- 
ers took  of  each  other  their  last  farewell ;  while  above  our  heads 
was  the  deep  azure  of  an  oriental  sky,  studded  with  innumerable 
stars  and  biilliant  constellations,  on  which  we  gazed  with  a 
higher  interest  from  the  bottom  of  this  deep  chasm.  Near  at 
hand  were  the  flashing  fires  of  our  party  ;  the  Arabs  themselves 
in  their  wild  attire,  all  nine  at  supper  around  one  bowl ;  our 
Egyptian  servants  looking  on  ;  one  after  another  rising  and  gli- 
ding through  the  glow  of  the  fires  ;  the  Sheikh  approaching  and 
saluting  us  ;  the  serving  of  coffee ;  and  beyond  all  this  circle, 
the  patient  camels  lying  at  their  ease,  and  lazily  chewing  the  cud. 

The  great  feature  of  our  journey  to  day,  was  the  Wady  el- 
Jeib.  The  mountain  of  salt,  however  remarkable  and  important, 
had  in  part  been  known  before.  But  this  deep  Wady  was  wholly 
new  to  us  and  unknown  to  the  world  ;  the  great  water-course  of 
all  the  valley  or  plain  of  the  'Arabah  ;  a  Wady  within  a  Wady. 
Our  Arabs  of  the  Haweitat  were  acquainted  with  it  throughout 
its  whole  length  ;  and  assured  us,  that  it  has  its  commencement 
far  south  of  Wady  Mtisa  ;  and  that  in  the  rainy  season,  the 
waters  of  the  southern  Wady  Ghiu-undel  flow  oft'  northwards 
through  the  Jeib  to  the  Dead  Sea.  Further  north,  they  said,  it 
receives  the  great  Wady  el-Jerafeh  from  the  western  desert. 

Another  remarkable  feature  of  the  region  is  the  line  of  cliffs 
crossing  the  whole  Ghor,  and  constituting  merely  the  ascent  to 
the  higher  plain  of  the  'Arabah.  From  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  Ghor  to  the  mouth  of  Wady  cl-Jeib  we  travelled  two  hours  ; 
and  from  thence  to  the  southeast  corner  is  an  hour  or  more  fur- 
ther. The  cliffs  thus  form  an  irregular  curve,  sweeping  across 
the  Ghor  in  something  like  a  segment  of  a  circle,  the  chord  of 
which  would  be  about  six  or  seven  geograpliical  miles  in  length, 
extending  obliqiiely  nearly  from  northwest  to  southeast. — This 
remarkable  line  of  clilfs,  in  the  absence  of  any  better  suggestion, 
I  am  inclined  to  regard  as  the  "  Ascent  of  Akrabbim  ;  "  to  which 
the  southeastern  border  of  J udah  was  to  be  drawn  from  the 
Dead  Sea,  "  from  the  bay  that  looketh  southward,"  and  was 
thence  to  pass  on  to  Zin  and  Kadesli-Banica.' 

■  Num.  34,  3.  4.    Jobh.  l,"),  2.  3. 

ii.  500,  501 


Mat  30.] 


KIGHT  SCENE.     EARLY  START. 


121 


Wednesday,  May  30th.  Ten  minutes  after  midnight  we  were 
again  upon  our  camels.  The  moon  had  set,  and  all  was  dark  ; 
the  night-breeze  cool  and  refreshing.  All  was  still  as  the  grave  ; 
nor  did  the  noiseless  tread  of  the  camels  in  the  sand,  break  in  at 
all  upon  the  silence.  As  we  advanced,  the  banks  of  the  Wady 
became  gradually  lower  ;  and  at  two  o'clock  the  country  appar- 
ently opened  around.  I  watched  with  interest  the  dawning  of 
the  morning  star  ;  at  length  about  3  o'clock  it  burst  at  once  over 
the  eastern  mountains,  radiant  with  brightness.  We  now  seemed 
to  be  leaving  the  bed  of  Wady  el-Jeib  ;  and  fearing  to  lose  some 
important  observation,  we  halted  and  waited  for  daybreak.  Lying 
down  upon  the  sand,  we  slept  sweetly  for  an  hour  ;  and  at  4.20 
proceeded  on  our  way. 

The  bed  of  the  Jeib,  where  we  thus  left  it,  was  stUl  .large  ; 
but  the  banks  were  of  moderate  height ;  the  eastern  indeed  had 
nearly  disappeared.  The  Wady  here  came  down  from  the  south- 
west while  our  course  was  now  nearly  S.^^W.  Mount  Hor  bore 
at  first  due  south,  and  then  gradually  S.|^  E.  We  were  now 
upon  the  plain,  or  rather  the  rolling  desert  of  the  'Arabah  ;  the 
surface  was  in  general  loose  gravel  and  stones,  everywhere  furrowed 
and  torn  with  the  beds  of  torrents.  A  more  frightful  desert  it 
had  hardly  been  our  lot  to  behold.  Now  and  then  a  lone  shrub 
of  the  Grhiidah  was  almost  the  only  trace  of  vegetation.  Looking 
across  the  'Arabah  towards  the  west,  the  prospect  was  not  more 
cheering,  except  the  small  spots  of  verdure  around  two  fountains  ; 
one  el-Weibeh'  at  the  foot  of  the  western  mountains ;  and  the 
other,  el-Hufeiry  more  in  the  plain  further  north.  The  moun- 
tains beyond  presented  a  most  uninviting  and  hideous  aspect ; 
precipices  and  naked  conical  peaks  of  chalky  and  gravelly  forma- 
tion, rising  one  above  another  without  a  sign  of  life  or  vegeta- 
tion. 

On  our  left,  as  we  proceeded,  a  long  low  range  of  reddish  rocks, 
called  Humra  Fedan,  ran  parallel  to  the  eastern  mountains  in 
front  of  the  Wady  el-Ghuweir.  These  rocks  are  at  some  distance 
from  the  mountains,  and  a  large  tract  of  the  plain  lies  behind 
them.  We  could  look  over  them,  and  see  the  break  formed  by 
the  Ghuweir.  The  waters  of  this  Wady  issuing  upon  the  plain 
behind  the  Humra  Fedan,  do  not  run  to  the  Jeib  ;  but  were  said 
to  form  another  similar  channel  nearer  to  the  mountain,  called 
el-Butahy,  which  enters  the  Ghor  near  its  southeast  corner. 

As  the  sun  rose  over  the  eastern  mountains,  the  two  Arabs 
(Jehahn)  who  were  walking  by  our  side,  repeated  a  few  words  of 
prayer,  consisting  of  Uttle  more  than  the  ordinary  Muhammcdan 
confession  :  "  God  is  most  Great,  and  Muhammed  is  his  pro- 

'  This  fountain  is  on  the  direct  road  between  Wady  I\lLisa  and  Hebron.  We  visited 
it  on  our  return,  June  2d. 

Vol.  11.— 11  ii.  501-503 


122 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADY  MTJSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


phet !  "  They  admitted  that  they  did  not  usually  pray,  except 
when  in  company  with  some  one  who  could  lead  them.  In  their 
tribe  only  some  ten  or  fifteen,  they  said,  could  pray  of  them- 
selves. Our  Sheikh  Hussan  had  never  known  a  Bedawy  who 
could  read  ;  he  had  only  heard  that  there  are  some  far  in  the 
east. 

After  crossing  many  water-courses  and  gullies  in  the  plain, 
we  struck  at  7  o'clock  and  followed  up  a-large  shallow  Wady, 
coming  down  before  us  in  the  direction  of  our  course,  called 
Wady  el-Buweirideh,  from  a  fountain  in  it  higher  up.  Several 
ridges  of  low  hills,  composed  of  sand,  or  rather  of  gravel,  run  occa- 
sionally from  east  to  west  in  the  plain.  At  7.30  there  was  a 
larger  range  of  .such  hills  extending  quite  across  the  'Arabah  ; 
some  of  which  are  not  less  than  one  hundred  feet  in  height. 
Wady  el-Jeib,  as  we  found  later,  passes  down  at  the  west  end 
of  this  ridge.  The  valley  in  which  we  were  now  travelling  finds  its 
way  through  them  near  the  eastern  end  ;  our  course  in  it  verg- 
ing more  southeasterly  towards  the  mountains.  Here  a  shrub 
was  now  and  ^;hen  to  be  seen,  and  a  few  large  Seyal  trees.  The 
Wady  conducted  us  at  length  to  a  region  of  several  springs,'  at  one 
of  wluch  we  stopped  at  8.40,  for  breakfast  and  rest.  All  these 
springs  are  called  'Ain  el-Buweirideh  ;  they  are  surrounded  by 
cane  brakes  ;  among  which  are  mingled  tamarisks,  willows,  a  few 
stunted  palms,  an  abimdance  of  the  Ghurkud,  with  other  shrubs 
of  the  desert. 

The  fountain  by  which  we  halted  was  not  large  ;  yet  a  rivu- 
let flowed  out  from  the  thicket  and  ran  for  some  distance  down 
the  valley.  The  water  was  sweet  ;  but  like  all  desert  fountains 
had  a  sickly  hue,  as  if  it  could  bless  nothing  with  fertility.  Find- 
ing here  no  convenient  shade,  we  set  uj)  the  top  of  our  tent,  to 
shield  us  from  the  intolerable  heat  of  the  sun.  The  south  wind, 
which  at  early  dawn  \\;as  cool  and  pleasant,  had  already  become 
a  burning  Sirocco  ;  the  thermometer,  as  we  stopped,  stood  in  the 
shade  at  96°  F.  The  violence  and  glow  of  the  wind  increased  ; 
so  that  at  12  o'clock  the  thermometer  had  risen  to  102°  F.  It 
being  difficult  in  such  circumstances  cither  to  write  or  sleep,  and 
our  Arabs  wishing  to  go  on,  we  concluded  to  proceed  ;  and  found 
ourselves  actually  less  uncomfortable  in  travelling,  than  we  had 
been  in  lying  still. 

The  usual  road  to  Wady  Milsa  from  this  quarter,  passes  up 
from  the  'Arabah  through  Wady  er-Ruba'y,  and  so  around 
Mount  Hor,  entering  Wady  Musa  from  the  southwest.  But 
our  wish  and  plan  had  ever  been,  if  possible,  to  approach  the 
place  from  the  east,  so  as  to  enter  by  the  celebrated  chasm  in 
the  mountain  on  that  side.  On  pro])Osing  this  to  our  guides, 
they  made  no  objections  ;  but  said  it  would  be  necessary  to  as- 

ii.  503,  504 


May  30.] 


*A1N  EL-BTJWEIRIDEH. 


123 


cend  the  mountains  by  a  pass  further  north.,  wliich  they  called 
Nemela.  They  said  too  this  route  would  bring  us  more  in  con- 
tact with  the  Arabs  of  the  mountains,  and  our  arrival  would  be 
more  generally  known  ;  but  as  their  tribe  was  now  on  good  terms 
with  the  latter,  and  we  moreover  had  with  us  several  of  the  Ha- 
weitat  belonging  to  a  kindred  clan,  there  seemed  to  be  no  cause 
for  ai)prehension  in  this  circumstance.  We  indeed  proposed  to 
them,  to  take  a  still  more  northern  route  and  carry  us  to  Shobek  ; 
but  this  they  declined,  saying  the  people  of  that  place  and  of  the 
country  further  north  were  at  war  with  the  Jehalin,  so  that  the 
latter  could  not  venture  into  their  territory.  We  therefore  deci- 
ded to  ascend  by  the  pass  of  Nemela. 

Leaving  'Ain  el-Buweirideh  at  12.50,  we  proceeded  up  the 
same  Wady  on  a  course  S.  S.  E.  having  a  line  of  sand  hUls  on 
our  right.  The  wind  continued  to  increase  in  violence  and  heat, 
and  the  atmosphere  was  now  full  of  dust  and  sand  ;  the  glow  of 
the  air  was  like  the  mouth  of  a  furnace.  Except  in  the  bed  of 
the  Wady,  the  surface  was  everywhere  loose  sand.  At  half  past 
two,  after  passing  a  high  sand  hill  on  our  left,  we  reached  the 
foot  of  the  gentle  slope,  which  in  tliis  part  skirts  the  base  of  the 
line  of  mountains.  Tliis  is  covered  with  debris,  chiefly  blocks  of 
prophyry,  among  which  the  camels  picked  their  way  with  diffi- 
culty. I  at  first  supposed  these  to  have  been  brought  down  from 
the  Wady  and  the  pass  before  us  ;  but  as  the  air  cleared  a  little, 
we  could  see  that  the  same  gentle  slope  extends  regularly  along 
the  base  of  the  mountain,  for  a  great  distance  north  and  south, 
covered  in  hke  manner  with  stones.  The  Sirocco  was  now  at  the 
height  of  its  fury  ;  the  atmosphere  was  thick,  so  that  the  sun 
was  no  longer  visible  ;  nor  could  we  see  the  mountains  close 
before  us. 

We  gradually  ascended  this  slope  S.  E.  by  S.  and  at  3^ 
o'clock  reached  the  first  low  hills  forming  the  outskirts  of  the 
mountain.  These  are  of  loose  limestone,  or  rather  a  yellowish 
argillaceous  rock,  low  cones  and  ridges  lying  in  front  of  the  steep 
mass  of  the  mountain,  which  is  of  dark  porphyry.  Passing  up 
through  these  by  a  ravine,  of  which  the  Wady  we  had  ascended 
forms  the  continuation,  we  came  at  4  o'clock  to  the  masses  of 
porphyry,  with  high  pointed  cliff's.  Here  the  Wady  turns  south 
and  ascends  between  the  porphyry  and  limestone  formations. 
Half  an  hour  afterwards,  we  began  to  get  more  among  the  porphyry 
cliffs  ;  a  lofty  one  on  the  left  was  capped  with  sandstone.  At 
4.50  a  short  turn  of  the  ravine  towards  the  left  brought  us  into 
the  body  of  the  mountain  ;  and  at  a  quarter  past  5  o'clock  we 
reached  the  foot  of  the  long,  wild,  romantic  pass  of  Nemela. 

The  path  led  at  first  along  ravines,  and  then  up  the  face 
of  steep  rocks  and  promontories  ;  the  main  ascent  being  along  a 

ii.  504-506 


124 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


projecting  point  of  the  mountain,  between  two  vast  chasms. 
The  porphyry  here  runs  up  into  slender  ragged  needles,  some  of 
them  lofty  and  sharp.  The  sides  of  the  ravines  and  cliffs  are 
dotted  to  their  tops  with  shrubs  and  herbs,  many  of  them  fra- 
grant ;  so  that  the  air  was  filled  with  odours.  The  appearance 
of  the  region  indicated,  that  there  had  been  an  abundance  of 
rain.  Indeed,  the  whole  aspect  of  these  mountains  is  much  less 
rude  and  desert,  than  those  west  of  the  'Arabah.  In  the  valleys 
were  various  trees  and  shrubs,  the  Seyal,  Butm,  and  the  like,  and 
also  the  Retem  in  great  quantity,  all  very  large.  On  the  rocks 
above,  we  found  the  juniper  tree,  Arabic  'Ar'ar  ;^  its  berries 
have  the  appearance  and  taste  of  the  common  juniper,  except 
that  there  is  more  of  the  aroma  of  the  pine.  These  trees  were 
ten  or  fifteen  feet  in  height ;  and  hung  upon  the  rocks  even  to 
the  summits  of  the  cliff's  and  needles. 

This  pass  is  longer  than  that  of  'Ain  Jidy  ;  but  not  in  itself 
difficult.  After  a  slow  and  toilsome  ascent  of  an  hour  and  a 
quarter,  we  reached  the  top  ;  and  came  out  upon  a  small  spot  of 
table  land,  or  little  basin,  a  tract  of  yellow  sandstone  capping 
the  porphyry,  and  sprinkled  with  odoriferous  herbs,  affording  fine 
pastux^age  for  the  camels.  Here  at  6^  o'clock  we  encamped  for 
the  night,  after  a  veiy  long  day's  journey,  excessively  fatigued, 
and  glad  to  have  escaped  the  scorching  blasts  of  the  'Arabah. 
The  tempest  had  abated,  and  the  air  became  gradually  clear ; 
by  sunset  the  thermometer  had  fallen  to  76°  F.  and  a  pleasant 
breeze  came  from  the  northwest.  From  the  plain  of  the  'Arabah 
we  supposed  we  had  not  ascended  less  than  two  thousand  feet ; 
the  height  of  the  pass  alone  being  about  fifteen  hundred  feet. 

Thursday,  May  31sf.  Not  having  before  us  a  long  day's 
journey,  we  rested  for  a  time  this  morning,  in  order  to  write  up 
our  journals.  The  air  had  become  clear  ;  and  from  a  hillock  on 
the  very  brow  of  the  precipice,  we  enjoyed  a  magnificent  view 
of  the  'Arabah  and  of  the  western  desert  and  mountains.  All 
before  us  was  indeed  a  perfect  desert ;  but  beyond  el-' Arabah 
we  recognised  with  deHght  our  old  acquaintances  of  that  region, 
the  great  Wady  el-Jerafeh  and  the  blulT  el-Mukrah.''  We  could 
distinctly  see  the  Jerafeh  as  it  enters  el-' Arabah  from  the  south- 
west and  also  for  some  distance  iip  its  course  ;  a  broad  valley  or 
plain,  apparently  a  mile  in  width,  the  middle  of  its  mouth  bear- 
ing S.  80°  W.  In  this  part  and  further  south,  the  ascent  from 
the  'Arabah  to  the  western  desert  seemed  comparatively  not 
great ;  the  banks  of  the  Jerafeh,  as  seen  from  this  point,  did  not 

'  This  is  doubtless  the  Hebrew  nsinS    Retem  ;  see  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  203.  Celsu» 

^rorr,  Jer.  48,  C,  where  both  the  English  "'r;;"""';  ^^'t^' ^^'l',.,  loo  » 

version  and  Luther  read  incorrectly  heath.  i'co  Vol.  I.  pp.  177,  179,  180,  199,  etc. 

The  'juniper '  of  the  same  translation  is  the 
ii.  50G,  507 


Mat  31.] 


PASS  OF  NEMELA.  PROSPECT. 


125 


appear  very  high.  We  had  now  learned  enough  of  the  region, 
to  understand  why  the  Jerafeh  and  all  the  Wadys  which  drain 
the  western  desert,  should  run  towards  the  north  ;  a  fact  which 
at  first  had  appeared  very  singular.' 

Directly  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  J erafeh,  and  somewhat 
back  from  the  brow  of  the  'Arabah,  the  bluff  el-Mukrah  was 
seen,  forming  the  southeast  angle  of  the  mountainous  region 
further  north,  and  bearing  also  about  S.  80°  W.  In  the  north- 
western quarter  all  was  a  tract  of  desert  mountains,  lower  than 
those  on  which  we  stood,  and  seeming  to  have  only  a  gradual 
descent  into  the  'Arabah  ;  though,  as  we  afterwards  found,  this 
was  a  deception,  the  descent  being  by  ledges  or  offsets,  with 
comparatively  level  tracts  between.  A  pass  into  these  moun- 
tains, north  of  el-Mukrah,  was  pointed  out,  called  el-Mirzaba 
but  none  of  our  guides  had  ever  been  in  that  region,  and  knew 
little  more  of  it  than  ourselves. 

Towards  the  south,  the  direction  of  a  small  fountain,  'Ain 
Meliliy,  was  pointed  out,  at  the  mouth  of  a  short  Wady  south 
of  the  Jerafeh.  In  the  same  quarter,  we  could  distinctly  per- 
ceive Wady  el-Jeib  winding  along  the  middle  of  the  'Arabah 
from  the  south,  and  at  length  sweeping  off  northwest  as  if  to 
meet  the  Jerafeh  ;  and  having  received  this  Wady,  it  again 
winds  northeast  and  afterwards  northwesterly,  so  as  to  pass  el- 
Weibeh  at  the  foot  of  the  western  mountains.  Here  our  guides 
of  the  Haweitat  again  assured  us,  that  the  waters  of  the  south- 
em  Wady  Ghurundel  flow  northwards  through  el-Jeib  ;  and  we 
had  no  reason  to  distrust  the  accuracy  of  their  information  ;  for 
the  whole  appearance  of  the  'Arabah  and  of  the  Jeib  winding 
through  it  far  south  of  the  Jerafeh,  led  very  naturally  to  the 
same  conclusion. 

On  our  left,  Mount  Hor  was  seen  standing  out  alone  among 
the  front  cliffs  of  the  eastern  mountains.  Its  form  is  a  cone 
irregularly  truncated,  having  three  ragged  points  or  peaks  ;  of 
which  that  on  the  northeast  is  the  highest,  and  has  upon  it  the 
Muhammedan  Wely  or  tomb  of  Aaron.  This  is  called  among 
the  Arabs  Neby  Harun  ;  and  gives  name  to  the  mountain.  It 
now  bore  about  S.  10°  W. 

We  set  off  from  the  head  of  the  pass  of  Nemela  at  8^ 
o'clock  ;  and  leaving  the  little  basin  where  we  had  encamped, 
descended  for  a  time  to  cross  a  deep  Wady,  and  then  ascended 
gradually  along  other  ravines.  On  our  left,  at  some  distance, 
was  a  high  fantastic  cliff  of  sandstone  based  on  porphyry  ;  and 
before  us  in  the  east,  a  long  high  ridge  of  table  land.  Our 
general  course  was  now  southeast.  The  shrubs,  studding  the 
mountains  to  their  very  top,  continued  green ;  and  large  trees 

'  See  Vol.  I.  p.  180. 
Vol.  II.— 11*  ii.  507-509 


12(5 


FBOM  HKKBOV  TD  WADT  MUSA. 


Item 


of  the  jnniper  became  qohe  oomuKm  in  ilie  Wad  vs  and  on  tie 
loeks.  AO  vas  hoe  rugged  and  wild ;  the  air  ckar  and  cool ; 
and  the  whole  scene  lomantic  and  e^diilatatii^  For  all  ibe 
Warlvd  and  the  ridges  between,  we  conU  leam  no  other  name 
tilian  Xemeia ;  winch  our  Arabs  applied  piumiaciioady  to  the 
whole  district.  As  we  coathmed  gradoallj  to  ascend,  the  tops 
of  the  clifl&  and  ridges  became  sandstone,  while  the  hodj  of  the 
moimtain  remained  still  of  porphyry. 

In  CToaai^  a  broad  low  ridge,  we  came  aoddeDlT  at  9^5  upon. 
a  deep  chasm  in  the  sandstone  rock,  which  prored  to  be  the  head 
of  a  i^rrow  Wadj  nramng  off  S.  S.  W.  dmt  in  hy  ^moet  per- 
pCTdicnlar  wallsL  Loolii^  down  into  it,  we  pexodred  its  bed 
foil  of  the  Difleh  or  oleander*  in  foil  bloran,  feming  with  its 
mrriads  of  large  red  Uossnns  a  stnktng  contrast  to  the  desot 
roeks  »omid.  We  saw  tins  plant  here  for  the  first  time.  It  is 
very  abondant  in  these  moontains ;  bat  we  met  with  it  nowbere 
cJse,  mitil  we  reached  the  dmes  of  the  lake  of  Tiberias  and  the 
eoast  of  Tyre  and  l^on. 

Descending  into  the  Wadv,  we  Allowed  it  with  difficnltr, 
and  £ifnid  rain  water  in  two  places  standing  in  the  rocks.  This 
raBey  hore  also  in  the  months  of  oar  Arabs  the  name  of  Nemela. 
After  neaify  half  an  hoar  (at  9.50)  it  went  more  soathwesi 
tiiroo^  a  narrow  gorge ;  and,  as  I  suppose,  finds  its  waj  down 
to  die  fimt  of  the  pass  b^  wbich  we  had  ascended.  We  here 
tamed  np  a  aide  Talkysootiieast  still  called  Nemela;  ^(Jeandeis 
and  jonipeis  conliimiiig  all  ibe  waj.  The  coantiy  became  mote 
open;  ^das  we  got  hi^ier,  traces  of  ancient  terraces  and  finmer 
cnltiratkm  began  to  appear,  though  the  soil  was  sl%^t  and  pon: 
At  o'clock  we  were  ftdl;'  amoo^  tiie  sandstone  £>imation ; 
the  porphyry  entirely  disappeared  ;  and  the  Wadys  became  of 
leas  rapid  descent.  Half  an  hoar  later,  we  came  oat  opon  the 
Toeky  ridge  at  the  head  of  this  Wady  Kemela  ;  and  finind  oar- 
sdres  upon  a  circular  plateau  or  basin,  once  partially  tilled,  sor- 
roanded  fay  low  weather-worn  clif&  of  sandstone. 

After  croaang  this  tract,  we  entered  from  it  at  11.20  a  chasm 
in  the  eastern  range  of  cliiB^  called  es-1^ ;  tiioogh  it  has  little 
lesemUanoe  to  the  Sik  of  Wady  Mtea.  The  bteadth  is  irregnhtf, 
varying  fiom  fifky  to  some  two  hundred  feet ;  the  rocks  upon  the 
sides  are  perpendicular,  and  perhaps  a  hnnidred  feet  in  hei^^ 
Its  course  is  about  S.  K  by  S.  The  bed  a  torrent  comes 
down  throng  it ;  and  along  with  eome  slight  traces  of  tillage!, 
it  WIS  crowded  with  a  luxuriant  growth  <4eanders,  jonipo^, 
oak,  Betem,  and  also  of  Zaknikm,  a  shrub  smilar  in  size  and 
appearance  to  the  (Meander.  Fire  minutes  befine  reaching  Ae 
farther  end,  there  was  on  the  right  a  niche,  or  rather  a  large 

>  Senmm  OUmmJer,  Sfn^  Hkt  Ba  HcfWi^  L  ^  KS. 
i.  509,  510 


Mat  31.] 


DIBDIBA,  ETC. 


127 


tablet,  hewn  high  up  in  the  rock,  exhibiting  a  pedestal  in  relief, 
with  two  slender  pyramids  or  obelisks  upon  it.  There  is  no  in- 
scription ;  except  a  Greek  scrawl  in  red  paint,  now  illegible,  ap- 
parently the  work  of  some  casual  visitor  in  by-gone  times.  The 
tablet  may  not  improbably  have  been  intended  as  a  sepulchral 
monument. ' 

We  emerged  from  the  Sik  at  o'clock  into  a  new  region, 
called  Sutuh  Beida,  "  White  Plains,"  a  broad  uneven  open  tract 
or  valley  running  south  by  west,  having  on  the  right  the  naked 
sandstone  ridge  through  which  we  had  passed,  and  on  the  left,  a 
high  sloping  mountain  ridge  without  precipices,  sprinkled  with 
herbage  to  the  top.  On  this  declivity  are  traces  of  tillage  and 
also  olive  trees,  around  the  little  village  of  Dibdiba,  not  far  up 
the  side  ;  we  were  opposite  to  it  at  12  o'clock.  More  towards 
the  south,  isolated  groups  of  sandstone  rocks  and  cliffs  are  scat- 
tered in  the  open  tract ;  and  beyond  them  is  Wady  Musa.  The 
waters  of  the  northern  part  of  the  plain  flow  off  through  the  Sik 
behind  us  ;  wliile  those  further  south  find  their  way  to  Wady 
Musa,  which  there  crosses  the  tract  from  east  to  west.  The  soil 
of  the  plain  seemed  poor  ;  and  there  was  only  a  scanty  tillage. 
A  few  people  were  reaping  and  gleaning  a  miserable  crop  of 
wheat  sown  among  the  shrubs  ;  the  stalks  were  hardly  a  foot 
high,  few  and  far  between.  Near  by  was  a  threshing-floor  ;  but 
the  crop  seemed  hardly  to  merit  so  much  trouble.  A  few  Beda- 
win  were  also  pasturing  their  flocks.  We  halted  at  12.10  and 
purchased  a  sheep  ;  offering  for  it  forty  piastres,  which  at  first 
was  refused,  but  afterwards  taken.  We  wished  to  provide  a 
good  supper  for  our  Arabs  this  evening  in  Wady  Musa  ;  in  order 
to  part  with  our  Haweitat  on  good  terms  on  the  morrow. 

The  poor  people  whom  we  here  found,  were  at  the  least  pos- 
sible remove  from  savage  life.  In  one  party,  consisting  mostly 
of  females,  there  was  a  man  entirely  naked,  except  a  rag  around 
his  loins  ;  and  most  of  the  children  had  only  a  hke  covering  for 
their  nakedness.  This  man  was  armed  with  a  gun  and  knife, 
and  looked  fierce  and  savage.  In  this  quarter  we  saw  two  or 
three  smaU  tombs  in  the  sandstone  rocks. 

From  this  spot  we  sent  off  our  servants  and  luggage  direct  to 
Wady  Musa  ;  their  course  was  south  by  west,  crossing  obliquely 
several  narrow  Wadys  which  ran  into  Wady  Musa  at  points 
further  west ;  and  then  following  down  another,  to  enter  near 
the  eastern  quarter.  We  in  the  mean  time  took  a  route  more  to 
the  left,  in  order  to  approach  from  the  east  through  the  magnifi- 
cent Sik  or  chasm.  Setting  off  at  12J  o'clock,  our  course  was 
about  south,  along  the  base  of  the  mountain  on  our  left,  and  so 

'  This  tablet  is  mentioned  by  Lord  Lindsay,  who  passed  by  this  route  after  leaving 
Wady  Musa. 

ii.  510-512 


128 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADT  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


around  its  southwestern  end ;  thus  passing  above  or  across  the 
heads  of  several  Wadys  running  southwest  to  Wady  Miisa.  At 
2  o'clock  we  saw  the  ruined  structure  in  Wady  Musa,  bearing 
southwest  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  distant ;  while  at  the 
same  time  the  village  of  Eljy  bore  S.  S.  E.  distant  rather  more 
than  an  hour.  The  body  of  the  regular  mountain  on  our  left, 
appeared  to  be  limestone  ;  a  formation  still  higher  and  further 
back  than  the  sandstone  though  the  base  in  this  part,  and  the 
Wadys  on  our  right,  were  of  the  latter.  This  appears  to  be  the 
mountain,  on  which  Irby  and  Mangles  and  their  companions  en- 
camped for  several  days,  before  they  could  enter  Wady  Musa ; 
from  it  they  could  see  that  place  in  the  south,  and  the  village  of 
Dibdiba  below  them  towards  the  west.' 

We  were  now  higher  than  Wady  Musa,  and  were  indeed 
traversing  the  top  of  the  broad  sandstone  ridge,  which  extends 
from  below  this  end  of  the  mountain  of  Dibdiba  southwards, 
forming  the  eastern  barrier  through  which  the  ravine  of  the  Sik 
leads  to  the  former  place.  We  soon  had  upon  our  right  a  simi- 
lar narrow  chasm,  sunk  deep  in  the  rocky  surface  over  which  we 
were  passing,  and  not  more  than  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  breadth ; 
this  I  suppose  to  be  the  ravine  marked  on  the  plan  of  Wady 
Musa,  as  entering  at  the  northeast  corner.  At  2.20  we  came 
opposite  a  ruined  fortress  on  the  other  side  of  this  chasm,  situ- 
ated just  on  the  brink,  and  looking  down  into  the  depths  below. 
It  is  of  considerable  extent,  with  pointed  arches  and  imperfect 
masonry,  apparently  of  Saracenic  construction.  From  our  posi- 
tion near  it,  Mount  Hor  bore  S.  72°  W.  and  Eljy  S.  35°  E. 
The  particular  object  of  this  castle  we  could  not  perceive  ;  as  it 
seems  to  guard  no  approach  to  Wady  Musa,  nor  to  any  other 
place  of  importance.  Perhaps  it  was  an  outpost  of  the  former 
fortress  of  Shobek  towards  the  south.  I  am  not  aware  that  it 
has  yet  been  noticed  by  travellers.' 

Eljy  was  now  before  us,  and  appeared  like  a  good  sized  vil- 
lage on  the  western  declivity  of  another  long  limestone  moun- 
tain ;  it  lies  on  a  point  or  promontory  between  two  Wadys 
wliich  unite  at  the  foot.  According  to  Burckliardt,  it  "con- 
tains between  two  and  three  hundred  houses,  and  is  enclosed  by 
a  stone  wall  with  three  regular  gates  ;  a  few  large  hewn  stoijes 
dispersed  over  the  present  town,  indicate  the  existence  of  an  an- 
cient city  on  the  spot."*    The  slopes  around  are  terraced  and 

'  Burckhardt  says  that  "  the  rocks  mentioned  by  Irby  and  Mangles,  as  seen 

above  Eljy  are  calcareous,  and  the  sand-  from  their  camp  above  Dibdiba  ;  but  in 

stone  does  not  begin  until  the  point  where  what  direction  they  do  not  say.  Travels 

the  first  tombs  are  excavated  "  in  the  val-  p.  425.  [  l■^0.] 

ley  further  we<t.    Travels  in  Syria,  p.  432.  *  The    same  traveller  saw  here  also 

'  Travels  pp.  38G,  388.  [118.]  "some  large   pieces  of  saline  marble." 

•  Unless  perhaps  it  be  the  Beit  el-Karm  Travels  pp.  420,  421. — Irby  and  Mangles 
ii.  512.  513 


Mat  31.] 


ELJY. 


129 


cultivated.  In  the  northern  Wady,  about  twenty  mimites  above 
the  village,  is  a  copious  spring  issuing  from  under  the  rock. 
This  is  'Ain  Musa.  The  brook  which  nms  from  it,  receives 
further  down  a  rivulet  from  the  southern  Wady  and  also  some 
other  springs  ;  and  flowing  down  the  valley  westward,  forms  the 
stream  of  Wady  Musa. — From  'Ain  Milsa,  according  to  Burck- 
hardt,  a  broad  valley  winds  upwards  in  a  southern  direction  for 
two  hours  and  a  quarter  ;  at  the  extremity  of  which,  on  high 
ground,  are  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  city,  now  called  Butahy.' 

We  came  to  the  valley  with  the  brook  at  2|  o'clock,  at  some 
distance  below  Eljy,  and  just  at  the  point  where  it  becomes  nar- 
rower by  entering  among  sandstone  rocks,  connected  with  the 
broad  ridge  which  we  had  just  traversed.  Above  this  point  the 
Wady  is  wide  and  fertile,  and  was  now  covered  with  grain. 
Just  before  descending  into  it,  we  had  in  a  group  of  low  whitish 
rocks,  on  our  right,  the  first  important  tomb  in  this  quarter, 
mentioned  also  by  Irby  and  Mangles.*  It  consists  of  a  square 
court  cut  in  the  rock,  with  its  eastern  front  built  up  in  masonry  ; 
on  the  inner  wall  of  the  rock  is  a  facade  and  a  door  leading  to  a 
chamber  with  niches,  behind  which  is  a  smaller  room.  On  each 
side  of  the  court  are  low  porticos  with  Doric  columns.  In  a 
smaU  group  of  rocks  near  by,  I  noticed  steps  leading  to  the  top  ; 
and  mounting  them,  I  found  a  tomb  sunk  in  the  rock,  with  ap- 
parently no  entrance  except  from  above. 

Descending  into  the  valley,  we  followed  it  westwards  along 
the  fine  little  brook,  skirted  with  an  abundance  of  oleanders  now 
in  full  blossom.  The  vaUey  becomes  shut  in  by  sandstone  clifis, 
at  first  forty  or  fifty  feet  high,  leaving  between  them  a  space  of 
about  fifty  yards  for  the  breadth  of  the  ravine.  Here  is  the 
commencement  of  this  wonderful  necropoHs.  The  tombs  begin 
immediately  on  the  right ;  on  the  left  there  are  none  for  some 
distance  further  down.  After  passing  the  facades  of  several 
sepulchres,  which  anywhere  else  would  be  objects  of  great  curi- 
osity, my  attention  was  arrested  by  three  tombs  on  the  right, 
which  at  once  transported  me  back  to  the  valley  of  Jehosha- 
phat.  They  are  isolated  masses  of  rock,  about  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  square,  which  have  been  cut  away  from  the  adjacent 
chffs  of  reddish  sandstone,  leaving  a  passage  of  several  feet  be- 
tween. In  one  of  them,  at  the  bottom,  is  a  small  sepulchral 
chamber  with  a  low  door.  Another  is  ornamented  with  col- 
umns too  much  defaced  to  distinguish  the  order  ;  but  has  appa- 
rently no  entrance  unless  from  above,  like  the  tomb  above  de- 
estimate  the  houses  at  "  not  more  than  •  Travels  pp.  420,  433,  434. 
forty  or  fifty  ;  "  p.  404.  [124.]  Burckhardt  »  Irby  and  Mangles'  Travels,  p.  405. 
8ecms  to  rae  to  he  nearer  the  truth ;  though  [124.] 
we  did  not  enter  the  village. 

ii.  513-515 


130 


WADT  MUSA. 


fSEC.  XIL 


scribed.  These  monuments  differ  from  those  of  Absalom  and 
Zechariah  chiefly  in  the  upper  part  or  root',  wliich  is  here  flat ; 
and  in  the  fact,  that  the  sides  are  drawn  in  slightly  from  the 
perpendicular,  in  the  Egyptian  style,  so  that  the  top  is  some- 
what narrower  than  the  base.  These  three  tombs  are  mentioned 
only  by  Burckhardt  ;  who  also  speaks  of  two  others  somewhat 
simalar,  on  the  road  leading  from  Wady  Musa  to  Mount  Hor. ' 

A  little  further  down  upon  the  left,  in  the  face  of  the  cliffs, 
is  a  tomb  with  a  front  of  six  Ionic  columns.  Directly  over  this 
is  another  sepulchre,  the  front  of  which,  above  the  door,  bears 
as  an  ornament  four  slender  pyramids  sculptured  in  the  same 
rock,  producing  a  singular  effect.  This  appears  to  be  the  only 
instance  of  the  kind  among  all  this  vast  variety  of  tombs.  The 
tablet  we  had  seen  in  the  Sik  of  Nemela  bears  a  resemblance  to 
it  f  and  pyramids,  we  are  told,  surmoimted  in  Like  manner  the 
sepulchres  of  Helena  at  Jerusalem,  and  of  the  Maccabees  at 
Modin.'  Here  then  appears  to  be  another  link,  connecting  the 
later  sepulchral  arcloitecture  of  Palestine  with  that  of  the  adja- 
cent Arabia  Petrrea. 

The  valley  contracts  more  and  more,  and  the  cliffs  Jbecome 
higher,  presenting  on  each  side  a  street  of  tombs.  The  rocks 
are  of  red  sandstone.  After  fifteen  minutes  (at  3  o'clock)  we 
came  to  a  sf)0t  where  the  ravine  opens  out  into  a  small  area, 
apparently  wholly  shut  in  by  rockj'  walls  about  eighty  feet  high, 
except  on  the  side  by  which  we  entered.  Here  an  Arab  boy 
was  watching  his  flock  of  sheep.  The  brook  bends  a  little  to 
the  right,  and,  approaching  the  opposite  wall  of  rocks,  disap- 
pears in  a  narrow  cleft,  hardly  perceptible  at  first  to  the  eye  of 
a  casual  observer  ;  being  concealed  in  part  by  a  projection  of 
the  cliffs.  Here  is  the  opening  of  the  terrific  chasm,  which  an- 
ciently formed  the  only  avenue  to  the  city  on  this  side.  This  is 
the  Sik  of  Wady  Milsa. 

A  few  steps  beyond  the  entrance,  a  noble  arch  is  thrown 
across  liigh  up  from  one  precipice  to  the  other,  with  niches 
sculptured  in  the  rock  beneath  each  end,  ornamented  with  pi- 
lasters and  probably  intended  for  statues.  It  was  constructed 
doubtless  as  an  ornament  over  the  entrance  of  tliis  singular 
gallery  ;  it  may,  or  may  not,  have  been  an  arch  of  triumph. 
Just  below  this  spot  we  measured  the  width  of  the  Sik,  twelve 
feet.  Tliis  is  the  narrowest  part  ;  though  it  hardly  becomes  in 
any  place  more  than  three,  or  at  the  most  four  times  this  width. 
The  rocks  are  all  of  reddish  sandstone,  perpendicular  on  both 
sides  ;  and  in  some  places  they  overhang  the  passage,  so  as  al- 
most to  shut  out  the  light  of  the  sky.    In  other  parts  they  have 

'  Pages  452,  429.  '  See  above,  p.  6.     Also  YoL  L  ppk 

•  Stc  above,  pp.  126,  127.  362,  363. 

ii.  515,  516 


May  31.] 


THE  CHASM.     THE  ARCH, 


131 


apparently  been  cut  away  by  hand.  Indeed,  the  whole  vast 
mass  of  rock  seems  as  if  originally  rent  asunder  by  some  great 
convulsion  of  nature,  leanng  behind  this  long,  narrow,  winding, 
magnificent  chasm. 

The  height  of  the  rocks  at  first  is  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet ; 
the  bottom  has  a  rapid  descent,  and  the  sides  become  higher 
towards  the  west,  var\ing  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred,  or  perhaps  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  I  doubt  wheth- 
er any  part  of  these  or  the  adjacent  cliffs  rises  to  the  height  of 
three  hundred  feet.  We  gave  particular  attention  to  this  point, 
and  repeated  our  observations  the  next  day  ;  because  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  sides  of  the  Sik  and  of  the  surrounding  cliffs, 
appears  to  have  been  greatly  exaggerated  in  the  reports  of  trav- 
ellers.' 

The  limpid  brook  flowed  at  this  time  along  the  whole  dis- 
tance, watering  a  thicket  of  oleanders  in  full  bloom,  and  so 
abundant  as  almost  to  block  up  the  passage.  Wild  figs  also  and 
tamarisks  grow  out  of  the  rocks  here  and  there ;  and  the  vines 
of  creeping  plants  hung  in  festoons  along  the  walls.  The  great 
body  of  the  water,  especially  in  the  rainy  season,  was  perhaps 
anciently  carried  off  by  some  different  way  ;  at  other  times  it 
was  distributed  in  aqueducts,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  to 
be  seen.  A  channel  for  the  water,  cut  in  the  rock,  runs  upon 
the  left  near  the  level  of  the  ground  ;  and  a  conduit  of  earthen 
pipes  foMT  or  five  inches  in  diameter,  let  into  the  rock  and  ce- 
mented, is  carried  along  high  up  on  the  right  hand  precipice. 
Both  of  these  are  now  in  ruins. 

The  bottom  of  the  passage  was  anciently  paved  with  squared 
stones,  which  still  remain  in  various  places.  Along  the  sides  are 
seen,  here  and  there,  niches,  and  also  tablets  hewn  smooth  in  the 
rock,  where  once  perhaps  stood  busts  or  statues,  or  the  words  of 
an  inscription.  The  Sik  winds  much  ;  running  at  first  west, 
then  southwest,  then  northwest,  and  so  continuing  to  vary 
between  southwest  and  northwest  until  near  the  end,  where  its 
course  is  again  west.  At  some  of  these  turns,  similar  chasms 
come  in  from  the  sides  ;  showing  that  the  whole  mass  of  rock  is 
rent  to  the  bottom  by  like  clefts  in  all  directions.  It  is  the 
same  broad  sandstone  ridge,  the  top  of  which  we  had  traversed 
in  approaching  Eljy. 

The  character  of  this  wonderful  spot,  and  the  impression 
which  it  makes,  are  utterly  indescribable  ;  and  I  know  of  noth- 
ing which  can  present  even  a  faint  idea  of  them.    I  had  visited 

'  Mr  Legh  gives  the  height  from  200  70.  Bnrckhardt  alone  seems  to  have 
to  ofX)  feet :  May  26th.  Irby  and  .\[angle3  kept  his  right  mind,  and  estimates  the 
from  400  to  700  feet;  p.  414.  Mr  Ste-  rocks  at  the  beginning  of  the  Sik  at  about 
pheus  trom  500  to  1000  feet ;  Vol.  IL  p.    80  feet  in  height ;  pp.  422,  423. 

ii.  51&-518 


132 


WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


tlie  strange  sandstone  lanes  and  streets  of  Adersbach,  and  wan- 
dered with  delight  through  the  romantic  dells  of  the  Saxon 
Switzerland  ;  both  of  which  scenes  might  be  supposed  to  afford 
the  nearest  parallel ;  yet  they  exhibit  few  points  of  comparison. 
All  here  is  on  a  vaster  scale  of  wild  and  savage  grandeur. 
We  lingered  along  this  superb  approach,  proceeding  slowly 
and  stopping  often,  forgetful  of  every  thing  else,  and  taking  for 
the  moment  no  note  of  time.  The  length  is  a  large  mile  ;  we 
were  forty  minutes  in  passing  through  in  this  desultoiy  manner. 
As  we  drew  near  the  western  end,  the  sunlight  began  to  break  in 
upon  the  rugged  crags  before  us.  Here  the  Sik  terminates,  open- 
ing nearly  at  right  angles  into  a  similar  though  broader  Wady 
or  chasm,  coming  down  from  the  south  and  passing  off  northwest. 

All  at  once  the  beautiful  facade  of  the  Khuzneh,  in  the  west- 
ern precipice,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Sik,  burst  upon  our 
view,  in  aU  the  delicacy  of  its  first  chiselUng,  and  in  all  the 
freshness  and  beauty  of  its  soft  colouring.  I  had  seen  various 
engravings  of  it,  and  read  all  the  descriptions  ;  but  this  was  one 
of  the  rare  instances,  where  the  truth  of  the  reality  surpassed 
the  ideal  anticipation.  It  is  indeed  most  exquisitely  beautiful ; 
and  nothing  I  had  seen  of  architectural  effect  in  Kome,  or 
Thebes,  or  even  Athens,  comes  up  to  it  in  the  first  impression. 
It  does  not  bear  criticism  as  to  its  architecture  ;  though  this  at 
least  is  symmetrical.  The  broken  pediment  and  other  ornaments 
are  not  all  in  a  pure  style  ;  and  if  seen  in  a  different  land,  or  with- 
out the  accompaniments  by  which  it  is  surrounded,  it  would 
perhaps  excite  little  admiration.  But  here,  its  position  as  a  por- 
tion of  the  lofty  mass  of  coloured  rock  overagainst  the  impos- 
ing avenue  ;  its  wonderful  state  of  preservation  ;  the  glow  and 
teint  of  the  stone  ;  and  the  wild  scenery  around  ;  all  are  unique, 
and  combine  into  a  power  of  association  and  impression,  which 
takes  complete  possession  of  the  mind.  One  column  of  the  por- 
tico alone  is  broken  away  ;  yet  such  is  the  symmetrical  effect  of 
the  whole,  that  this  deficiency  does  not  at  first  strike  the  eye. 

I  was  perfectly  fascinated  with  this  splendid  work  of.  ancient 
art  in  this  wild  spot ;  and  the  idea  of  it  was  uppermost  in  my 
mind  during  the  day  and  all  the  night.  In  the  morning,  I  re- 
turned and  beheld  it  again  with  increased  admiration.  There  it 
stands,  as  it  has  stood  for  ages,  in  beauty  and  loneliness ;  the 
generations  which  admired  and  rejoiced  over  it  of  old,  have 
passed  away  ;  the  wild  Arab,  as  he  wanders  by,  regards  it  with*^ 
stupid  indifference  or  scorn  ;  and  none  are  left,  but  strangers 
from  far  distant  lands,  to  do  it  reverence.  Its  rich  roseate  teints, 
as  I  bade  it  farewell,  were  lighted  up  and  gilded  by  the  mellow 
beams  of  the  morning  stm  ;*  and  I  turned  away  from  it  at  length 
with  an  imj)ression,  which  wUl  be  effaced  only  at  death, 
ii,  518  519 


May  31.] 


THE  KHUZNEH. 


133 


The  name  el-Kuzneh  given  by  the  Arabs  to  this  edifice,  sig- 
nifies '  the  treasure  ; '  which  they  ascribe  to  Pharaoh,  and  suppose 
to  be  contained  in  the  urn  crowning  the  summit  of  its  ornamented 
front,  a  hundred  feet  or  more  above  the  ground.  Their  only  in- 
terest indeed  in  all  these  monuments,  is  to  search  for  hidden 
treasures  ;  and  as  they  find  nothing  elsewhere,  they  imagine 
them  to  be  deposited  in  this  urn,  which  to  them  is  inaccessible. 
It  bears  the  marks  of  many  musket  balls,  which  they  have  fired 
at  it,  in  the  hope  of  breaking  it  in  pieces,  and  thus  obtaining  the 
imagined  treasure. 

The  interior  of  the  structure  by  no  means  corresponds  to  its 
imposing  exterior.  From  the  vestibule,  the  door  leads  into  a 
plain  lofty  room  excavated  from  the  rock,  the  sides  smooth,  but 
without  ornament.  Behind  this  is  another  room  of  less  size ; 
and  smaU  lateral  chambers  are  found  on  each  side,  opening  from 
the  large  room  and  from  the  vestibule.  Was  this  a  temple,  or 
merely  a  dwelling  for  the  dead  There  is  nothing  in  the  monu- 
ment itself  to  determine  this  question  ;  but  if  any  of  the  wonder- 
ful structures  of  this  place  may  be  considered  as  temples,  I 
should  regard  this  as  one. — Here,  as  the  central  point  of  interest 
in  Wady  Musa,  we  inscribed  our  names  upon  the  inner  wall,  in 
company  with  those  of  the  few  Europeans  and  the  single  Amer- 
ican who  had  preceded  us  ;  as  we  had  done  before  in  the  tombs 
of  Thebes,  and  on  the  summit  of  the  great  pyramid. 

The  brook  now  flows  along  the  somewhat  broader  Wady 
towards  the  northwest.  The  cliCs  continue  on  both  sides  lofty 
and  perpendicular.  They  are  filled  with  innumerable  tombs  ;  in 
which  the  chambers  are  usually  small ;  while  the  facades  exliibit 
great  variety,  and  are  sometimes  large  and  magnificent.  Burck- 
hardt  justly  remarks,  that  there  are  probably  "  no  two  sepulchres 
in  Wady  Musa  perfectly  alike  ;  on  the  contrary  they  vary  great- 
ly in  size,  shape,  and  embellishments.  In  some  places  three  sep- 
ulchres are  excavated  one  over  the  other ;  and  the  side  of  the 
mountain  is  so  perpendicular,  that  it  seems  impossible  to  ap- 
•proach  the  uppermost."'  The  most  common  form  of  the  fa9ades, 
in  tliis  part,  is  perhaps  a  truncated  pyramid,  with  a  pilaster  on 
each  side,  and  an  ornamented  portal  in  the  middle.  Some  fronts 
are  plain  ;  others  again  are  ornamented  with  columns  and  friezes 
and  pediments  ;  all  sculptured  in  relief  upon  the  face  of  the 
rock. 

One  ornament,  apparently  peculiar  to  the  architecture  of  this 
place,  struck  us  by  its  singularity.  In  the  upper  part  of  some 
of  the  fa9ades,  instead  of  a  pediment,  two  flights  of  steps,  from 
four  to  six,  diverging  from  the  centre,  are  carried  up  to  each 


Vol.  II. -12 


'  Page  427. 


ii.  519-521 


134 


WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


comer  ;  and  then  a  horizontal  line  or  cornice  runs  between  the 
upper  steps.  In  this  part  of  the  valley  is  the  tomb  described 
by  Laborde,  as  having  on  its  architrave  a  Greek  inscription.  I 
sought  for  this  next  day  ;  but  under  the  circumstances  in  which 
we  Avere  then  placed,  was  not  able  to  find  it. 

The  vaUey  now  makes  a  slight  bend  towards  the  north,  and 
opens  to  a  wider  breadth  ;  while  the  cliffs  on  each  side  are  lower 
and  less  abrupt.  Here,  on  the  left,  is  the  theatre,  wholly  hewn 
out  of  the  rock  ;  the  diameter  of  the  bottom  is  one  hundred 
and  twenty  feet  ;'  with  thirty-three  rows  of  seats,  rising  one 
above  another  in  the  side  of  the  cliff  behind.  Above  the  seats 
a  row  of  small  chambers  is  excavated  in  the  circle  of  the  rock, 
looking  down  upon  the  scene  below.  Burckhardt  estimates  it  as 
capable  of  containing  three  thousand  persons.  This  seems  to 
me  too  low  a  number  ;  for  each  row  of  seats  would  probably 
contain  on  an  average  more  than  one  hundred  persons.  The 
theatre  fronts  towards  the  E.  N.  E.  The  cliffs  on  each  side  are 
full  of  tombs  ;  while  in  front,  along  the  face  of  the  eastern 
cliffs,  the  eye  of  the  spectator  rests  on  a  multitude  of  the  largest 
and  most  splendid  sepulchres.  Strange  contrast  !  where  a  taste 
for  the  frivolities  of  the  day  was  at  the  same  time  gratified  by  the 
magnificence  of  tombs  ;  amusement  in  a  cemetery ;  a  theatre 
in  the  midst  of  sepulchres. 

From  the  upper  or  southern  front  of  the  theatre,  is  obtained 
perhaps  the  most  striking  view  in  all  the  valley  ;  and  this  La- 
borde  has  given  with  a  good  general  effect,  though  not  with  great 
exactness.  The  opposite  or  eastern  chff,  as  it  here  skirts  the 
brook,  is  low  ;  while  above  it,  further  back,  is  another  higher 
precipice  extending  far  to  the  north,  in  which  are  the  most  con- 
spicuous tombs  of  the  city.  These  with  the  theatre  and  the 
more  distant  chffs,  are  comprised  in  Laborde's  view.  But  the 
site  of  the  city  itself  is  not  seen  from  this  point  ;  it  lay  more  to 
the  left,  along  the  brook,  after  the  latter  turns  west  around  the 
extremity  of  the  left-hand  cliff.  ^ 

We  now  proceeded  down  the  valley  ;  and  found  our  tent 
pitched  on  the  right  bank  of  the  brook,  between  it  and  the  end 
of  the  low  eastern  cliff.  It  stood  directly  before  a  large  tomb 
broken  away  in  front,  which  thus  answered  the  double  purpose 
of  a  shelter  and  kitchen  for  our  servants  and  Arabs.  Here  the 
valley,  as  enclosed  by  the  chffs,  terminates ;  and  the  brook, 
turning  westwards,  flows,  when  full,  through  the  open  tract  of 
ground  extending  to  the  similar  range  of  sandstone  rocks,  wliich 
at  the  distance  of  twenty  minutes  bounds  the  site  of  the  ancient 
city  on  the  west.    At  this  time  the  water  of  the  brook  continued 

'  Irby  and  Mangles,  p.  428.  [131.] 

ii.  521.  522 


Mat  31.] 


THE  THEATRE,  ETC. 


135 


to  run  only  to  the  end  of  the  Sik  near  the  Khuzneh  ;  further 
down,  its  bed  was  dry. 

Our  object  in  coming  to  Wady  Mtisa  was  not  to  make  a 
minute  examination  of  the  place  in  detail ;  but  rather  to  obtain 
a  general  impression  of  the  whole,  and  to  look  more  particularly 
at  some  of  the  principal  monuments.  We  had  never  thought 
of  remaining  more  than  one  night,  and  at  most  a  part  of  the 
following  day.  We  were  now  greatly  fatigued  ;  and  our  minds 
much  excited  by  the  novelty  and  strangeness  of  the  scene  around 
us.  Yet,  however  glad  we  might  have  been  to  rest  for  a  time 
beneath  our  tent,  we  thought  it  better  to  improve  the  remainder 
of  the  day  in  \'isiting  the  other  principal  objects  ;  and  we  were 
the  more  stimulated  to  this  course,  because  we  had  some  fore- 
boding of  being  interrupted. 

We  now  followed  down  the  left  side  of  the  bed  of  the  brook,  as  it 
runs  nearly  westward  through  the  open  tract.  It  is  everj'where 
skirted  on  both  sides  by  a  strip  of  level  land  ;  on  the  north  and 
south  of  which,  again,  the  ground  rises  into  low  irregular 
mounds  and  eminences ;  while  back  of  these,  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  brook  in  both  directions,  is  a  steeper  and  longer 
ascent  leading  up  to  higher  plains  on  the  north  and  south.  It  is 
this  lower  tract,  about  half  a  mile  square,  which  formed  the 
actual  circuit  of  the  ancient  city  ;  being  shut  in  on  the  east  and 
west  by  high  perpendicular  walls  of  sandstone  rock.  "It  is  an 
area  in  the  bosom  of  a  mountain,  swelling  into  mounds  and  in- 
tersected with  gullies  ;  but  the  whole  ground  is  of  such  a  nature 
as  may  be  conveniently  built  upon,  and  has  neither  ascent  nor 
descent  inconveniently  steep."' 

Keeping  near  the  bed  of  the  brook,  we  soon  came  to  the 
fallen  columns  of  a  large  temple.  Each  column  had  been 
formed  of  several  stones,  and  the  joints  now  lay  in  their  order 
along  the  ground.  Nearly  opposite  this  spot,  a  Wady  joins  the 
brook  from  the  north,  over  which  are  the  remains  of  a  bridge. 
•  Further  west,  the  banks  of  the  brook  itself  have  once  been  built 
up  with  strong  walls,  and  the  stream  apparently  covered  over 
for  some  distance ;  thus  connecting  the  level  tracts  upon  the 
sides. 

We  now  passed  along  the  remains  of  the  paved  way,  through 
the  ruins  of  the  arch  of  triumph,  which  stands  near  the  brook, 
fronting  towards  the  east.  The  architecture  is  florid  and  corrupt. 
It  seems  to  have  formed  the  approach  to  the  palace  or  pile  of 
building  beyond,  which  the  Arabs  call  Kusr  Far'on,  "  Pharaoh's 
castle."  This  mass  of  waUs  is  the  only  structure  of  mason 
work  now  standing  in  Wady  Musa.  It  is  of  very  inferior  archi- 
tecture and  workmanship,  and  apparently  of  a  late  age.  Joists 

'  Irby  and  Mangles  p.  424.  [130.] 

ii.  522-524 


136 


"WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


of  -wood  are  in  different  parts  let  in  between  tlie  courses  of 
stone  ;  intended  doubtless  to  receive  the  fastenings  for  orna-: 
ments  of  wood  or  stucco.  The  walls  are  mostly  entire  ;  but  the 
columns  of  the  northern  front,  which  were  composed  of  separate 
pieces,  are  nearlj'  gone.  The  distribution  of  the  interior  into 
several  chambers  and  stories,  seems  to  show  conclusively,  that  it 
was  not  a  temple  ;  it  would  appear  rather  to  have  been  a  public 
edifice  of  a  different  character. 

On  the  rising  ground  south  of  the  Kusr  and  triumphal  arch, 
stands  the  lone  column  called  by  the  Arabs  Zub  Far'on  ;  on 
ascending  to  it  we  found  it  composed  of  several  pieces,  and  con- 
nected with  the  foundations  of  a  temple ;  the  fragments  of  sev- 
eral other  columns  were  strewed  around. 

These  are  the  chief  remains  of  particular  structures,  which 
strike  the  eye  of  the  wanderer  upon  the  site  occupied  by  the  city 
itself ;  and  they  have  been  noticed  and  described  by  all  travellers, 
as  well  as  by  the  pencil  of  Laborde.  But  these  writers  have 
omitted  to  mention  one  circumstance,  or  at  least  all  have  not 
given  to  it  that  prominence  which  it  deserves,  viz.  that  all  these 
are  but  single  objects  amidst  a  vast  tract  of  similar  ruins.  Indeed 
the  whole  area  above  described,  was  once  obviously  occupied  by 
a  large  city  of  houses.  Along  the  banks  of  the  stream,  the  vio- 
lence of  the  water  has  apparently  swept  away  the  traces  of 
dwellings  ;  but  elsewhere,  the  whole  body  of  the  area,  on  both 
sides  of  the  torrent,  and  especially  on  the  north,  is  covered  with 
the  foundations  and  stones  of  an  extensive  town.  The  stones 
are  hewn  ;  and  the  houses  erected  with  them,  must  have  been 
solid  and  well  built.  On  looking  at  the  extent  of  these  ruins,  it 
struck  lis  as  surprising,  that  they  should  hitherto  have  been 
passed  over  so  slightly  ;  although  this  may  readily  be  accounted 
for,  by  the  surpassing  interest  of  the  surrounding  sepulchres. 
These  foundations  and  ruins  cover  an  area  of  not  much  less  than 
two  miles  in  circumference  ;  affording  room  enough,  in  an  orien- 
tal city,  for  the  accommodation  of  thirty  or  forty  thousand  inhab- 
itants.' 

We  were  now  near  the  western  wall  of  cliffs,  which  are  also  of 
red  sandstone  and  higher  than  those  on  the  east ;  rising  in  some 
parts  to  an  elevation  of  three  or  four  hundred  feet.  This  waU 
too  is  full  of  tombs,  some  of  them  high  up  in  the  rock  ;  but  in 
general  less  numerous  and  splendid  than  those  in  the  eastern 
cliffs.    One  of  the  most  conspicuous  is  the  unfinished  tomb  of 

*  Burckhardt  is  here  the  most  explicit :  of  the  river  is  a  rising  ground,  extending 

*'  The  ground  is  covered  with  heaps  of  westwards  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 

hewn  stones,  foundations  of  buildings,  frag-  entirely  covered  with  similar  remains.  On 

ments  of  columns,  and  vestiges  of  paved  the  right  bank,  where  the  ground  is  more 

streets;  all  clearly  indicating  that  a  large  elevated,  ruins  of  the  same  descriptiou  are 

city  once  existed  here.    On  the  left  side  also  seen."    Travels  p.  427. 
ii.  524,  525 


Mat  31] 


SITE  OF  THE  CITY.  RUIN'S. 


137 


which  a  dra^ving  is  given  by  Laborde ;  showing  that  in  sculp- 
turing the  facades  of  the  sepulchres,  the  workmen,  (as  was 
natural.)  after  smoothing  the  face  of  the  rock,  began  at  the  top 
and  wrought  downwards.  We  entered  several  of  these  tombs, 
which  presented  nothing  worthy  of  particular  notice.  The  great 
multitude  of  them  are  small  and  plain,  mere  excavations  in  the 
face  of  the  rock.' 

In  the  channel  of  the  brook,  which  was  dry  below  the  Khuz- 
neh  quite  across  the  open  space,  we  now  found,  near  the  western 
cliff,  water  again  springing  up  in  several  places,  in  small  quan- 
tity indeed,  but  of  excellent  quality  ;  much  purer  indeed  than 
that  in  the  brook  above.  It  ran  in  a  small  stream  along  the  bed 
of  the  Wady,  which  here  enters  the  front  of  the  western  cliffs 
by  a  chasm  similar  to  the  eastern  Sik  ;  but  broader  and  less 
regular.  We  entered  and  proceeded  for  some  distance  down  the 
ravine,  which  is  fuU  of  oleanders  and  other  shrubs  and  trees,  so 
that  we  could  scarcely  pass.  The  walls  within  the  mouth  are 
fuU  of  tombs,  all  small  and  without  ornament.  The  high  rock 
upon  the  left,  which  is  isolated  by  a  very  narrow  chasm  behind 
it,  is  conjectured  by  Laborde  to  have  been  the  acropolis  of  the 
ancient  city  ;  but  we  received  the  impression  at  the  time,  that 
there  was  no  special  ground  to  justify  this  supposition.' 

We  followed  the  ravine  considerably  below  this  point ;  and 
endeavoured  to  find  the  lateral  chasm,  marked  on  Laborde's  plan 
as  leading  up  towards  the  right  quite  to  the  Deir.  There  are 
short  chasms  enough  in  that  direction  ;  but  none  extending  to 
the  Deir,  which  indeed  seems  to  be  inaccessible  from  this  quarter  ; 
as  we  found  by  our  own  experience,  and  from  the  testimony  of 
Arab  shepherds  on  the  spot. 

Further  towards  the  west  the  ravine  has  never  been  explored  ; 
and  no  one  could  tell  in  what  direction  the  waters,  when  swollen, 
find  their  way  through  the  cliffs.  This  only  is  certain,  that  the 
Wady  does  not,  as  Wady  Musa,  extend  down  to  the  'Arabah  ; 
and  the  course  so  marked  upon  Laborde's  map  has  as  little 
actual  existence,  as  the  Wady  Musa  by  which  Schubert  supposed 
himself  to  have  ascended  from  the  'Arabah  towards  Mount  Hor.^ 

It  was  now  sunset ;  and  we  returned  to  our  tent,  fatigued, 
and  our  eyes  for  the  present  'satisfied  with  seeing.'  We  had 
obtained,  so  far  as  we  desired,  a  general  idea  of  the  valley  and 

•  Very  many  of  those  plain  sepulchres  dininguished  artist,  who  visited  Wady  Ma- 
differ  little  from  the  multitades  of  similar  sa  in  1839,  that  he  remarked  traces  of 
ones  around  Jerusalem;  except  in  their  huilding^  or  at  least  of  mason  work,  upon 
position  and  the  nature  of  the  rock.  the  summit  of  this  clifE 

*  We  did  not  indeed  ascend  the  rock;  '  Reise  U.  pp.  414,  418.    The  road 
nor  does  Laborde  appear  to  have  done  so.  from  'Akabah  ascends  through  the  Wady 
Irby  and  Mangles  are  silent  as  to  it. — I  Abu  Kusheibeh  mentioned  further  on. 
have  since  learned  from  Mr.  Roberts,  the 

Voj.  ir.— 12*  ii.  525-527 


138 


WADT  MUSA. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


its  wonders  ;  and  we  left  for  the  morrow  a  visit  to  the  Deir,  a 
closer  examination  of  the  tombs  in  the  eastern  clLfFs  hack  of  our 
tent,  and  a  renewal  of  the  impressions  received  from  the  Khuzneh 
and  the  region  around  the  theatre.  Our  further  plan  was  to 
ascend  Mount  Hor,  and  then  take  the  usual  road  back  to 
Hebron. 

The  pencil  of  Laborde  has  spread  before  the  world  the  de- 
tails of  the  strange  remains,  which  give  interest  and  celebrity  to 
this  valley  ;  but  his  work  presents  no  correct  general  idea  of  the 
whole.  The  best  written  descriptions  are  still  those  of  the  earliest 
visitors  ;  first  Burckhardt,  and  then  Irby  and  Mangles.  The 
account  of  the  former  is  the  most  exact  and  simple  ;  that  of 
the  latter  is  more  full,  but  also  more  coloured  and  somewhat 
confused.  Burckhardt  was  here  but  a  part  of  a  day,  an  object 
of  jealous  suspicion  to  his  Arab  guide  ;  yet  it  struck  me  with 
astonishment,  to  remark,  upon  the  spot,  the  exactness  and  ex- 
tent of  his  observations  during  that  short  interval. 

A  single  glance  had  been  sufficient  to  correct  a  false  impres- 
sion, which  I  had  received  from  previous  accounts,  viz.  that  the 
site  of  the  ancient  city  was  shut  in  on  all  sides  by  perpendicular 
cliffs,  and  that  the  entrance  by  the  Sik  was  the  only  feasible  one 
from  any  quarter.  This,  as  has  been  seen,  is  not  the  case.  The 
area  of  the  city  is  bounded  only  on  the  east  and  west  by  walls 
of  rock  ;  that  on  the  east  being  the  broad  sandstone  ridge  ex- 
tending south  below  the  southern  end  of  the  mountain  of  Dib- 
diba  ;  while  that  on  the  west  is  the  similar  ridge,  which  further 
north  runs  parallel  to  the  same  mountain,  and  is  penetrated  by 
the  Sik  of  Nemela.  The  brook  of  'Ain  Musa,  rising  above  Eljy, 
flows  down  its  valley  and  breaks  through  the  midst  of  the  east- 
ern ridge,  thus  forming  the  Sik  ;  then,  crossing  the  open  area 
near  the  middle,  it  passes  off  in  like  manner  through  the  western 
ridge.  Towards  the  north  and  south  the  view  is  open.  Towards 
the  northeast  is  seen  the  high  southern  end  of  the  mountain  of 
Dibdiba,  resting  on  white  sandstone  at  its  base  ;  and  more  to  the 
left  the  plain  Sutiih  Beida,  through  which  we  had  approached. 
From  the  eastern  part  of  the  area  of  the  valley,  the  summit  of 
Mount  Hor  is  seen  over  the  western  line  of  cliffs,  bearing  about 
W.  by  S. 

On  each  side  of  the  brook,  the  groimd  rises  towards  the 
north  and  south,  as  already  described  ;  at  first  gradually  by 
irregular  hillocks  and  eminences  strowed  with  the  scattered  re- 
mains of  former  houses^  and  then,  at  the  distance  of  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  more  rapidly.  Towards  the  north,  this  latter  ascent 
is  cut  up  by  several  Wadys,  and  leads  up  through  groups  of 
sandstone  rocks  to  the  plain  Sutfih  Beida.  Two  of  these  tor- 
rent beds,  coming  from  the  end  of  the  mountain  of  Dibdiba, 
ii.  527,  528 


Mat  31.] 


GENERAL  FEATURES. 


139 


unite  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  area,  having  between  them  a 
promontory  of  red  sandstone,  in  which  are  tombs.  Further  west 
are  other  small  Wadys.  Here,  at  the  northeast  corner,  the  road 
from  near  Dibdiba  comes  in,  by  which  our  servants  entered  ;  and 
here,  or  somewhere  in  this  quarter,  must  be  the  tomb  described 
by  Irby  and  Mangles,  as  having  an  inscription  in  the  unknown 
Sinai  tic  character;'  and  also  that  with  a  Latin  inscription,  dis- 
covered by  Laborde. 

Towards  the  south,  the  ascent  from  the  area  of  the  city  is 
steeper,  and  somewhat  greater,  perhaps  a  hundred  feet.  It  leads 
up  to  a  high  plain  of  table  land,  extending  westward  around 
the  end  of  the  western  cliff  (which  here  terminates)  to  Mount 
Hor  or  Jebel  Neby  Harun.  This  plain  bears  the  name  of  Sutuh 
HarCm,  "  Aaron's  Plains,"  corresponding  to  the  Sutuh  Beida, 
"  White  Plains,"  on  the  north  of  Wady  Musa.  At  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  area  of  the  city,  a  path  passes  out,  ascending 
a  long  narrow  Wady  lined  with  tombs,  to  this  terrace.  It  then 
leads  along  the  southern  foot  of  Mount  Hor,  and  dividing  further 
on,  one  branch  descends  to  the  'Arabah  towards  the  left  through 
Wady  Abu  Kusheibeh,^  and  so  to  'Akabah  ;  while  the  other  goes 
more  towards  the  right,  and  descends  through  Wady  er-Ruba'y 
on  the  way  to  Hebron.  At  the  foot  of  this  latter  pass,  accord- 
ing to  our  Arabs,  there  is  a  small  spring  of  good  water,  called 
et-Taiyibeh. 

In  looking  at  the  wonders  of  this  ancient  city,  one  is  at  a  loss, 
whether  most  to  admire  the  wUdness  of  the  position  and  natural 
scenery,  or  the  taste  and  skill  with  which  it  was  fashioned  into  a 
secure  retreat,  and  adorned  with  splendid  structures,  chiefly  for 
the  dead.  The  most  striking  feature  of  the  place  consists,  not 
in  the  fact  that  there  are  occasional  excavations  and  sculptures 
like  those  above  described  ;  but  in  the  innumerable  multitude 
of  such  excavations,  along  the  whole  extent  of  perpendicular 
rocks  adjacent  to  the  main  area,  and  in  all  the  lateral  valleys 
and  chasms  ;  the  entrances  of  very  many  of  which  are  variously, 
richly,  and  often  fantastically  decorated,  with  every  imaginable 
order  and  style  of  architecture.  The  cliffs  upon  the  east  and 
west  present  the  largest  and  most  continuous  surfaces  ;  and  here 
the  tombs  are  most  numerous.  But  the  spur  from  the  eastern 
cliffs  formed  by  the  Wady  below  the  Khuzneh,  as  well  as  other 
smaller  spurs  and  promontories  and  single  groups  of  rocks,  both 
in  the  north  and  south,  are  also  occupied  in  like  manner.  All 
these  sepulchres  of  course  looked  down  upon  the  city  of  the  liv- 
ing ;  but  others,  again,  are  found  in  retired  dells  and  secret 

'  See  at  the  end  of  Note  XIX,  end  of  borde  writes  it  strangely  enough  "  Pabou- 
Vol.  I.  cht-be ;  "  althougli  the  sound  of  p  does  not 

'  This  name  is  not  quite  certain.    La-    exist  in  the  Arabic  language. 

u.  528-530 


140 


WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec  Xn. 


chasms,  or  sometimes  among  the  heights  on  either  side,  to  which 
flights  of  steps  cut  in  the  rock  lead  up  in  several  places.  Thus 
the  Deir  lies  high  up  among  the  clitfs  of  the  western  ridge,  more 
than  half  an  hour  distant  from  the  area  of  the  city. 

The  most  conspicuous  of  all  the  monuments,  next  to  the 
Khuzneh  and  Deir,  are  those  along  the  eastern  clifis  north  of 
the  theatre.  Here  towards  the  north  is  the  immense  facade  with 
three  rows  of  columns  one  above  another ;  then  the  Corinthian 
tomb  depicted  bv  Laborde  ;  and  further  south,  it  would  seem, 
the  large  tomb  described  by  Irby  and  Mangles,  with  Doric  por- 
ticos and  ornaments,  and  arched  substructions  in  front.  The 
interior  of  this  last,  according  to  the  same  travellers,  consists  of 
one  large  and  lofty  chamber,  which  in  later  ages  was  converted 
into  a  Christian  church  ;  having  three  recesses  for  altars  at  the 
further  end  ;  while  an  inscription  in  red  paint,  near  an  angle, 
records  the  date  of  the  consecration.' 

The  rock  in  which  all  these  monuments  are  sculptured,  is 
the  soft  reddish  sandstone  of  this  whole  district ;  a  formation 
which  has  been  already  described  as  resting  upon  lower  masses 
of  porphyry,  and  which  appears  to  extend  to  a  great  distance 
both  north  and  south.  The  forms  of  the  cliffs  are  often  exceed- 
ingly irregular  and  grotesque.  The  highest,  and  indeed  the  only 
high  point,  of  all  the  sandstone  tract,  is  Mount  Hor.  The  soft- 
ness of  the  stone  afforded  great  facilities  for  excavating  the  sep- 
ulchres and  sculpturing  their  ornamental  parts  ;  but  the.  same 
cause  has  operated  against  their  preservation,  except  where 
sheltered  from  exposure.  The  Khuzneh  itself  has  been  thua 
wonderfully  preserved,  only  by  the  overhanging  vault  of  rock 
which  shields  it. 

Xot  the  least  remarkable  circumstance  in  the  peculiarities 
of  this  singular  spot,  is  the  colour  of  the  rocks.  They  present 
not  a  dead  mass  of  dull  monotonous  red  ;  but  an  endless  variety 
of  bright  and  living  hues,  from  the  deepest  crimson  to  the  soft- 
est pink,  verging  also  sometimes  to  orange  and  yeUow.  These 
varying  shades  are  often  distinctly  marked  by  wa^ang  lines,  im- 
parting to  the  surface  of  the  rock  a  succession  of  brilliant  and 
changing  teints,  like  the  hues  of  watered  sOk,  and  adding  greatly 
to  the  imposing  effect  of  the  sculptured  monuments.  Indeed  it 
would  be  impossible  "  to  give  to  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  singu- 
lar effect  of  rocks,  teinted  with  the  most  extraordinary  hues, 
whose  summits  present  us  with  nature  in  her  most  savage  and 
romantic  form  ;  whilst  their  bases  are  worked  out  in  aU  the 
symmetry  and  regularity  of  art,  with  colonnades,  and  pediments, 

'  Irby  end  Mangles'  Travels  p.  429-431.  [132.]  To  my  great  regret  I  waa  not 
able  to  visit  and  examine  this  tomb. 

ii,  530.  531 


Mat  31.] 


ARCHITECTURE.  SEPULCHRES. 


141 


and  ranges  of  corridors  adhering  to  their  perpendicular  surface."' 
This  play  of  colours  is  strikingly  exhibited,  along  the  paths  lead- 
ing to  the  Deir,  and  to  Mount  Hor. 

In  the  midst  of  the  variety  of  architecture,  which  here  as- 
tonishes the  spectator,  two  styles  are  obviously  predominant,  the 
Egvptian  and  the  Koman-Greek  ;  or  rather,  it  is  the  mixture 
and  union  of  these  two,  which  here  constitutes  the  prevailing 
style.  The  former  is  principally  seen  in  the  body  or  masses  of 
the  fa9ades  ;  where  the  truncated  pyramidal  forms,  and  the 
slightly  tapering  fronts  and  sides,  remind  one  continually  of  the 
majestic  portals  and  propyla  of  the  Theban  temples.  The  more 
classic  orders  of  Greece  and  Eome  are  conspicuous  in  the  col- 
umns and  other  ornaments  ;  and  prevail  also  throughout  in  some 
of  the  more  important  monuments.  But  even  here  all  is  florid 
and  overloaded,  indicating  a  later  age  and  a  degenerate  taste  ; 
when  a  feeling  of  the  beautifid  still  remained,  but  without  the 
simplicity  of  nature.  This  amalgamation  of  styles  may  be  ac- 
counted for,  by  the  prevalence,  first  of  the  Eoman  influence  and 
then  of  the  Koman  dominion,  which  penetrated  hither  both  by 
way  of  Asia  Minor  and  Syria,  and  also  from  Egypt.  This  took 
place,  as  we  know,  about  the  Christian  era  ;  and  to  that  period 
and  the  siibsequent  centuries,  are  probably  to  be  ascribed  the 
architectural  skill  and  monuments,  on  which  strangers  now  gaze 
with  surprise  and  wonder. 

An  interesting  question,  which  occupied  much  of  our  atten- 
tion on  the  spot,  was,  How  far  these  excavations  are  to  be  re- 
garded merely  as  sepulchres  ?  and  whether  any  of  them  were 
probably  intended  as  abodes  for  the  living  ?  I  had  formerly  re- 
ceived the  impression,  that  very  many  of  them  were  to  be  so 
considered  ;  and  indeed,  that  a  great  portion  of  the  ancient  city 
had  been  composed  of  such  dwellings  "  in  the  clefts  of  the 
rocks.'"^  But  after  attentive  observation,  we  coidd  perceive  no 
traces  of  any  such  design.  The  smaller  and  unornamented  ex- 
cavations, are  entirely  similar  to  the  numerous  sepulchres  around 
Jerusalem  ;  and  the  one  have  no  more  the  appearance  of  having 
been  intended  as  dwellings  than  the  other.  Those  with  orna- 
mental facades  have  in  general  a  like  character  within  ;  many 
of  them  have  niches  for  dead  bodies  ;  and  even  such  as  have  not 
this  decisive  mark,  exhibit  nevertheless  no  trace  of  having  been 
constructed  for  hal3itations.  At  a  later  period,  indeed,  they  may 
not  improbably  have  been  thus  used  ;  just  as  the  tombs  at 
Thebes  and  those  in  the  village  of  Siloam,  are  now  converted 
into  dwellings.' 

'  Irbv  and  Mangles  p.  423.  [129  sq.]  parativ^Iy  very  small.  The  caverns  in  the 
*  Jer.  49,  16.  country  towards  Damascus,  which  were 

'  The  interior  of  all  these  tombs  is  com-    never  tombs,  but  always  dwellings,  are 

ii.  5ol— 533 


142 


WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  XH. 


The  elegance  of  tlieir  exterior  decoration,  affords  no  ground 
for  supposing  the  most  of  these  monuments  to  have  been-  other 
than  tombs.  The  abodes  of  the  dead  were  regarded  in  Egypt, 
and  also  in  Palestine,  with  profound  veneration ;  and  were  con- 
structed with  even  greater  pomp  and  splendour  than  the  habita- 
tions of  the  living.  Witness  the  tomb  of  Helena  at  J erusalem, 
and  the  stUl  more  magnificent  ones  at  Thebes  ;  to  say  nothing 
of  the  mighty  pyramids,  erected  apparently  each  as  the  sepul- 
chre of  a  single  monarch.' — Nor  is  there  any  necessity  for  the 
supposition,  that  these  excavations  were  intended  in  part  as 
dwellings  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  place.  The  widely  spread 
ruins  which  are  visible,  attest,  as  we  have  seen,  that  a  large  and 
extensive  city  of  houses  built  of  stone  once  occupied  this  spot ; 
and  the  sepulchres  round  about  are  comparatively  less  numerous, 
than  those  which  in  like  manner  skirt  the  sites  of  ancient  Thebes 
and  Memphis.  The  city  which  stood  here,  was  of  itself  buUt 
"  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks  ; "  without  the  necessity  of  our  look- 
ing for  single  dwellings  in  such  a  situation. 

Yet  not  all  these  structures,  I  think,  were  sepulchral ;  some 
of  the  larger  and  more  splendid  were  more  probably  temples  of 
the  gods.  The  facility  and  beauty  with  which  the  ornamented 
facades  of  monuments  could  be  sculptured  in  the  rock,  might 
easily  suggest  the  idea  of  constructing  fanes  for  the  gods  in  like 
manner ;  and  such  excavated  temples  were  not  unknown  in 
Egypt.'^  Hence  the  site  of  the  beautiful  Khuzneh  was  selected, 
directly  opposite  to  the  grand  entrance  from  the  east ;  the  char- 
acter of  its  front  is  decidedly  that  of  a  temple.  To  the  same 
class  probably  belong  some  of  the  larger  and  more  conspicuous 
excavations  in  the  eastern  cliffs  ;  especially  the  one  described  by 
Irby  and  Mangles,  as  having  arched  substructions  built  up  in 
front,  and  afterwards  used  as  a  Christian  church.  The  Dcir  too, 
as  we  shall  see,  has  similar  features,  and  appears  also  to  have 
been  transformed  into  a  chiirch.  Nothing  would  be  more  natu- 
ral, under  the  circumstances,  than  to  convert  heathen  temples  of 
this  kind  into  Christian  sanctuaries  ;  but  had  they  been  origi- 
nally sepulchres,  such  a  transition  would  have  been  less  natural 
and  probable. 

Such  were  the  impressions  with  which  we  spent  the  evening 
beneath  our  tent  in  Wady  Musa.  Around  us  were  the  desola- 
tions of  ages  ;  the  dwellings  and  edifices  of  the  ancient  city 

very  capacious,  affording  slielter  to  both  <t>poml(ou(ri,  vfp\  Si  rhs  To<J)ir  iirfpjSoA^K 

the  inhabitants  and  their  flocks.    See  See-  ovk  atroKeltroufft  tptKoTifiias.    Comp.  Ge- 

tzen  in  Zach's  Monatl.  Corr.  XVIII.  pp.  seiiius  Comm.  zu  Jesa.  14,  18 — 20.  22,16. 

35G.  418.  '  K.  g.  the  temples  of  Abu  Simbel;  Wil- 

'  So  too  Diodorus  Siculus  says,  in  speak-  kinson's  Mod.  Egypt,  II.  p.  327  sq.  Burck- 

ing  of  the  Egj'ptians,  1.51  :  Ai6irtp  ruv  liardt'sNubia,  p.  88.  Irby  and  Mangles,  pp. 

fifv  Kara  ras   oixlas  KaraffKfvuv  Jirron  29,  37  sq.  [10,  12  sq.] 

ii.  533,  534 


JUKS  1.] 


TEMPLES.  ARABS. 


143 


crumbled  and  strewed  in  the  dust ;  the  mausolea  of  the  dead  in 
all  their  pristine  beauty  and  freshness,  but  long  since  rifled,  and 
the  ashes  of  their  tenants  scattered  to  the  winds.  "Well  might 
there  be  the  stillness  of  death  ;  for  it  was  the  grave  itself,  a  city 
of  the  dead,  by  which  we  were  surrounded. 

Yet  this  impressive  silence  was  not  uninterrupted.  Our  Arabs 
had  slaughtered  the  sheep  we  had  bought,  and  made  themselves 
a  feast.  They  were  in  high  glee  ;  and  the  voice  of  singing, 
story-teUing,  and  mirth,  sounded  strangely  amid  these  sepul- 
chres. Our  Haweitat  companions  had  given  us  to-day  another 
specimen  of  their  thievish  propensities.  As  we  entered  the  Sik, 
they  contrived  to  throw  into  confusion  the  flock  of  sheep  which 
was  there  feeding,  watched  by  an  Arab  boy ;  and  separating  a 
lamb,  drove  it  into  the  Sik  along  with  the  one  which  the  Jehalin 
were  leading.  "VVe  were  in  advance  at  the  time  ;  and  as  the 
worthies  came  up,  they  pretended  that  the  lamb  had  strayed 
away  and  was  following  us  of  its  own  accord.  It  was  not  tiU 
we  appealed  veiy  decidedly  to  Sheikh  Hussan,  that  he  sent  one 
of  his  men  to  take  the  animal  back. 

Friday,  June  1st.  On  entering  the  high  table  land  of  the 
mountains  yesterday,  we  heard  that  many  of  the  Ma'az,  an 
Arab  tribe  from  the  sandy  region  of  the  Hismeh,'  east  of  'Aka- 
bah,  having  been  driven  out  of  their  own  country  by  the  drought, 
had  spread  themselves  here  among  these  mountains,  where  the 
rains  had  been  more  abundant.  Our  Arabs  of  the  J ehalin  felt 
some  alarm  on  learning  the  prcoonce  of  these  strangers  ;  for 
although  they  stood  towards  them  in  no  relations  either  of  alli- 
ance or  hostility,  yet  the  character  of  aU  these  lawless  hordes  of 
the  desert  is  such,  that  when  away  from  home,  where  no  respon- 
sibility would  fall  on  their  own  tribe,  they  would  not  hesitate  to 
rob  a  passing  traveller  or  caravan.  A  large  encampment  of 
them,  it  was  said,  lay  near  the  way  out  from  Wady  Musa  by 
Mount  Hor  to  the  'Arabah. 

On  awaking  this  morning,  our  first  information  was,  that  the 
Sheikh  of  the  Bedun,  a  clan  of  the  Haweitat  who  pasture  in 
and  around  Wady  Miisa,  had  arrived  in  the  night  with  several 
armed  men,  in  order  to  claim  from  us  a  Ghufr,  that  is,  a  tax, 
tribute,  present,  or  whatever  else  it  may  be  caUed,  for  the  privi- 
lege of  visiting  the  place.  On  looking  out,  we  saw  him  sleeping 
by  his  dromedary  near  the  tent.  Supposing  the  matter  would 
be  arranged  without  difliculty,  we  left  the  Sheikh  to  finish  his 
nap ;  while  we  went  out  before  breakfast  to  ifnprove  our  time 
and  visit  the  Deir,  the  only  remaining  distant  point  which  we 
now  wished  to  examine. 

We  took  as  a  guide  a  shepherd  of  the  valley,  who  happened 

'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  174. 

ii.  534-536 


144 


WADT  MUSA. 


[SkcXIL 


to  be  present ;  and  passing  again  along  tlie  brook  through  the 
open  area  to  the  western  cliffs,  we  turned  north  along  their  front 
for  some  minutes,  and  then  entered  a  narrow  rent  coming  down 
from  the  W.  N.  W.  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  area.  This 
passage  resembles  the  Sik  in  narrowness,  and  in  the  perpendicular 
walls  of  rock  on  the  sides  ;  but  instead  of  being  nearly  level,  it 
runs  up  very  rapidly  into  the  heart  of  the  mountain.  The  ravine 
is  exceedingly  irregular  and  rugged  ;  and  in  its  natural  state 
must  have  been  utterly  inapassable  in  many  places.  At  such 
points  a  path  five  or  six  feet  in  breadth,  with  steps,  has  been 
hewn  in  and  along  the  walls  of  rock  ;  this  continued  for  a  great 
part  of  the  way,  and  still  remains  in  tolerable  preservation. 
After  many  windings  and  intricacies,  which  no  stranger  would 
readily  find  out  without  a  guide,  we  reached  the  Deir,  situated 
high  up  among  the  topmost  crags  of  the  mountain,  a  good  half 
hour's  walk  from  the  mouth  of  the  ravine. 

The  Deir  is  hewn  out  in  the  perpendicular  face  of  a  cliff,  one 
of  the  groups  which  here  jut  up  out  of  the  high  table  land.  It 
faces  W.  S.  W.  and  Mount  Hor  towers  in  lone  majesty  over- 
against  it,  bearing  S.  W.^S.'  This  monument  is  of  larger 
dimensions  than  the  Khuzneh  ;  its  facades  covering  a  much 
broader  surface,  though  it  is  probably  not  higher.  The  upper 
part  exhibits  a  broken  pediment,  and  has  three  compartments  ; 
in  each  of  which  is  a  niche  apparently  intended  for  a  statue. 
The  architecture  is  florid  and  not  in  good  taste  ;  and  the  whole 
is  overloaded  with  ornament.  Yet  the  general  effect,  though 
less  striking  and  beautiful  than  that  of  the  Khuzneh,  is  rich  and 
highly  imposing  in  this  wild  solitude.  Before  it  is  a  large  square 
area  levelled  off  and  ob\aously  artificial ;  since  it  is  in  part  built 
up  with  walls  lilvc  a  terrace.  In  the  adjacent  cliffs,  in  various 
parts,  flights  of  steps  are  hewn,  leading  to  the  top ;  and  a  few 
plain  tombs  are  seen  round  about.  The  high  rock  overagainst 
this  monument,  is  described  by  Laborde  as  having  on  its  top  a 
level  platform,  with  a  line  of  columns,  reached  in  like  manner 
by  an  artificial  ascent,  and  command.ing  a  wide  prospect.  We 
did  not  visit  it. 

As  in  the  Khuzneh,  so  in  the  Deir,  the  interior  by  no  means 
corresponds  to  the  splendour  of  the  exterior.  There  is  here  but 
one  excavated  chamber,  a  large  square  room  perfectly  plain,  with 
walls  smooth  and  unbroken  ;  oxcei)t  on  the  inner  part,  where  is 
a  broad  arched  niche  a  little  above  the  floor,  with  two  or  three 
steps  leading  to  it  on  each  side  ;  resembling  very  much  the 
niche  or  alcove  for  the  altar  in  a  Greek  church.  The  arch  of 
this  alcove  was  apparently  once  ornamented  by  a  border  of 
Bome  sort,  fastened  into  a  groove  cut  around  it,  and  supporting 

'  Mouut  Ilor,  however,  is  visible  only  from  tlio  top  of  the  Deir. 
ii.  530,  537 


JirsK  l.J 


THE  DEIR. 


145 


perhaps  a  curtain.  Over  the  niche,  the  traces  of  a  cross  are 
still  discernible.' 

The  whole  exterior  aspect  of  the  Deir  is  decidedly  that  of  a 
heathen  temple.  "With  this  view  also  accord  the  broad  espla- 
nade in  front,  and  the  road  leading  up  to  the  place,  hewn  out  of 
the  rock  with  immense  labour.  Indeed,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
account  for  such  a  road  to  a  mere  private  tomb ;  and  this  of 
itself  seems  to  mark  it  as  a  public  structure.  In  a  later  age  it 
became  apparently  a  Christian  church,  and  the  niche  may  per- 
haps have  been  then  first  excavated. 

We  now  returned  to  our  tent  and  breakfasted.  After  the 
general  survey  which  we  had  thus  taken,  I  wished  to  go  once 
more  to  the  Khuzneh,  and  then  return  by  the  upper  range  of 
tombs  along  the  eastern  cliff  above  our  tent.  We  fixed  upon  9 
o'clock  as  the  hour  for  setting  off.  Meantime  Sheikh  Hussan 
came  in,  and  said  the  Sheikh  of  Wady  Musa  was  there,  desiring 
from  us  a  Ghufi*.  We  told  him  through  Hussan,  that  we  were 
travelling  with  the  Firman  of  Muhammed  'Aly,  who  had  abol- 
ished all  such  exactions  throughout  his  dominions  ;  and  we 
therefore  felt  under  no  obligation  to  comply  with  this  demand. 
Our  reply  was  perhaps  more  decided  than  it  would  otherwise 
have  been,  in  consequence  of  the  report  of  our  servants,  that 
during  our  absence  the  Sheikh  and  his  attendants  had  conduct- 
ed themselves  arrogantly,  ordering  coffee  and  demanding  of 
them  a  breakfast.  To  this  last,  the  servants  had  without  much 
ceremony  demurred. 

Leaving  my  companion  and  Sheikh  Hussan  to  arrange  the 
matter,  and  taking  with  me  two  of  our  Arabs,  I  now  repaired  to 
the  amphitheatre  and  *the  Khuzneh,  observing  everything  lei- 
surely by  the  way,  and  looking  particularly  for  the  tomb  with  the 
Greek  inscription,  though  without  finding  it.  While  examining 
the  Khuzneh,  I  heard  several  guns  fired  at  our  tent  ;  but  as  this 
is  not  unusual  among  the  Arabs,  it  did  not  further  excite  my  at- 
tention. I  had  taken  my  last  admiring  look  of  this  beautiful 
structure  from  a  point  opposite,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Sik  ; 
and  was  just  about  to  return,  when  I  saw  seven  ragged  wild- 
looking  Arabs  w-ith  guns  coming  up  the  valley.  They  entered 
the  Khuzneh,  to  look  at  it,  as  I  supposed  ;  but  soon  came  out ; 
and  seeing  me  with  my_  two  attendants  at  some  distance,  ad- 
vanced towards  us  in  a 'quiet  manner,  until  within  a  few  steps, 
when  they  broke  out  into  the  most  violent  gestures  and  excla- 
mations, ordering  us  to  return  forthwith  to  the  tent.  As  I  knew 
not  what  it  all  meant,  and  could  not  ask  them,  I  kept  along 
down  the  valley,  still  searching  for  the  Greek  tomb  and  followed 
by  the  seven  ragamuffins. 

'  This  cross  wag  noticed  by  Mr  Roberts. 
Vol.  II.— 13  ii.  537-539 


146 


WADY  MTISA. 


[SEaXU. 


At  the  amphitheatre  I  met  Mr  Smith,  who  informed  me, 
that  the  two  Sheikhs  had  broken  on  the  point  of  the  tribute. 
After  my  departure  the  Sheikh  of  the  Bedun  had  through  Hus- 
sin  repeated  his  demand  for  the  Ghufr  ;  in  which  he  was  now 
backed  by  the  advice  and  solicitation  of  our  own  Arabs.  He  as- 
serted that  he  had  authority  from  the  Pasha  to  collect  such  a 
toll,  in  return  for  his  being  held  responsible  to  the  government 
for  the  safety  of  travellers  ;  and  further,  that  all  former  travel- 
lers had  paid  his  demand,  and  he  hoped  we  would  do  so  as  well 
as  they.  To  these  barefaced  falsehoods  the  reply  was,  that  if 
he  had  authority  from  the  Pasha,  let  him  produce  it,  and  he 
should  have  aU  that  it  allowed ;  that  if  he  had  formerly  shown 
favours  to  travellers  and  they  had  paid  him  for  it,  let  him  also 
first  show  us  some  kindness  and  civility,  and  he  would  not  find 
us  slow  to  make  him  a  present  in  return.  AU  this  intercourse 
was  had  in  like  manner  through  Sheikh  Hussan. 

On  receiving  this  last  answer,  the  old  man  rose  in  a  great 
passion,  saying  that  if  we  had  orders  from  Muhammed  'Aly  he 
would  obey  them  ;  but  that  our  Arabs  had  no  right  to  take  us 
away,  and  they  should  go.  He  accordingly  ordered  them  to  de- 
part ;  and  talked  of  sending  for  other  camels  to  Eljy.  A  great 
quarrel  and  tumult  now  arose  between  our  Arabs  and  the  eigh- 
teen or  twenty  armed  men  of  the  other  party ;  swords  were 
drawn  and  gTins  fired  ;  and  one  would  have  thought  that  blood 
would  have  been  immediately  shed.  My  friend  left  them  in  the 
midst  of  the  tumult,  and  went  first  to  the  tombs  in  the  eastern 
precipice  and  thence  to  the  theatre,  where  I  now  met  him.  The 
adverse  Sheikh,  it  appeared,  had  also  declared,  that  if  we  would 
not  pay,  we  should  see  nothing  of  Wady  Miisa  ;  and  had  sent 
his  men  to  find  us  and  conduct  us  back. 

We  now  together  looked  at  various  tombs  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  theatre  ;  our  new  protectors"  endeavouring  to  prevent  us, 
and  once  even  taking  hold  of  our  arms.  We  civilly  shook  them 
ofi",  taking  care  not  to  strike  nor  to  give  any  occasion  for  personal 
violence  ;  which  they  too  seemed  quite  as  equally  anxious  to 
avoid.  My  companion  endeavoured  to  proceed  higher  up  the 
valley,  but  was  stopped  by  force.  He  now  held  a  long  talk  with 
them,  while  I  sat  by  ;  using  both  argument  and  expostulation, 
and  depicting  the  danger  of  thus  exposing  themselves  to  the 
vengeance  of  the  Pasha.  They  of  course  could  make  no  reply  ; 
but  his  words  also  made  no  impression  ;  and  he  might  as  well 
have  spoken  to  the  wind.  We  thought  it  better  to  return  to  the 
tent  and  there  await  the  result. 

Here  the  Sheikh  of  Wady  Miisa  now  presented  himself  in 
due  form  ;  and  to  my  no  little  astonishment,  turned  out  to  be 
the  identical  old  Mukeibil  Abu  Zeitun,  "  the  Father  of  OUvcs," 

ii,  539  540 


Jim  1.] 


AFFAIR  ■WTTH  THE  ARABS. 


147 


who  had  caused  all  the  trouble  to  Messrs  Bankes,  Legh,  and 
Irby  and  Mangles  in  1818;  pushing  his  obstinacy  at  that  time 
so  far,  as  almost  to  kindle  a  war  among  the  Arab  tribes,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  approach  of  the  party  to  "Wady  Miisa.'  I  had 
supposed  him  long  dead  ;  as  no  traveller  since  that  time  has 
spoken  of  him  or  appears  to  have  seen  him.  But  he  now 
revived  before  us  in  all  the  obstinacy  and  tenacity  of  purpose, 
which  had  marked  his  former  character  ;  and  we  knew  hence- 
forth whom  we  had  to  deal  witL  He  was  at  present  an  old  man 
of  nearly  eighty  years  ;  and  had  put  on  a  new  Arab  cloak,  and 
a  new  glaring  yellow  Kef  iyeh,  bound  around  his  head  with  an 
unusual  quantity  of  new  wooUen  yam — in  short  his  gala-dress, 
— to  do  us  honour.  His  demeanour  was  calm  ;  and  he  now 
went  over  his  arguments  to  us  in  a  mild  tone,  and  we  ours  to 
him  in  retiim. 

He  enumerated  one  and  another  who  (he  said)  had  paid  him 
the  Ghufr,  or,  as  he  called  it,  made  him  a  present ;  and  he 
presumed  we  were  more  noble  and  generous  than  any  who  had 
gone  before,  and  would  give  liberally.  When  told  that  as  bear- 
ing the  Pasha's  Firman,  we  were  free  from  aU  such  exactions, 
and  that  moreover  he  was  held  responsible  for  our  safety  while 
within  his  limits  ;  his  reply  was,  that  he  knew  all  this,  and  on 
account  of  this  very  responsibility  he  claimed  a  present ;  if  the 
government  would  relieve  him  from  this  obligation,  he  would  ask 
nothing  of  visitors.  We  told  him,  we  had  been  travelling 
through  the  provinces  of  G-aza  and  Hebron,  where  the  Sheikhs 
of  the  vUlages,  of  their  own  accord,  had  always  given  us  a  guard 
around  our  tent,  and  had  never  thought  of  claiming  or  of  hint- 
ing a  wish  for  pay  ;  and  that  his  best  way  would  have  been  in 
like  manner  to  have  done  us  some  favour,  before  he  claimed  any 
return.  But  nothing  made  any  impression  upon  the  stubborn 
old  Bedawy;  there  he  sat,  tall,  gaunt,  with  thin  and  time-worn 
visage  and  gray  beard,  not  violent  in  gesture  and  manner,  but 
cold,  determined,  and  tenacious  of  his  supposed  hold  upon  us  as 
a  bloodhound. 

His  reiterated  demand  was  for  one  thousand  piastres,  equal 
to  fifty  Spanish  doUars,  from  ourselves  ;  and  for  five  hundred 
piastres  in  addition  from  our  Arabs.  On  this  last  he  seemed  to 
lay  less  stress,  as  they  were  neighbours  and  might  come  again ; 
but  as  to  us,  he  evidently  regarded  us  as  a  windfall  already  in 
his  pDwer,  which  he  was  bent  upon  turning  to  the  utmost  ad- 
vantage. 

He  had  made  the  same  demand  of  Bertou  when  here  a  few 

'  Irbr  and  Mangles'  Trareh  pp.  3.93-    his  name  Magabel ;  see  Ms  work :  Cairo, 
400.  [11 7-1 2-2.]  Legh  under  Mav  23-    Petra.  etc.  p.  131,  etc. 
26th. — Mr.  Kinneir  in  A.  D.  1839,'write3 

iL  540-542 


148 


*WADY  MUSA. 


[Sec.  XIL 


weeks  before.  Lord  Prudhoe,  about  the  same  time,  he  had  not 
caught ;  as  he  came  from  the  west,  remained  only  for  a  night, 
and  was  o&  again  before  the  old  man  had  time  to  pay  his  respects. 
Such  indeed  appears  to  have  been  the  case  with  all  those  travel- 
lers, who  of  late  years  have  taken  this  place  in  their  way  from 
'Akabah  to  Hebron  ;  their  visits  have  been  short ;  and  entering 
by  way  of  Mount  Hor,  they  have  been  able  to  leave  again  before 
information  of  their  arrival  could  reach  the  Sheikh.  This  ad- 
vantage we  had  lost  by  ascending  the  mountains  further  north, 
where  our  visit  became  known  at  once  to  the  Arabs  around 
Dibdiba. — Bertou,  as  he  himself  told  us,  had  got  off  by  giving 
the  Sheikh  all  the  money  he  had  with  him,  less  than  one  hun- 
dred piastres,  with  a  quantity  of  powder,  soap,  tobacco,  and  the 
like. 

The  old  man  appears  not  to  have  been  satisfied  with  this 
result  ;  and  had  now,  on  the  first  intelligence  of  our  arrival, 
come  down  upon  us  by  night  with  some  twenty  armed  men,  who 
already  had  increased  to  thirty  ;  determined  to  have  the  matter 
this  time  in  his  own  hands,  and  not  to  let  the  opportunity  slip 
away  so  easily.  Against  this  array,  we  could  number  in  all  only 
thirteen  men,  including  our  Haweitat,  on  whom  we  could  place 
no  dependence  whatever.  Our  Jehalin  too,  although  their  inter- 
est was  the  same  as  ours,  proved  to  be  men  of  no  nerve  ;  Sheikh 
Hussan,  an  easy  good-natured  man,  had  neither  decision  nor 
energy.  We  were  thus  really  and  truly  in  the  power  of  Abu 
Zeitun  ;  and  his  men,  the  worst  looking  set  of  miscreants  we 
had  yet  seen,  seemed  not  unwilling  to  exercise  this  power,  and 
waited  apparently  only  for  a  signal  to  plunder  us  outright.  But 
the  old  Sheikh  was  more  politic,  and  obviously  kept  them  in 
check. 

After  long  and  loud  talking,  the  upshot  of  the  whole  matter 
on  the  part  of  Abu  Zeitun  was,  that  unless  we  paid  his  demand 
we  should  see  nothing  more,  and  should  return  the  way  we  came. 
There  was  also  again  some  talk  of  camels  coming  from  Eljy  to 
take  us  back  ;  but  this  seemed  not  to  be  much  insisted  on,  and 
was  rather  a  feint.'    We  now  told  the  old  man  plainly,  that  in 

'  This  story  of  other  camels  rested  on  a  rights.  Yet  these  claims  are  relaxed  in 
strict  interpretation  of  Bedawin  common  practice,  especially  amons^  leagued  tribes ; 
law,  which  secures  to  every  tribe  the  right  so  that  the  Tawarah  cross  the  territories 
and  profit  of  carrying  all  travellers  and  of  the  Haiwat  and  Tiyahah  without  ques- 
freight  within  its  own  territories.  Strict-  tion,  to  take  travellers  to  Gaza  and  Ho- 
ly speaking,  perhaps  neither  the  Jehalin  bron.  So  too  both  the  Alawin  and  .leha- 
nor  'Alawin  have  a  right,  according  to  this  lin  carry  travellers  to  Wady  Musa  ;  but 
law,  to  bring  travellers  to  Wady  Miisa,  they  endeavour  to  avoid  the  notice  of  the 
any  more  than  to  the  convent  at  Sinai ;  neighbouring  Arabs,  and  make  their  visits 
and  the  Tawarah  cannot  do  it,  because  as  short  as  possible  ;  feeling  that  they  are 
they  would  have  to  pass  through  the  coun-  doing  that  for  which  they  may  perhaps 
tiy  of  the  'Alawin,  and  thus  invade  their  bo  called  to  account, 
ii.  542.  543 


JrSE  1.] 


AFFAIR  TVITH  THE  ARABS. 


149 


the  shape  of  Grhufr  we  should  give  nothing.  If  he  was  in  rebel- 
lion against  the  government,  we  only  wanted  to  know  it,  that 
we  might  make  our  report  accordingly  ;  at  any  rate  we  should 
make  a  report  of  his  conduct  to  the  English  and  American 
consuls  in  Cairo,  who  would  lay  the  affair  before  the  Pasha,  and 
take  measures  that  future  travellers  should  not  be  thus  exposed 
to  exactions.  After  aU,  we  were  now  in  his  power,  and  if  he 
chose  to  rob  or  kill  us  outright,  we  were  ready  ;  but  he  must 
abide  the  consequences.    Here  the  matter  rested  for  some  time. 

It  was  already  past  10  o'clock,  and  we  began  to  be  impatient 
at  this  delay.  Rather  than  give  up  the  ascent  of  Mount  Hor, 
(although  we  had  now  seen  it  fully  from  below,)  we  thought  it 
best  to  tender  to  the  old  man  through  Sheikh  Hussan,  at  first, 
what  the  chief  Sheikh  of  the  Jehalin  had  told  us  would  be 
enough,  viz.  forty  piastres.  It  was  returned ;  and  also  afterwards 
eighty,  which  we  offered.  I  would  have  gone  up  to  one  hundred 
piastres  ;  but  the  tenacious  Sheikh  was  now  so  certain  of  his 
prey,  that  he  would  hear  of  nothing  short  of  the  fuU  thousand. 
We  therefore  concluded,  that  it  would  be  better  on  the  whole,  as 
we  could  not  carry  the  matter  through  by  force,  to  take  him  at 
his  word,  and  return  the  way  we  came.  The  followers  of  Abu 
Zeitun  had  gradually  increased  to  nearly  forty  armed  men,  in- 
cluding some  of  the  'Ammarin,  and  a  brother  of  Sheikh  Husein 
the  'Alawy.  Keeping  our  own  counsel,  we  ordered  the  camels 
to  be  loaded,  which  was  done  without  hindrance  from  any  one  ; 
and  we  mounted. 

Not  wishing  however  to  give  up  the  point  except  from  actual 
compulsion,  we  now  attempted  to  set  off  on  the  way  to  Mount 
Hor,  Sheikh  Hussan  leading  the  forward  camel ;  but  the  hostile 
party  at  a  signal  from  Abu  Zeitun  instantly  closed  around,  and 
swords  were  drawn  and  brandished  ;  which  however,  among  these 
Arabs,  as  we  had  now  learned,  means  nothing  more  than  to  make 
a  flourish.  The  heads  of  our  camels  were  seized  and  turned  in 
the  opposite  direction,  with  orders  to  go  by  the  way  we  came. 
Not  a  step,  my  companion  replied,  except  by  force  ;  and  dis- 
mounting he  stood  up  before  them  and  told  them :  We  now 
knew  them  to  be  robbers,  and  were  ready  for  them  ;  let  them  rob 
and  kill  us  if  they  chose,  but  not  a  para  more  of  money  should 
they  get,  than  we  had  offered  them.  They  replied,  that  not  for 
a  para  less  than  a  thousand  piastres  should  we  go  to  Mount  Hor. 
Our  resolute  Komeh  next  seized  the  halter  of  the  head  camel  and 
tried  to  go  on  as  before  ;  but  with  no  better  success.  He  then 
in  great  wrath,  threw  down  his  gun  and  pistol  and  pipe  on  the 
ground  before  them,  (the  pipe  was  shivered  in  pieces,)  declaring 
them  to  be  thieves  and  robbers,  and  calling  on  them  to  take  pos- 
session of  his  arms  and  aU  that  he  had. — AU  this  however  was 

Vol.  n  — 13*  ii.  543-545 


150 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XH 


of  no  avail ;  and  we  accordingly,  about  11  o'clock,  turned  the 
<i  heads  of  our  camels  the  other  way,  and  proceeded  on  the  path 
which  issues  from  the  northeast  corner  of  the  area,  leading  close 
along  under  the  tombs  in  the  eastern  cliffs. 

Our  departure  in  this  manner  seemed,  after  all,  to  be  wholly 
unexpected  to  the  adverse  party.  The  old  Sheikh  had  reckoned 
upon  us  so  surely,  that  tliis  movement  took  him  by  surprise  and 
threatened  to  thwart  his  plans.  He  detained  our  Arabs  long  in 
consultation ;  and  when  Sheikh  Hussan  at  length  came  up,  he 
brought  an  offer  that  we  might  return  and  stay  as  long  as  we 
pleased  on  paying  five  hundred  piastres.  To  this  of  course  we 
paid  no  regard  ;  being  determined  not  to  renew  the  negotiation. 
At  tliis  time  our  five  Haweitat,  whom  we  were  desirous  to  retain 
at  least  for  the  present,  thinking  it  a  favourable  moment  to 
profit  by  our  necessities,  demanded  their  wages,  and  refused  to 
accompany  us  any  further,  except  at  an  extravagant  price.  We 
paid  them  off,  and  let  them  go.  There  now  remained  with  us  only 
our  four  Jehalin,  in  these  mountains  teeming  with  such  ruffians. 
But  we  put  our  trust  in  God,  and  went  forward  ;  not  knowing 
but  that  at  any  moment  we  might  be  overtaken  and  plundered. 

After  we  had  proceeded  for  nearly  an  hour,  a  man  from  Abu 
Zeitun  overtook  us,  inviting  us  to  return  ;  the  Sheikh  did  not 
wish  us  to  depart  thus  ;  our  good  will  was  worth  more  to  him 
than  money  ;  and  we  might  come  back  and  finish  our  observa- 
tions without  papng  any  thing.  We  sent  word  to  the  effect, 
that  we  had  seen  all  we  desired  in  the  valley  ;  that  he  had  driven 
Tis  away,  and  we  should  not  return  ;  but  should  make  our  report 
to  Cairo.  After  another  hour  came  a  second  messenger,  begging 
us  at  least  to  wait  until  the  Sheikh  himself  could  come  up  and, 
"  get  our  good  wUl ; "  which  means,  being  interpreted,  to  part 
with  words  of  peace,  but  get  a  bakhsliish  if  possible.  We  were 
now  on  the  plain  of  Sutuh  Beida,  nearly  opposite  Dibdiba  ;  and 
turning  aside  under  the  shade  of  the  western  precipice,  we 
waited  accordingly. 

The  old  man  came  at  length  on  his  dromedary,  and  most  of 
his  company  with  him.  Dismounting,  he  seated  himself  near 
us,  repeated  coldly  the  assurance,  that  our  good  will  was  dearer 
to  him  than  money  ;  said  we  might  return  if  we  chose,  and 
whatever  we  might  please  to  give  liim  would  be  acceptable  ;  or, 
if  we  chose  to  go  on,  we  might  go  in  peace.  We  told  liim,  he 
was  now  too  late,  and  we  should  go  on  ;  and  left  him  coldly, 
without  his  present. — I  proposed  indeed  to  my  companion,  that 
we  should  so  far  put  his  good  will  to  the  test,  as  to  let  liim  give 
us  a  guide  to  conduct  us  to  Mount  Hor  by  some  other  route,  not 
leading  through  Wady  Milsa.  But  to  this  my  friend  was 
averse  ;  thinking  it  better  when  once  out  of  the  old  man's 

ii.  545.  546 


June  1.] 


DEPARTURE.     WANT  OF  FIRMAK. 


151 


clutches,  not  to  place  ourselves  again  in  his  power.  We  there- 
fore reluctantly  gave  up  Mount  Hor,  and  proceeded  on  our  way, 
after  ha\dng  been  thus  delayed  for  about  an  hour. 

The  head  Sheikh  of  the  Jehalin  afterwards  assured  us,  that 
such  an  exaction  had  never  been  attempted  nor  such  a  claim  set 
up  by  Abu  Zeitun,  before  the  present  year  ;  but  this  has  pro- 
bably been  owing,  as  already  suggested,  to  the  shortness  of  the 
visits  made  by  travellers,  whose  arrival  did  not  become  known 
to  the  Sheikh.  The  peasants,  it  was  said,  had  sometimes  come 
around,  and  asked  for  bakhshish  ;  and  a  few  piastres  had  occa- 
sionally been  given  them.  At  any  rate,  we  were  probably  the 
first,  on  whom  the  old  miscreant  had  once  laid  his  grasp,  who 
ever  escaped  from  it  without  yielding  to  his  demand  ;  and  we 
received  many  compliments  from  the  Sheikhs  of  the  Jehalin  and 
others  at  Hebron  for  the  boldness  and  address,  with  which  we 
had  extricated  ourselves  from  his  power.  We  owed  our  escape, 
no  doubt,  to  the  awe  in  which  he  stood  of  the  strong  arm  of 
Muhammed  'Aly  ;  a  circumstance  of  which  we  did  not  discover 
the  full  extent  until  after  we  had  left  him.  Hussan  remained  be- 
hind ;  and  him  he  charged,  that  the  Jehahn  should  bring  no  more 
Christians  to  Wady  Musa,  without  an  express  paper  with  the 
seal  of  the  government ;  such  a  paper  he  would  obey.  This 
means,  of  course,  nothing  more  than  a  Tezkirah  from  the  gov- 
ernor of  Graza,  under  whose  jurisdiction  this  region  belongs  ;  or 
probably  one  from  Jerusalem  or  Hebron  would  answer  just  as 
well. 

We  had  committed  the  oversight  of  leaving  our  Firman 
among  our  other  papers  at  Hebron  ;  not  dreaming  that  it  could 
be  necessary  to  us  in  these  mountains.  But  I  am  since  persua- 
ded, that  had  we  had  the  Firman  to  flourish  in  the  old  man's 
face,  and  more  especially  the  Tezkirah  of  Sheikh  Sa'id,  which 
had  been  offered  to  us  in  Graza,"  we  should  have  carried  our 
point  without  much  difficulty.  As  it  was,  this  could  be  done 
only  by  submitting  to  his  demand,  or  by  force.  To  the  former 
we  were  not  disposed,  either  for  our  own  sakes  or  for  the  sake  of 
those  travellers  who  should  come  after  us  ;  and  the  latter  was 
aU  on  the  adverse  side.  We  suppose  it  was  the  same  awe  of 
Muhammed  'Aly,  which  alone  prevented  them  from  plundering 
us  outright ;  helping  themselves  to  that  which  we  refused  them.^ 

'  See  p.  37,  above.  dred  piastres  instead  of  one  thousand.  Kin- 
'  We  afterwards  presented  a  written  re-  neat's  Cairo,  Petra,  etc.  p.  137.— In  1840,  a 
portof  this  whole  affairtotheAmericancon-  large  party  of  sixteen  individvials,  English, 
sul  at  Cairo,  whom  we  met  at  Alexandria ;  Americans,  and  Germans,  making  up  a  car- 
but  nothing  appears  to  have  been  done  in  the  avan  of  some  fifty  camels,  visited  Wady  Mu- 
matter.  Mr  Roberts,  the  English  artist,  and  sa  together  ;  and  paid  to  the  Arabs  of  the 
his  party,  who  went  to  Wady  Musa  in  1839,  place,  (as  I  am  informed  by  one  of  the  par- 
were  met  by  the  Sheikh  before  they  reached  ty,)not  less  than  seventy-five  piastres  for 
the  spot;  but  got  off  with  paying  three  hun-  each,  or  twelve  hundred  piastres  in  all 

ii.  546,  547 


152 


FROM  "WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON, 


[Sec.  Xn. 


Thus  ended  our  visit  to  Wady  Mvisa,  after  we  had  seen  and 
accomplished  all  which  lay  within  our  original  plan,  except  as- 
cending Mount  Hor.  Although  we  might  have  gladly  spent 
several  days  in  searching  out  and  studying  the  wonders  of  the 
place,  yet  our  plans  and  the  advance  of  the  season  called  us  else- 
where ;  and  there  was  nothing  for  which  I  could  have  wished 
to  return  to  the  valley  itself,  except  to  look  at  the  few  inscrip- 
tions and  seek  for  others.  I  had  indeed  a  strong  desire  to  as- 
cend Mount  Hor,  for  the  sake  of  the  wide  prospect,  and  in  order 
to  take  its  bearings  from  other  known  points  ;  hut  chiefly  per- 
haps because  it  is  one  of  the  most  definitely  marked  spots,  on 
which  the  great  Hebrew  lawgiver  actually  stood, — where  took 
place  the  closing  scene  between  the  prophet  brothers,  when  the 
elder  yielded  up  the  ghost  in  the  presence  of  the  younger  and 
of  his  own  son,  "and  died  there  in  the  top  of  the  mount."' 
The  Wely  Neby  Harun  upon  the  summit,  is  in  nothing  differ- 
ent from  other  Arab  tombs  of  saints,  which  are  so  common  up- 
on the  mountains  and  hills  of  Palestine.  There  is  an  inscription 
in  Arabic  and  another  in  Hebrew,  the  work  of  casual  visitors, 
and  of  no  importance  whatever.  These  had  been  copied  by 
Lord  Prudhoe  during  his  recent  visit ;  and  we  had  already  seen 
and  read  them  in  Jerusalem.^ 

We  had  set  off  from  Wady  Musa  at  11  o'clock ;  the  way 
passing  along  beneath  the  eastern  cliff  and  up  the  side  of  one 
of  the  Wadys  which  enter  from  the  N.  N.  E.  Then  crossing 
one  or  two  similar  Wadys,  we  reached  the  plain  Sutuh  Beida, 
and  came  to  the  place  where  we  had  yesterday  bought  the  sheep 
and  sent  forward  our  baggage.  Here  it  was  that  we  waited  for 
Abu  Zeitun  ;  and  here  we  left  him  at  2  o'clock.  Our  way  was 
now  the  same  we  had  come  the  preceding  day.  A  long  and  tedi- 
ous ride  brought  us  at  5  o'clock  to  the  top  of  the  pass  of  Ne- 
mela  ;  where  we  stopped  for  a  moment  to  enjoy  the  wide  prospect 
and  verify  our  former  observations.  The  air  was  now  serene  and 
clearer  than  before,  and  the  view  finer.  The  junction  of  the 
Jerafeh  with  el-Jeib  in  the  'Arabah,  and  the  cliff  el-Mukrah 
beyond,  were  perfectly  distinct ;  as  was  also  the  winding  course 
of  the  Jeib  further  south.  We  descended  the  pass  in  forty-five 
minutes  ;  and  following  down  the  valleys  below,  reached  the 
lower  edge  of  the  porphyry  formation,  where  the  Wady  turns 
down  though  the  lower  limestone  cliffs.  Here  at  6J  o'clock  we 
halted  for  rest  and  refreshment. 

for  permission  to  examine  the  niins.    All    were  Irby  and  Manfjles  and  their  party  in 
such  payments,  of  course,  serve  to  increase    1818.    It  has  been  several  times  described 
the  difficulties  of  subsequent  travellers.         witliin  the  lust  live  years;  but  the  account 
'  Num.  20,  22-29.  of  Irby  and  Mangles  remains  as  yet  the 

'  The  first  Kranic  travellers  to  ascend  most  definite  and  exact.  'I'he  reader  will 
Mount  Hor  and  visit  the  Wely  Neby  Hariin,    find  it  in  Note  XXXVI,  end  of  the  volume. 

ii.  548,  549 


JCNE  1.] 


NIGHT  TRAVEL. 


153 


As  there  would  be  moonlight  until  an  hour  after  midnight, 
our  Arabs  were  desirous  to  push  fcfrward  during  that  interval 
across  the  plain.  They  represented,  and  with  justice,  that  it 
would  be  prudent  to  get  away  as  soon  as  possible  from  the 
vicinity  of  these  mountains  thus  teeming  with  ruffians ;  since 
although  we  had  nothing  to  fear  from  Abu  Zeitvin  himself,  it 
was  yet  very  possible  that  some  of  his  tribe,  not  satisfied  with 
our  having  thus  slipped  from  their  grasp,  might  stiU  pursue  and 
plunder  us  by  night ;  or  that  some  of  the  Ma'az,  hearing  of  our 
departure  in  this  manner  with  only  four  men,  might  also  think  it 
a  good  occasion  to  follow  and  rob  us,  and  throw  the  responsibility 
upon  the  Bedvin.  We  assented  therefore  to  the  proposal  of  our 
guides  ;  and  that  the  more  readily,  because  we  wished,  before 
Sunday,  to  escape  from  the  burning  desert  of  the  'Arabah. 

Accordingly  at  ten  minutes  past  9  o'clock  we  again  mounted  ; 
and  aided  by  the  bright  moonlight,  descended  the  stony  slope 
which  skirts  the  western  base  of  the  mountains.  All  was  still ; 
no  one  was  allowed  to  talk  or  smoke  ;  even  the  tread  of  the 
camels  seemed  more  noiseless.  A  man  on  foot  led  the  way  ;  but 
he  sometimes  missed  the  path  among  the  rocks,  which  the  more 
sagacious  camels  readily  recovered.  Our  object  was  to  strike 
obliquely  across  the  'Arabah  to  the  fountain  el-Weibeh.  Here 
was  no  path  ;  the  usual  route  from  the  pass  er-Kuba'y  to  Hebron 
leads  by  el-Weibeh  ;  but  that  from  Nemela  crosses  to  the  foun- 
tain el-Khurar  further  north.  Our  guides  took  the  present 
course  partly  in  accordance  with  our  wish  to  visit  el-Weibeh ; 
and  partly  as  a  blind  in  case  we  should  be  pursued.  Our  gen- 
eral course  was  now  about  N.  W.  by  W.  After  an  hour  we  left 
the  stones,  and  struck  out  upon  the  gravelly  desert  plain,  inter- 
eected  by  sandy  Wadys  with  shrubs. 

We  were  in  doubt  at  the  time  whether  we  did  not  pass  to 
the  northward  of  'Ain  el-Buweirideh ;  but  a  bearing  which  we 
took  next  morning  served  to  show  the  contrary.  After  crossing 
several  deep  gullies  running  in  a  westerly  direction,  we  struck  at 
12^  o'clock  a  large  and  deep  Wady  called  es-Sikakin,  and  de- 
scending into  its  bed  followed  it  for  some  time.  It  runs  north- 
west obviously,  to  join  Wady  el-Jeib  ;  and  breaks  through  a 
range  of  gravel  hills  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in 
height,  extending  from  east  to  west  across  the  'Arabah.  Having 
passed  these  hills,  we  left  the  Wady  and  kept  along  their  north- 
ern base  until  1^  o'clock.  The  moon  had  now  gone  down  ;  we 
therefore  stopped,  and  spreading  our  canvass  and  carpets  on  the 
sand,  lay  down  to  rest,  and  slept  for  three  hours  peacefully  and 
sweetly. 


ii.  549-551 


154 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XII. 


MOUNmiNS  OF  EDOM. 

We  had  thus  left  behind  us  the  mountains  of  Edom,  which 
we  had  seen  in  part ;  and  we  should  have  been  glad,  had  time 
and  circumstances  permitted  us  to  have  seen  more.  The  structure 
of  the  chain  where  we  saw  it  has  already  been  described  ;  at  the 
base  low  hills  of  limestone  or  argillaceous  rock  ;  then  the  lofty 
masses  of  porphyry  constituting  the  body  of  the  mountain ; 
above  these,  sandstone  broken  up  into  irregular  ridges  and  gro- 
tesque groups  or  cliffs  ;  and  again  further  back  and  higher  than 
all,  long  elevated  ridges  of  Umestone  without  precipices.  East 
of  all  these,  stretches  off  indefinitely  the  high  plateau  of  the 
great  eastern  desert.  We  estimated  the  height  of  the  porphyry 
cliffs  at  about  2000  feet  abore  the  'Arabah  ;  the  elevation  of 
Wady  Musa  above  the  same  is  perhaps  2000  or  2200  feet ; 
while  the  limestone  ridges  further  back  probably  do  not  fall 
short  of  3000  feet.  The  whole  breadth  of  the  mountainous 
tract  between  the  'Arabah  and  the  eastern  desert  above,  does  not 
exceed  fifteen  or  twenty  geographical  miles. 

The  character  of  these  mountains  is  quite  different  from 
those  on  the  west  of  the  'Arabah.  The  latter,  which  seemed  to 
be  not  more  than  two  thirds  as  high,  are  wholly  desert  and  sterile; 
while  these  on  the  east  appear  to  enjoy  a  sufficiency  of  rain,  and 
are  covered  with  tvifts  of  herbs  and  occasional  trees.  The 
Wadys  too  are  fuU  of  trees  and  shrubs  and  flowers  ;  while  the 
eastern  and  higher  parts  are  extensively  cultivated  and^yield 
good  crops.  The  general  appearance  of  the  soil  is  not  unlike 
that  around  Hebron  ;  though  the  face  of  the  country  is  very  dif- 
ferent. It  is  indeed  the  region  of  which  Isaac  said  to  his  son 
Esau  :  "  Behold,  thy  dwelhng  shall  be  the  fatness  of  the  earth, 
and  of  the  dew  of  heaven  from  above."' 

This  tract  of  mountains,  south  of  the  district  of  Kerak  (the 
ancient  country  of  Moab),  and  separated  from  the  latter  by  the 
Wady  el-Ahsy,  is  at  the  present  day  spoken  of  as  divided  into 
two  districts  ;  though  we  did  not  learn  that  this  arises  from  any 
regulation  of  the  government.  The  northern  bears  the  name  of 
Jebal,  "Mountains;"  beginning  at  Wady  el-Ahsy  and  termi- 
nating towards  the  south,  according  to  Burckhardt,  at  Wady  el- 
Ghuweir.'  Yet  the  southern  boundary  would  seem  not  to  be 
very  definitely  assigned  ;  for  esh-Shobek,  although  it  lies  south 
of  that  Wady,  was  sometimes  spoken  of  to  us,  as  belonging  to 
Jebal.    The  largest  place  in  Jebal  is  Tufileh. 

'  Gen.  27,  39  ;  comp.  vs.  27.  28.  and  Jerome  describe  as  a  part  of  Idumea, 

'Travels  p.  -IIO. — This  name  corre-  and  sometimes  put  for  Idumea  itself.  Pa 

spends  to  the  ancient  Hebrew  Gebal  (i>a3)  83,  8.    Onomast.  arts.  Idumca,  Alius,  Ge- 

and  the  Jioiiian  Gebalene,  which  Eusebius  thaim,  etc.    Iteland  Palaest.  p.  82-84. 
ii.  551.  552 


JCSE  I.] 


xorxTAiys  or  edom.  nrHABrrAXTS. 


155 


South  of  Wadv  el-Ghuweir  follows  tte  district  esh-Sherah  ; 
extending,  so  fer  as  we  could  learn,  indefinitely  towards  'Akabah 
on  the  south,  and  including  properly  Shobek,  Wadv  Musa,  Ma'an, 
el-Humeiyimeh.  and  other  places.' 

The  region  el-Hismeh,  the  country  of  the  Ma'az  mentioned 
above,  was  here  also  described  as  a  sandy  tract  with  mountains 
arC'imd  it  on  the  east  of  'Akabah;  but  not  itself  a  mountain  nor 
a  separate  district,  as  repNi.rted  by  Burckhardt.  Yet  the  Arabs 
would  be  very  likely  in  pi-r-intins  out  the  adjacent  mountains  to 
Epeak  of  them  as  Jebel  Hismeh  or  Tiir  Hismeh  ;  although  all 
our  guides,  both  of  the  'Amran  from  'Akabah  and  of  the  Ha- 
weitat  from  near  Ma'an,  uniformly  denied  the  existence  of  any 
such  name  as  applied  to  a  mountain.' 

The  chief  tribe  of  Bedawin  in  the  district  of  Jebal  are  the 
Hejaya.  Besides  these,  there  is  ah'?  a  branch  of  the  Ka'abineh, 
who  dwell  in  the  regic'n  of  Wady  el-Ahsy,  and  sc'W  near  a  well 
called  el-Mahh.  They  were  now  at  enmity  with  the  Jehahn; 
although  their  relatives  west  of  the  Dead  Sea  are  the  allies  of 
the  latter  tribe,  and  intermarry  with  thenu 

In  the  district  esh-Sherah,  the  Bsdawin  are  all  Haweitat, 
with  a  few  allies.  This  is  an  extensive  tribe,  broken  up  into 
several  subdivisions,  and  dwelling  in  various  and  distant  parts 
of  the  country.  Those  lound  in  these  mountains  are  divided 
into  the  clans  Abu  Kashid,  el-Jazy.  el- Bedim,  and  el-'Alawin. 
The  last  properly  occupy  the  region  towards  'Akabah  ;  the 
Bedun,  as  we  have  seen,  pasture  around  Wady  Miisa,  The 
Sheikh  Abu  Jazy  of  Laborde/  appears  to  have  been  the  head 
of  the  division  el-Jazy  ;  we  did  not  leam  the  limits  where  they 
pasture. 

The  proper  country  of  the  Haweitat  Abu  Bashid,  is  around 
Shobek  ;  but  they  were  said  to  be  now  in  the  region  of  Kerak. 
The  spirited  Sheikh  Muhammed  Abu  Eashid,  to  whose  fideKty 
and  perseverance  Irby  and  Mangles  and  their  companions  were 
indebted  for  their  visit  to  Wady  Musa.  was  the  head  of  this  di- 
vision.* He  was  now  dead,  and  his  clan  were  governed  by  his 
sons. — Closely  allied  with  these  are  the  'Ammarin,  who  are 
not  themselves  Haweitat,  but  a  respectable  independent  tribe  ; 

-  The  fixm  edi-Sienh  has  no  relatioa  T»b.  Sji.  ed.  K.3hkr  p.  13.  Tab.  Arab.  ed. 

to  the  HeiHcw  Seir  (■^?^)  the  anaent  HmLiafi  pi  20. 

name  cf  tUs  £stnet.   Tbe  Hebrev  void  '  B«irekhanit  pp.  433, 440, 444.  Labarda 

means  'hairr*  and  b  vrittai  with  'Ain,  ^oj»se  p.  63.  [218.]    C<xiip.  above.  Vol 

-which  ncTcr  falls  avar :  wfaik  die  Arabic  I-  P-  174. 

name  ngnifi«  'a  trad,  legioa.'   C<Mn-  *  The  Ebn  Jaraee  of  Irbj  apd  Manglns 

fan  Geseaioa,  Xotea  od  Bnidihanh,  p.  P-  [H^-] 

1067.— Both  E-hia  and  Abnlfeda  appij  '  Trarels  p.  383  sq.  [117  sq.]  Le^ 

the  name  edi-Sherah  to  all  the  moimtams  M*7  23d.    Barckhardt  writes  the  nana 

cooth  of  Kerak  as  Eu- as  to  Aihh:  Edna  ionRrecdT  Dm  SasUd,  p.  417.    So  too 

par  Jaobert  L  pp.  337,  338.   AboUed.  ^  I^g^ 

n.  553-554 


156 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON, 


[Sec.  XII. 


althougli  they  acknowrcdge  the  Slieikh  of  the  Abu  Eashid  as 
their  head.  They  live  in  the  northern  part  of  esh-Sherah,  and 
to  them  belongs  'Ain  el-Buweirideh  in  the  'Arabah. 

The  Haweitat  live  not  only  among  these  mountains,  and 
along  the  adjacent  eastern  desert  ;  but  also  around  Muweilih  and 
in  Egypt ;  and  some  are  found  near  Gaza.  The  head  Sheikh 
over  them  all  is  Mansur  Ibn  Shedid,  ■who  resides  at  Cairo,  and 
has  been  already  mentioned.'  Even  the  Haweitat  who  dwell 
here  and  at  Muweilih,  are  registered  among  the  Arabs  of 
Egj-pt. — The  Bedawin  throughout  these  districts,  and  also  fur- 
ther north,  were  said  to  be  now  in  a  state  of  subjection  to  the 
Egyptian  government  and  pay  an  annual  tribute.  That  of  the 
Beni  Siiklir,  the  preceding  year,  was  one  camel  for  every  two 
tents. 

In  both  Jebal  and  esh-Sherah,  the  Fellahin  also  are  half 
Bedawin  ;  inhabiting  the  few  villages,  but  dwelling  likewise 
partly  in  tents,  like  the  Ta'amirah  near  Bethlehem.  Such  are 
in  esh-Sherah,  the  Refai'a  living  in  and  around  Dibdiba  ;  the 
Liyathineh  in  and  around  Eljy  ;  the  Rawajifeh  at  a  ruined  place 
of  the  same  name  ;  and  also  the  Hebahibeh  and  Beni  Ka'im 
dwelling  wholly  in  tents.  Besides  these  Burckhardt  mentions 
also  the  Sa'udiyeh  and  the  Ja'ilat.*  The  Fellahin  of  the  Sherah 
are  in  subjection  to  the  government,  pay  tribute,  and  furnish 
supplies  of  grain. — In  Jebal  the  Fellahin  are  in  like  manner 
divided  into  several  tribes  ;  but  we  did  not  succeed  in  obtaining 
their  names.  Burckhardt  mentions  the  Jawabireh,  as  living  in 
Tufileh,  the  Beni  Hamideh  in  el-Busaireh,  and  the  Melahin  at 
Shobek.^  The  Fellahs  of  Jebal  were  at  this  time  still  in  rebel- 
lion against  the  government  ;  and  during  the  last  year.  Sheikh 
Sa'id  of  Gaza,  with  the  Jehalin  and  Tiyahah,  had  spent  two  or 
three  months  in  trying  to  subdue  them.  They  easily  got  posses- 
sion of  the  villages  ;  but  the  inhabitants  betook  themselves  to 
the  fastnesses  of  the  mountains,  where  they  could  not  be  ap- 
proached.— It  was  for  this  reason  that  our  Jehahn  guides  would 
not  venture  to  take  us  to  Shobek.'' 

Such  are  the  races  who  now  hold  in  possession  the  ancient 
territory  of  Edom.  This  is  not  the  occasion  to  dwell  upon  the 
course  of  events  during  the  many  intervening  centuries  ;  yet  a 
few  notices  of  the  leading  changes  which  have  here  taken  place, 
will  serve  to  throw  light  upon  the  history  and  character  of  that 
ancient  city,  whose  remains  now  constitute  the  chief  attraction 
for  the  traveller  among  these  mountains. 

In  the  times  of  Scripture  history,  the  mountains  east  of  the 

'  See  the  account  of  his  being  appealed  '  Borckhardt's  Travels  in  Syria,  etc. 

to  as  a  pea?e-jjiakcr,  Vol.  I.  p.  140.  pp.  40.^,  407,  416. 

»  Travels  pp.  41 9,  434.  '  See  p.  123,  aboTe. 
ii.  554.535 


Jinn  1.] 


MOUNTAINS  OF  EDOM.  INHABITAKTS. 


157 


Dead  Sea  were  comprised  in  the  territory  of  Moab  ;  the  northern 
border  of  which,  towards  the  Amorites,  was  ultimately  the  brook 
Amon,  now  Wady  el-Mojib.'  The  southern  border  of  Moab 
appears  to  have  been  the  Ijrook  Zered  ;  at  least  this  is  described 
as  the  Hmit  of  the  wanderings  of  the  children  of  Israel  in  the 
desert,  and  the  point  where  they  passed  over  into  the  territory  of 
Moab,  a  kindred  people.*  The  features  of  the  country  seem  to 
show,  that  this  was  probably  the  Wady  el-Ahsy,  which  now 
separates  the  district  of  Kerak  from  Jebal,  and  indeed  forms  a 
natural  division  between  the  coimtry  on  the  north  and  on  the 
south.  Taking  its  rise  near  the  castle  el-Ahsy  on  the  route  of 
the  Syrian  Haj,  upon  the  high  eastern  desert,'  it  breaks  down 
through  the  whole  chain  of  mountains  to  near  the  southeast 
comer  of  the  Dead  Sea,  forming  for  a  part  of  the  way  a  deep 
chasm.  On  the  north  the  mountains  of  Moab  are  high,  and  ter- 
minate here  in  a  bluff  near  Khanzireh,  which  has  several  times 
been  mentioned  as  one  of  our  landmarks.  Further  south  the 
mountains  are  much  lower,  until  they  again  become  high  beyond 
"Wady  el-Ghuweir. — The  Israelites  doubtless  passed  Wady  el- 
Ahsy  (Zered)  near  its  upper  end,  where  it  would  present  no 
difficulty. 

On  the  south  of  Moab,  Mount  Seir,  or  the  territory  of  Edom, 
extended  to  Elath  on  the  Eed  Sea.^  To  this  region  Esau  retired 
from  the  face  of  his  brother  Jacob  ;  and  his  descendants  are  said 
to  have  succeeded  the  Horites  in  Mount  Seir,  "  when  they  had 
destroyed  them  and  dwelt  in  their  stead."'  The  rivalry  of  the 
patriarchs  Esau  and  Jacob,  was  transmitted  to  their  posterity. 
When  the  Israelites,  after  many  years  of  wandering,  arrived  a 
second  time  at  Kadesh,  they  asked  leave  of  the  Edomites  to  pass 
through  their  country  by  the  "  King's  highway,"  (probably  Wady 
el-Ghuweir,)  in  order  to  reach  Palestine  from  the  east.  Leave 
was  refused  ;  and  the  Israelites  were  thus  compelled  to  return 
through  the  'Arabah  to  Elath  (Ailah,  'Akabah),  and  thence  pass 
tip  through  the  mountains  to  the  eastern  desert,  so  as  to  make 
the  circuit  of  the  land  of  Edom.* 

In  later  times  Saul  made  war  upon  the  Edomites  :  David 
subdued  the  whole  country  ;  and  Solomon  made  Ezion-geber  a 
naval  station,  whence  he  despatched  fleets  to  Ophir."  After 
various  struggles,  this  people  succeeded  in  the  time  of  king 
Joram  in  making  themselves  again  independent  of  Judah  f  for 

»  Nam.  21,  13.  26.    Judg.  11,  18.  •  Num.  20,  14-21.    21,  4.    Dent  2, 

'  Deut  2,  13.  14.  18.    Num.  21,  12.  1-8. 

•  Bnrckhardt  pp.  400,  401.  '  1  Sam.  14,  47.-2  Sam.  8,  14.  1 

*  Deut.  2,  1-8.  The  Israelites  were  Chr.  18,  11-13.  1  K.  11,  15.— 1  K.  9, 
compelled  to  proceed  quite  to  Elath,  in  26.    2  Chr.  8,  17.  18. 

order  to  pa^s  around  the  Imd  of  Edom.  '  2  K.  8,  20-22.    2  Chr.  21,  8-10. 
'  Gen.  36,  6-8.    Dent  2,  12.  22. 

Vol.  II.— 14  u.  556-557 


158 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Seo.  xn. 


although  Amaziah  made  war  upon  them  and  captured  one  of 
their  chief  cities,  Sela  (Eock,  Petra),  changing  its  name  to  Jok- 
theel  ;  and  although  Uzziah  his  successor  "  built  Elath  and 
restored  it  to  Judah  ; yet  these  appear  to  have  been  only  tem- 
porary conquests.  Under  Ahaz,  the  Edomites  made  inroads 
upon  Judea  and  carried  away  captives  ;  and  about  the  same 
time  Rezin  king  of  Syria  "  drove  the  J ews  from  Elath,"  of  which 
the  Edomites  now  took  permanent  possession.''  All  this  time 
their  metropolis  appears  to  have  been  Bozrah.^ 

From  the  prophetical  books  of  the  Old  Testament  we  also 
know,  that  while  the  kingdom  of  Judah  was  fast  verging  to  ruin, 
that  of  Edom  became  prosperous  ;  and  joining  apparently  the 
Chaldeans  under  Nebuchadnezzar,  aided  in  the  overthrow  of  the 
Jewish  state.  In  a  like  degree,  the  national  hatred  of  the  Jews 
against  Edom  became  still  more  inflamed  ;  and  the  prophets 
uttered  the  strongest  denunciations  against  that  land.*  During 
the  Jewish  exile,  as  it  would  appear,  the  Edomites  pressed 
forward  into  the  south  of  Palestine,  of  which  they  took  posses- 
sion as  far  as  to  Hebron  ;  here,  as  we  have  already  seen,  they 
were  subsequently  attacked  and  subdued  by  the  Maccabees,  and 
compelled  to  adopt  the  laws  and  customs  of  the  J  ews.'  Idumea, 
which  name  now  included  also  the  southern  part  of  Judea,  was 
henceforth  governed  by  a  succession  of  Jewish  prefects.  One  of 
these,  Antipater,  an  Idumean  by  birth,  by  the  favour  of  Caesar, 
was  made  procurator  of  all  Judea  ;  and  his  son,  Herod  the 
Great,  became  king  over  the  Jews,  including  Idumea.*  Just 
before  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  bands  of  Idumeans 
threw  themselves  into  the  city,  which  they  aided  to  fiU  with 
robbery  and  violence.^  From  this  time  onward  the  Edomites,  as 
a  people,  vanish  from  the  pages  of  history  ;  and  in  the  next 
century  Ptolemy  limits  their  territory  to  the  region  west  of  the 
Dead  Sea.* 

But  while  the  Edomites  had  thus  been  extending  their  limits 
in  the  northwest,  they  had  in  turn  been  driven  out  from  the 
southern  portion  of  their  own  territory,  and  from  their  chief  city 
itself,  by  the  Nabatheans,  an  Arabian  tribe,  the  descendants  of 
Nabaioth  the  eldest  son  of  Ishmael.'    This  nomadic  people  had 

'  2  K.  14,  7.    2  Chr.  25,  11.  12.  14.  '  See  above,  p.  69. 

2  Chr.  26,  2.  •  Josepli.  Ant.  14.  1.  3.  ib.  14.  8.  .5.  ib. 

»  2  Chr.  28,  17. —  2  K.  16,  6  Ken.  15.  7.  9.  ib.  17.  II.  4.— Hence  R<>man 
Here  the  Kcri  C'^linx  Edomitcg  is  to  be  writers  oTtcn  speak  of  the  whole  of  Pales- 
read  instead  of  Syrians.  The  change  t'le  under  the  name  of  Idumea ;  see  Re- 
doubtless  arose  out  of  the  close  rcscrn-  1""<J  Falsest,  pp.  48,  49. 

„        „  .         _        .  _  '  .Ina  U  A   4.  S   1    T.    !h   7  «  1 


>  Is.  34,  6.  63,  1.  Jer.  49,  13.  22. 
Am.  1,  12. 


blance  of  the  Hebrew  T  and 


'  Jos.  I?.  J.  4.  4.  1,  .'■>.  ib.  7.  8.  1. 
'  Ptolem.  5.  16,  'iSov/xaia,  ?t»i  i<rrl 


*  Pa  137,  7.  Chad.  1  sq.  Jer.  49, 
Tsq.  Ezek.  25,  12-14.  32,  29.  3.5,  3-1.5. 


Palicst.  p.  462. 

•  Gen.  25,  13.    Is.  60,  7. 


ii.  557,  558 


Jose  1.] 


EDOM.     HISTORICAL  HOTICES. 


159 


spread  themselves  over  the  whole  of  desert  Arabia,  from  the  Eu- 
phrates to  the  borders  of  Palestine,  and  finally  to  the  Elanitic 
gulf  of  the  Red  Sea.'  At  what  period  they  thus  supplanted  the 
Edomites,  in  their  ancient  possessions,  is  unknown  ;  but  so  early 
as  the  time  of  Antigonus,  one  of  Alexander's  successors,  who 
died  301  B.  C,  that  prince,  afte  having  seized  upon  Syria  and 
Palestine,  sent  two  expeditions  against  the  Xabatheans  in  Petra  ; 
the  first  commanded  by  Athenaeus,  and  the  second  by  his  own 
son,  Demetrius.*  At  this  time  they  were  still  essentially  no- 
madic, and  had  apparently  no  king  ;  but  they  had  already 
begun  to  ensage  in  commerce,  and  seem  gradually  to  have 
become  more  fixed  in  their  habits.  In  this  way,  during  the  fol- 
lowing centuries,  they  grew  up  into  the  kingdom  of  Arabia 
Petraea,  occupying  very  nearly  the  same  territory  which  was 
comprised  within  the  limits  of  ancient  Edom.  It  probably  took 
this  appellation  from  the  name  of  its  metropolis  Petra.  A  king 
of  this  country,  Aretas,  is  mentioned  as  contemporary  with  An- 
tiochus  Epiphanes,  just  before  the  time  of  the  Maccabees,  about 
166  B.  C.^ 

From  this  time  onward  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the 
sovereigns  of  Arabia  Petrsea,  who  usually  bore  the  name  of 
Aretas  or  Obodas,  came  into  frequent  contact  with  the  Jews  and 
Romans  both  in  war  and  peace.  The  country  and  people  are 
often  mentioned  by  Josephus.*  Their  sovereigns  appear  to  have 
been  in  a  measure  dependent  on  the  Roman  emperors,  though 
not  directly  subject  to  the  Roman  power.  Obodas,  six  or  eight 
years  before  the  Christian  era,  was  a  man  of  indolent  habits,  and 
left  the  whole  management  of  afikirs  to  a  favourite  named 
SyUjeus.'  This  latter  demanded  of  Herod  the  Great  the  hand 
of  his  sister  Salome  ;  but  his  suit  not  being  successful,  he  ap- 
pears to  have  become  inimical  towards  Herod,  and  accused  hirn 
some  years  afterwards  before  Augustus  at  Rome  of  hostilities 
and  murders  in  Arabia.  Herod  however  was  able  to  turn  the 
scale  in  his  own  favour,  and  SyUasus  was  condemned  to  fine  and 

'  Joseph.  Ant.  1.  12.  4.  OZrot  iroTJej  king  in  Damascus :  Ant  13.1.5.  1,2.  B. 

'la-fiafiKov  Toffov  rT\v  air'  Zinppirov  ko^kov-  J.  1.  4.  7,  8.    In  the  year  63  B.  C.  Scau- 

trar  Tphs  TTiv  'Epvhpay  bi.Xiuitiav  KaroiKov-  ras,  a  general  of  Pompey,  overran  Arabia 

tri,  t!  a$aTTii  i)y  rriv  x'^P"''  oyQfid(TayT(s.  as  far  as  to  Petra,  and  then  made  peace 

ttV!  Se  olrroi  o\  ruv  'Apd^ay  f^os  ktX.  with  Aretas;  Ant.  14.  5.  1.  Dio  Cass.  37. 

Hieron.  Qviast.  in  Gen.  2.5,  13.    Died.  Si:.  1.5.    Two  years  later,  about  61  B.  C.  An- 

19.  94.    See  more  on  the  Xabatheans,  in  tipater  induced  Hyrcanus,  son  of  Alexan- 

Reland  Pal.  p.  90  sq.  der  Jannaens,  to  take  refuge  with  Aretas 

'  Diod.  Sic.  19.  94-98.  in  Petra;  Ant.  14.  1.  4.    B.  J.  1.  6.  2. 

'  2  Mace.  .5,  8.  In  the  early  part  of  Herod's  reign,  the 

'  Alexander  J.innaeus  was  defeated  by  kingdom  of  Arabia  was  held  by  Malchus ; 

an  Obodaij  about  93  B.  C.  Antiq.  13  13.  Ant.  15.  6.  2. 

6.    B.  J.  1.  4.  4.  Antiochus  Dionysius  of       *  Jos.  Ant.  16.  7.  6.    Strabo  16.  4.  23, 

Syria  was  killed  in  a  battle  in  Arabia,  and  24. 
Aretas   (apparently  the   victor)  became 

ii  558-560 


160 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XH, 


punisliment.'  Meantime  Obodas  was  dead,  and  tad  been  suc- 
ceeded by  Jilneas,  who  took  tbe  name  of  Aretas,  and  was  at 
length  confirmed  in  his  kincrdom  bv  Auonistus  ;  althouo;h  the  lat- 
ter  had  at  first  intended  to  bestow  Arabia  on  Herod.* 

It  was  during  the  reign  of  the  same  Obodas,  three  or  four 
years  before  the  Christian  era,  that  the  celebrated  expedition  was 
sent  by  Augustus  from  Eg^-pt  into  Arabia  under  -Sllius  Gallus, 
the  friend  of  Strabo  and  then  governor  of  Eg}-pt.  After  various 
hindrances,  Gallus  arrived  with  his  forces  by  water  at  Leuke 
Kome,^  the  emporium  of  the  Nabatheans.  Here  he  was  kindly 
received  by  order  of  king  Obodas  and  his  favourite  Syllaeus,  as 
allies  of  the  Eomans  ;  and  remained  a  summer  and  winter  to 
refresh  his  troops,  who  were  suffering  from  disease.  He  after- 
wards marched  into  the  interior,  but  without  visiting  Petra  ; 
and  after  great  delay  and  difficulty,  arising  from  the  bad  faith 
and  treachery  of  Syll^us,  he  returned  through  Arabia  Felix.* 

The  next  Arabian  king  of  whom  we  have  any  notice,  is  the 
Aretas  mentioned  by  Paul  as  lord  of  Damascus,  which  he  then 
governed  by  an  ethnarch,  about  A.  D.  38  or  39.^  Josephus 
gives  of  him  the  further  account,  that  Herod  Antipas  having  es- 
poused his  daughter,  repudiated  her  in  order  to  marry  Herodias  ; 
a  step  for  which  he  was  reproved  by  John  the  Baptist.'  Upon 
this,  Aretas  made  war  against  Herod  and  totally  destroyed  his 
army  ;  a  judgment  upon  Herod,  as  many  of  the  serious-minded 
J ews  regarded  it,  for  his  murder  of  John.  Yitellius,  then  pro- 
consul of  Syria,  received  orders  to  chastise  Aretas  ;  but  while 
he  was  preparing  for  this  expedition,  and  had  sent  forward  some 
of  his  troops,  news  came  of  the  death  of  Tiberius  ;  upon  which 
he  recalled  his  troops,  and  placing  them  in  winter  quarters,  left 
the  province.  It  was  probably  at  this  period,  under  the  weak 
reign  of  Caligula,  that  Aretas,  taking  advantage  of  this  supine- 
ness,  made  an  incursion  and  seized  the  city  of  Damascus,  which 
he  held  for  a  time  in  the  manner  related  by  Paul.  It  could 
have  been,  however,  only  a  temporary  possession  ;  and  the  fact 
is  not  mentioned  by  any  other  writer.' 

The  nominal  independence  of  the  kingdom  of  Arabia,  con- 

'  .Tos.  Ant,  16.  7.  6.  ib.  16.  9.  2-4.  ib.  Vincent's  Commerce  and  Navig.  of  the 

16.  10.  8,  9.    B.  J.  1.  28.  6.   ib.  1.  29.  3.  Ancients,  VoL  U.  pp.  258,  259,  295.  Lond. 

»  Jos.  Ant.  16.  9.  4.  ib.  16. 10.  9.  ib.  17.  1807.  4. 

3.  2.  ♦  Strabo  16.  4.  22-24.    Dio  C&:e.  53L 
*  Afvicii  KtiiiT),  Albtu  Pagutt,  Strabo  16.  29. 

4.  24.  Arrian.  Periplus  Maris  Erjthr.  »  2  Cor.  11,  32.  Comp.  Acts  9,  24 
ed.  Hudson  p.  11.    Probably  at  or  near  25. 

Muweilih,  near  the  mouth  of  the  gulf  of  '  Matt.  14,  3.  4.     Mark  6,  17.  18. 

'Akabab,  on   the   eastern  coast.     This  Luke  3,  19. 

place  was  already  known  to  the  Romans  of  '  For  a  list  of  the  sovereigns  of  Arabia 

the  fif^h  and  sixth  centuries  as  Mohaila;  Petrsea,  collected  irom  Josephus,  s«e  Vin- 

»ee  Notit.  Dignitat.  ed.  PanciroH  p.  216.  cent's  Commerce  and  Ka\-ig.  of  the  Aa- 

Beland  Pakest.  p.  230.    See  in  general  cienta,  VoL  II.  p.  272  sq. 
ii.  5C0,5G1 


1-3 


KDOX.     HISTORICAL  SOTlCBk 


161 


tmaed  for  some  thirty  years  after  the  destractkn  of  JemaaHem. 
Under  the  reign  of  l^jan,  aboat  A.  D.  105,  it  was  oTemm  and 
conqnned  br  Cosneliiis  Palma,  then  governor  of  Syria,  and  for- 
mally annexed  to  the  Boman  onpore. ' 

The  inhaiiitants  of  this  regkm  had  eaiiy  become  extenavely 
engaged  in  ctHnmerce,  as  the  caniers  of  the  rich  prodoets  of  the 
east  between  the  Bed  Sea  and  the  ports  of  the  Phenicians.  In 
the  first  expediticm  sent  by  Antigonna,  ihe  men  of  Petra  were 
absent  at  a  mart,  and  Atibenasos  fomid  in  Petra  a  hirge  quantity 
of  fiankinoense  and  myrrh,  and  fire  hnndred  talents  of  slver.* 
Strabo  relates^  that  the  merchandise  of  India  and  Arabia  was 
transported  aa  camels  fiom  Lenke  Kome  to  Petra,  and  thence 
to  Bhinocolora  (el-'Ariah),  and  other  places.^  tinder  the  Ro- 
mans, this  trade  appears  to  hare  bectmie  still  mone  pm^>eion8. 
The  coontry  was  rendered  more  aocesaaUe,  and  the  passage  of 
merchants  and  caravans  ^cilitated,  by  military  ways,  and  by 
the  estaUisfament  of  military  posts  to  keep  in  check  the  preda- 
tory hordes  of  the  nei^ibonrii^  deserts.  One  great  road,  of 
which  traces  sfciU  remain,  had  its  directitm  northwards  irorn 
Ailah  to  Petza,  and  thence  to  Damascus  ;  fiom  Petra  a  branch 
went  off  on  the  west  of  the  Dead  Sea,  to  Jerusalem.  Askelon, 
and  other  parts  of  the  Mediterranean.*  A  line  of  military  sta- 
tions was  estabh^ied  along  this  road,  which  serred  to  protect  it 
against  incnisifflis  from  the  eastern  desert ;  and  some  of  these 
became  the  sites  of  towns.' 

Early  in  die  fimrth  century,  the  name  of  Palestine  was  occa- 
sionaUy  extended  so  as  to  rnelnide  this  whole  region  and  in  the 
be^nning  of  the  fifth  centory,  we  find  introduce'l  a  new  divi- 
sion  of  Jndea  and  the  adjacent  coontries,  into  Paki:iiina  Prima^ 
Secmmda^  et  Tertia,  The  first  comprised  Jerusalem  and  the 
whole  of  Jodea  on  the  soath,  and  as  iar  north  as  to  Samaria  ; 
the  ^oond  inchided  Scjthopolis  and  the  north  of  Palestine ; 
while  the  third  comprehended  the  countries  on  the  east  and 

*  Dio  Cmm.  6Su  14^         ti  rir  «vr)r  mai^  pfaees  thSOt;  see  Boiclluzdt  pn. 

Twnr                ^-  C  «08^)  Mai  OiAfuu  374^  419.    frbj  and  Sfai^Jes  pp.  371. 

Ti»  ^ifims  ifrjiwm        'Afmimf  tV  ^  <«0-  [113,  115,             The  lartar 

Ty  Hetf^  exf'-oinn^  nl  TmjK^nm  imlfc^'  tnrelfeKS  jaw  iev^al  mSe-stoiies  of  tiie 

jaatir**!*.     Amm.  MaitelL  14.  S.  time  of  Tntjao.  sod  one  of  M:ircas  Aozeli- 


.    la  2,  ».  e;  p.  4€1.[142.] 
'DM.  Se^  19.  Kl    See  abo^  pc       ^  Thos  in  die    Xodtis  D^iatstaiB "  ia 

159.  AefittorsixAeeBliiiij.wefinil '^eqidtes" 

*  Strate  16.  4.  IS,  23.  itaSaaaei  at  Mdlola,  jIBs,  Banom,  Zodo- 

*  See  the  Pestiiipr  Tables;  and  nw-  eadn,  Aiindela,  Aieopo&t  etc.    Tbe  Peu- 
VamBiCamfmi.  Gcogg.  of  Veataai  tmger  TaHes  fcare  Haoara  azid  Zaditgatta. 

Aa*.  L  p.  89        Bincr  GtaA.  tt»  Petr.  ea  die  grest  maA  betnieea  Aila  an<i  Pe«r<k 

Arahiww,  ia  Al*iirJ  der  BoL  AeadL  See  Kodtis  Dignitat.  ed.  PanciroE  pp. 

USA.  Wa.  pU.  KL  pi  304.   Traces  <£  315,  31S,  219,  330.    Rdzmi  Palest,  pp^ 

aaa  laiiiiil  road  were  fiwad     Laborfe  330.2:31.    Rieter  L  e. 
■mA  of  Wadf  Mte ;  Tojn^it  «8l [m.]      •  Onotmut.  arts.  ASak,  Areem,  Cacki, 

Kdrtt  of  Wadj  Md:»  its  inMaiiia  am  ia  ete. 

Tou  n.— U*  ii.  561-563 


163 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XIL 


Bouth  of  the  Dead  Sea,  formerly  belonging  to  Arabia  Petraea, 
and  extended  also  across  the  'Arabah  to  the  "west,  so  as  to  take 
in  Beersheba  and  Elusa.'  This  appears  to  have  been  at  the 
same  time  an  ecclesiastical  division  ;  the  three  Palestines  had 
each  a  metropolitan  see,  at  first  Csesarea,  Scythopolis,  and  Petra  ; 
and  when,  at  the  council  of  Chalcedon,  Jerusalem  was  erected 
into  a  patriarchate,  these  three  provinces  were  assigned  as  its 
territory.*  Long  before  this  time,  therefore,  the  Christian  religion 
had  extended  itself  throughout  the  region  ;  and  it  is  indeed  to 
the  acts  and  records  of  councils  in  the  fourth,  fifth  and  sixth 
centuries,  and  to  the  ecclesiastical  Notitice  of  the  same  or  a  later 
age,  that  we  are  indebted  for  our  chief  knowledge  of  this  country 
during  those  periods,  and  for  the  preservation  of  the  names  of 
many  episcopal  cities  from  the  oblivion,  in  which  they  must 
otherwise  have  been  engulfed. 

How  far  Christianity  had  spread  among  the  nomadic  tribes 
of  the  eastern  deserts,  or  whether  like  those  around  Sinai,  they 
still  retained  the  worship  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  we  have  no 
means  of  ascertaining.  But  before  the  middle  of  the  seventh 
century,  the  religion  of  the  false  prophet  began  to  be  propagated 
by  the  sword  ;  and  soon  united  all  the  Arab  hordes,  however 
distinct  in  other  respects,  into  one  great  community  of  religious 
zealots.  In  A.  D.  630  the  prophet  himself  pressed  forwards 
against  the  Eoman  border  as  far  as  to  Tebuk  ;  and  this  was  the 
signal  for  several  of  the  Christian  communities  of  Arabia  Pe- 
traea, to  purchase  from  the  conqueror  the  enjoyment  of  their 
privileges  by  the  payment  of  tribute.  Among  these  was  Ailah.' 
This  example  appears  to  have  been  generally  followed  ;  for  four 
years  later  (A.  D.  634),  as  the  tide  of  conquest  continued  to  roll 
on,  the  see  of  Bozrah  in  the  north  made  peace  in  the  same  man- 
ner with  Abu  Bekr,  after  the  battle  of  Yarmtik."  In  A.  D.  636, 
as  wc  have  seen,  Jerusalem  itself  submitted  to  the  Muhamme- 
dan  sway. 

'  This  division  is  first  found  in  a  law  219,  223,  226.  Yet  the  usage  was  not 
promulgated  in  A.  D  409.  Leg.  III.  Cod.  constant ;  and  some  writers  speak  of  the 
Theodos.  de  erog.  milit.  Annon.  "  Limi-  cities  of  the  third  Palestine  as  still  belong- 
tanci  milites  et  possessorum  utilitate  con-  ing  to  Arabia ;  so  Sozomen  Hist,  Ecc.  7. 
specta  per  primam,  secundam,  et  tertiam  15.  Reland  ib.  p.  CI  3. 
Palaestinam  hvijuscemodi  norma  processit."  '  Abulfed.  Ann.  Muselmit.  ed.  Alder, 
Reland  Patest.  p.  205  sq.— Palasstina  1789.  Tom.  I.  p.  171.  See  above.  Vol. 
Tertia  was  sometimes  also  called  Saluta-  I.  p.  170.  Abulfeda  mentions  Ailah 
n«  ;  Reland  ib.  p.  206.  and   two   other  places   now  unknown. 

'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  380.  This  division  There  exists  a  pretended  JJiploma  Securi- 
of  Palestine  runs  through  all  the  ecclesi-  talis  Ailensibus,  professing  to  be  a  patent 
astical  Notitiae ;  Reland  Pal.  pp.  214-  of  Aluhammcd  himself  in  favour  of  the 
226.  The  name  Arabia  was  applied,  at  Christians;  see  Gibbon  Chap.  L.  Note  un- 
this  period,  to  the  country  north  of  the    der  A.  D.  G30. 

third  Palestine,  including  Mcdaba,  Hesh-       *  Abulfedio  Annal.  ib.  pp.  223,  243, 
bon,  ltal)bath-Ammon   or   Philadelphia,    245.    Hitter  Gesch.  des.  Petr.  Arab.  L  c. 
Gerasa,  Bostra,  etc.    Reland  ib.  pp.  217,    p.  219. 
ii.  oG3,  504 


JOSK  1.] 


EDOM.     HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


163 


"With  tliis  conquest,  the  commercial  importance  and  prosper- 
ity of  the  former  Arabia  Petrfea,  fell  into  decay.  Muhamme- 
dan  empires  arose  and  flourished  in  southern  Arabia,  Syria  and 
Egypt.  Lying  between  all  these,  this  country  retained  no  inde- 
pendent existence ;  the  course  of  trade  became  diverted  into 
other  channels  ;  the  great  roads  of  former  communication  were 
abandoned  ;  and  the  whole  region  was  at  length  given  up  to  the 
nomadic  hordes  of  the  adjacent  deserts,  whose  descendants  still 
hold  it  in  possession.'  From  the  Muhammedan  conquest  to  the 
time  of  the  crusades,  not  one  ray  of  historical  light  falls  upon 
this  forgotten  land  !^ 

The  invasion  of  the  crusaders  let  in,  for  the  moment,  a  few 
faint  gleams  upon  the  otherwise  total  darkness.  During  the 
twelfth  century  they  penetrated  at  different  times  into  the  re- 
gions east  and  south  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  held  portions  of  them 
for  a  season  in  possession.  At  this  time  the  whole  land  east 
of  the  J ordan  was  known  to  the  crusaders  as  Arabia  ;  the  north- 
ern part  around  Bozrah  they  called  Arabia  Prima ;  the  region 
around  Kerak,  Arabia  Secvmda  ;  and  that  further  south,  Ai-abia 
Tertia  or  Syria  Sobal.^ 

The  first  expedition  took  place  under  Baldwin  I,  in  A.  D. 
1100.*  Marching  from  Hebron  around  the  south  end  of  the 
Dead  Sea  and  by  Segor  (Zoar),  the  forces  of  the  crusaders  came 
in  five  days  through  the  mountains  with  great  difficulty  to 
"Wady  Musa,  to  which  they  already  gave  the  name  "  Yallis 
Moysi."^  It  does  not  argue  highly  for  their  skill  in  bibhcal  geo- 
graphy, that  they  took  the  adjacent  mountain  with  the  tomb  of 
Aaron  for  Mount  Sinai  ;  and  the  brook  which  flows  down  the 
valley,  for  the  water  which  came  forth  when  Moses  smote  the 
rock.*  From  this  vaUey,  Albert  of  Aix  relates,  that  they 
marched  still  one  day  further  to  a  city  called  Susum  ;  but  as 
neither  Fulcher  of  Chartres  who  was  present,  nor  any  other  his- 
torian, mentions  this  further  expedition,  and  the  name  of  such 


'  Ritter  Gesck  des  Petr.  Arab.  L  c.  p.  209. 

'  Unless  it  be  in  the  two  Latiu  ecclesias- 
tical Notiri»,  which  refer  apparently  to  the 
centuries  before  the  crusades,  and  in  which 
the  name  of  Petra,  the  former  metropoli- 
tan see,  is  no  longer  found ;  Reland  PaL 
pp.  223,  226. 

'  See  Jac.  de  Vitr.  c.  96.  Also  for 
Arabia  Prima,  ibid.  c.  -t" ;  for  Arabia  Se- 
cunda,  Will  Tyr.  11.  26.  ib.  15.  21;  for 
Arabia  Tertia  and  Svria  Sobal,  WUL  Tvr. 
11.  26.  ib.  10.  6.  Jac.  de  Vitr.  28.  See 
generaUv  Marin.  Sanut  p.  24-t.  WUken 
Gesch.  der  Krenzz.  IL  p.  616.  HL  L  p. 
210. 

*  See  generally  in  the  Gesta  Dei :  Alb. 
Aq.  7.  41,  42.    Fulcher  Cam.  23.  p.  405. 


Gnibert  7.  36.  p.  535.  Anon.  p.  518. 
Will.  Ttt.  10.  8.  Wilken  ib.  II.  p.  88, 
89. 

'  Gesta  Dei  p.  581.    Will.  Tit.  16.  6. 

'  Guibert  and  Fulcher  1.  c.  Guibert 
however  gives  his  own  opinion,  that  the 
mountain  is  Momit  Hor.  Fulcher  prides 
himself  that  at  this  brook  "  equos  adaqna- 
vi  meos."  The  same  error  however  goes 
back  to  the  time  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome ; 
see  Onomast.  art  Or.  Being  once  adopt- 
ed by  the  crusaders,  it  led  them  afterwards 
to  take  Ailah  for  Elim  with  ilie  twelve 
fountains  and  seventy  palm  trees  (^WilL 
Tyr.  11.  29 1 ;  and  also  compelled  them  to 
look  for  and  find  the  ancient  Petra  further 
towards  the  north,  at  Kerak. 

ii.  564,  565 


164 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


a  city  is  elsewhere  unknown,  the  testimony  of  this  writer,  who 
was  not  an  eyewitness,  seems  to  be  of  doubtful  authority.  Ful- 
cher  relates,  that  after  three  days  spent  at  Wady  Midsa,  they 
returned  by  way  of  Hebron  to  Jerusalem. 

In  the  second  expedition,  which  took  place  under  the  same 
king  in  A.  D.  1115,  Baldwin  appears  to  have  crossed  the  Jordan 
and  marched  through  the  whole  length  of  Arabia  Secunda.  He 
was  accompanied  only  by  two  hundred  knights  and  four  hundred 
footmen  ;  and  with  this  small  force  he  built  up  in  Arabia  Tertia, 
in  eighteen  days,  a  former  strong  castle  upon  a  steep  isolated 
Mil,  in  the  midst  of  a  region  fertile  in  corn,  oil,  and  wine.  To  this 
fortress,  the  first  erected  by  the  Latins  east  of  the  Jordan,  he 
gave  the  name  of  Mons  Kegalis  (Mount  Koyal).  Arabian 
writers  speak  of  it  as  Shobek,  which  name  it  bears  to  the  present 
day.' — In  the  very  next  year,  A.  D.  1116,  king  Baldwin  revisited 
his  fortress  with  two  hundred  followers  ;  and  advanced  afterwards 
as  far  as  to  Ailah  on  the  Red  Sea  ;  of  which  place  he  appears 
to  have  taken  possession.  He  would  have  proceeded  to  the  con- 
vent of  Mount  Sinai ;  but  was  dissuaded  at  the  entreaty  of  the 
niouks.' 

For  the  space  of  twenty  years,  Shobek  continued  to  be  the 
chief,  if  not  the  only  fortress  of  the  Latins  in  this  quarter.  The 
lands  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  around  Kerak,  had  been  granted  as 
a  fief  to  the  knight  Eomanus  of  Puy  ;  who  was  however  again 
dispossessed  of  them,  as  well  as  his  son  Rudolph,  in  consequence 
of  a  supposed  conspiracy  against  king  Fulco,  about  A.  D.  1132.^ 
They  were  now  bestowed  upon  Paganus  (Payen),  a  nobleman 
who  had  been  the  king's  cupbearer.  Three  or  four  years  after- 
wards, he  erected  the  strong  fortress  of  Kerak,  on  the  site  of  a 
former  city  which  was  held  to  be  the  ancient  Petra.^  This 
castle  and  that  of  Shobek  continued  for  many  years  greatly  to 
harass  the  Saracens  ;  their  possessors  plundered  the  rich  caravans 
which  passed  on  the  neighbouring  route  between  Damascus  and 
Egj'pt  or  Arabia  ;  and  were  able  to  cut  off  all  military  commu- 
nication through  the  region.  They  were  therefore  exposed  to  re- 
peated assaults  from  the  Saracen  armies,  both  on  the  side  of 
Syria  and  that  of  Egypt.^ 

'  Alb.  Aq.  12.  21.    Fulch.  Carn.  42.  Aix  seems  to  confound  these  twoexpeditions 

p.  426.    Gesta  Dei  p.  611.    Will.  Tyr.  11.  of  Baldwin  ;  and  makes  him  visit  the  Red 

26.  Jac.  de  Vitr.  28.  Wilken  ib.  II.  p.  Sea  with  only  a  company  of  sixty  knights. 
402.    See  too  Bohaeddin  Vit,  Salad,  pp.       '  WiU.  Tvr.  14.  15,  21.    Wilken  ib.  U, 

38,  54.    Abulfed.  Annal.  Musi,  ad  A.  H.  pp.  608,  609,  616. 

667.    Abulf.  Tab.  Syr.  ed.  Kohler  p.  88.       *  Will.  Tyr.  14.  21.  ib.  22.  28.  Wilken 

Schulten'a  Index  in  Vit.  Salad,  art.  Sjau-  ib.  p.  616. 

bac/mtn.  '  Bohaedd.  Vit.  Saladin  pp.  58,  69. 

"  Alb.  Aq.  12.  21.    Fulch,  Cam.  43.  One  or  both  of  these  fortresses  were  fierco- 

p.  426.    Gesta  Dei  p.  611.    Will.  Tyr.  ly  assaulted  in  the  years  1172,  1182,  1183, 

11.  -Id.    Wilken  ib.  p.  403.     See  also  1184,  etc.    See  generally  Wilken  ib.  II. 

above,  Vol.  I.  pp.  127,  171.— Albert  of  p.  616.  lU.  ii.  pp.  150,  206,  236,  246,  etc 
ii.  5GG.  5G7 


JOXE  1.] 


«DOM.     HISTORICAL  K0TICE8. 


165 


About  A.  D.  1144,  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  king  Bald- 
win III,  being  yet  a  minor,  made  an  expedition  by  way  of  Hebron 
to  Wady  Musa,  in  order  to  recover  a  certain  castle  bearing  the 
name  of  "  Vallis  Moysi,"  whicli  had  been  seized  by  the  Saracens 
with  the  aid  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  region.  On  the  approach 
of  the  king,  the  latter  betook  themselves  into  the  castle,  which 
was  in  a  strong  position.  The  Franks  assailed  it  with  stones 
and  arrows  for  several  days  without  success.  They  then  began 
to  destroy  the  numerous  oUve  trees,  which  constituted  the  chief 
produce  of  the  region  ;  to  save  which  the  inhabitants  imme- 
diately surrendered  the  fortress.  I  know  not  what  castle  this  can 
have  been,  unless  perhaps  the  one  we  saw  upon  the  ledge  of 
rocks  northeast  of  Wady  Milsa.' 

In  A.  D.  1182,  Rainald  of  Chatillon,  then  lord  of  Kerak, 
made  his  unsuccessful  expedition  against  Ailah  ;  and  in  both  the 
following  years,  (1183,  1184,)  sustained  the  terrific  assaults  of 
Saladin  against  Kerak  itself.'  '  Yet  that  Sultan,  the  year  after 
his  recapture  of  Jerusalem,  became  also  master  (in  1188)  both 
of  Kerak  and  of  Shobek,  each  after  a  long  siege. ^  Thus  termi- 
nated the  dominion  of  the  Franks  over  this  territory.  The 
fortress  of  Kerak  continued  to  be  a  stronghold  of  the  Saracens ; 
and  fifty  years  later  its  Emir  David  was  able  to  seize  for  a  time 
upon  Jerusalem.* 

From  that  time  onward  until  the  present  centiuy,  thick 
darkness  again  rests  upon  the  land  of  Edom.  Yolney  seems  first  to 
have  had  his  attention  drawn  towards  it,  by  the  reports  of  the 
Arabs  around  Gaza,  that  on  the  southeast  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
within  a  space  of  three  days'  journey,  there  were  upwards  of 
thirty  ruined  towns  absolutely  deserted  ;  in  some  of  which  were 
large  edifices  with  columns.'  In  A.  D.  1806,  Seetzen  penetrated 
from  Damascus  as  far  as  to  Kerak,  and  thence  travelled  around 
the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  to  Jerusalem ;  but  he  did  not 
enter  Edom.*  In  March  1807  the  same  traveller  went  from 
Hebron  on  the  road  to  Wady  Musa  as  far  as  to  the  hill  Madurah 
not  far  north  of  el-Weibeh  ;  and  while  here,  an  Arab  from  esh- 
Sherah  described  to  him  Wady  Musa  and  its  remains,  and  gave 

>  Will.  Tyr.  16.  6.    Wilten  ib.  IH.  L       '  Zach's  MonatL  Corr.  X^TH.  p.  433 

208.    ^ee  above,  p.  128.  sq.    Seetzen  heard  at  Kerak  the  name 

'  See  above,  Vol.  I.  pp.  161,  171. —  Bedra  as  of  a  place  a  day's  ioumey  fnr- 

Will.  Tyr.  22.  28-30.    Bohaedd.  pp.  58,  ther  south;  ib.  p.  434.    But  he  admits, 

69.    Abulf.  Ann.  Musi,  ad  A.  H.  580.  that  this  was  told  him  only  in  reply  to  a 

Wilken  ib.  TIL  ii.  pp.  236,  246.  direct  inquiry  on  his  part  after  Petra.;  and 

'  Gaut".  Vinisauf  1.  15.  Bohaedd-  pp.  88,  in  the  absence  of  all  further  testimony,  no 

90.    Abulf  Annul,  ad  A.  H.  584.    WH-  weight  can  be  laid  upon  this  informa- 

ken  ibid.  FV.  pp.  244,  245,  247.  tion.    See  the  remarks  on  employing  lead- 

*  See  above,  Vol.  L  p.  317.  ing  questions  in  obtaining  information  from 

*  Volney  Voyage  en  Syr,  c.  31.  Tom.  the  Arabs,  Vol  I.  p.  112. 
n.  p.  317.    Par.  1787. 

ii.  567,  568 


166 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON, 


[Sec.  Xn. 


him  an  extensive  list  of  the  various  towns  and  ruins  in  that  re- 
gion.' But  it  was  reserved  for  Burckhardt,  first  to  traverse  the 
country  in  1812  from  Kerak  to  the  southern  Wady  Ghurundel, 
and  to  explore  the  wonders  of  Wady  Musa.  He  was  followed 
in  the  same  direction  in  1818,  by  Messrs  Bankes,  Legh,  Irby 
and  Mangles.  Ten  years  later,  Laborde  and  Linant  first  pene- 
trated in  1828  from  'Akabah  to  Wady  Musa ;  returning  by  a 
more  easterly  route  through  the  moimtains. 

A  few  words  respecting  the  ancient  towns  whose  sites  have 
been  found  in  this  region,  may  not  be  out  of  place  here,  prepara- 
tory to  a  more  particular  notice  of  the  metropoHs  Petra. 

Of  Machcerus,  a  fortress  of  Herod,  and  the  possible  identi- 
fication of  it  by  Seetzen  with  Mkauer,  a  ruin  on  the  south  side 
of  Zerka  Ma'in,  I  have  already  spoken.* 

South  of  Wady  el-M6jib,  and  six  or  eight  miles  north  of 
Kerak,  are  the  now  unimportant  ruins  called  Eabba,  about  half 
an  hour  in  circuit,  exhibiting  the  remains  of  a  temple  and  sev- 
eral Corinthian  columns.^  This  unquestionably  was  the  site  of  the 
Rahhatli  Moah  of  the  early  centuries,  the  Areopolis  of  the  Greeks, 
an  episcopal  see  of  the  Third  Palestine  ;  which  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  Petra  became  the  metropolitan  city  of  that  region.  In 
still  earlier  times  it  was  the  Ar  of  Moab,  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament.* 

In  Kerak  itself  we  have  the  ancient  Kir  Moab  of  the  Old 
Testament ;  which  aheady  in  the  Chaldee  version  and  the  Greek 
of  the  Apocrypha,  appears  in  the  form  Kerakka  ]\Ioab  and  Cha- 
raca.'  Under  this  latter  name,  more  or  less  corrupted,  it  is 
mentioned  by  Ptolemy  and  other  writers  both  ecclesiastical  and 
profane,  down  to  the  centuries  before  the  crusades.'  The  crusa- 
ders found  the  name  extant,  and  erected  the  fortress  still  known 
as  Kerak.  But  their  knowledge  of  ancient  geography  was  here 
also  at  fault ;  and  as  in  the  west  they  found  the  site  of  Beer- 

'  Zach'g  Monatl.  Corr.  XVII.  pp.  133-  character,  see  the  ecclesiastical  Notitia, 

139.  Reland  pp.  215,  217,  compared  with  pp. 

'  See  above,  VoL  I.  p.  570.  n.  2,  223,  226.    Le  Quien  Oriens  Christ  UL 

'  Seetzen  ibid.  X\^ni.  p.  433.    Burck-  p.  734. 

hardtp.  377.    Irby  and  Mangles  p.  4.56  sq.  <•  Isa.  15,  1.    Heb.  ZX'i'O  "i^p  ;  Chald. 

[141.1    According  to  Burckhardt,  the  dis-      „ ,  ,  „  .  ,:';(••„„    „/;  „. 

<-      ■> .       I-     1  •     1       t  3X<  -  "  X.i  3  ,  both  signiiying  vmlU  or 

tance  from  Kenik  is  three  hours  or  more.     . '  •  "iV       mi-  -Ji 

Irbv  and  Mangles  give  it  at  about  two  hours.  f'^ZTr?  ,  '  \'h  ^"'"""JisQ  t^k 

Ms.  15,  1.    Num.  21,  28.    Hieron.    ^  Reland  Pal.  pp.  463, 705. 

Comm.  in  Jes.xv.  1,  "  Hujus  metropolis    Gesenms  Comm  zu  Jes.  xv   1 -I- or  the 

civitas  Ar,  qus  hodie  ex  Hebneo  et  Grace  f  Y             ^'""'^PP-  ^IS. 

^          J        I-             ^    n  217.    Of  the  two  later  Latin  Notitipp,  one 

Bermone composita  ^rfopo/ts  nuncupatur,  ,              •       i          u     i-  -i. 

r\    „              M    l.     II  tj    '    •  has  Karach  and  the  other  Kara;  ib.  pp. 

etc.   Oiiomast.  art.  jjoab :  "  Porro  ipsa  „„„  „„„     „     , ,           ■  .    i   J.  ■   i  JL 

.  ..     ^.        r  \  „     •       „  •            1,  22.%  226.    Burckhardt  mistook  this  last, 

cmtas  ( Areopolivs),  quasi  propnum  vocab-  '    -                 ^              j     j-  >•  » 

,           -J  Id  V  L  .u  m    u  •]    »  Kara,  lor  a  dinerent  name  and  a  distinct 

uluin  p i  ssidet  Kubbatn  Moab,  id  est,  gran-  ,   ^     l-  i.  i            n  ^    ■      ,  i- 

dis  MUb."    So  too  Steph.  Byzont."  See  Pl'^ce;  which  he  then  finds  in  el-Kerr,  a 

Reland  Palast.  pp.  577,  957.    Gesenius    ^'%'^*''  7''"'  ^"^^ 
Comm.  zu  Jcsa.  xv.  1. — For  its  episcopal      ^^^^  P' 

ii  5G8-570 


Jew  1.] 


EDOM.     ANCIENT  TOWNS. 


167 


eheba  at  Beit  Jibrin,  so  here  they  held  Kerak  to  have  been  once 
the  ancient  capital  of  Arabia  Petraea,  and  gave  it  therefore  the 
name  of  Petra  Deaerti.'  They  established  here  in  A.  D.  1167 
a  Latin  bishopric  of  Petra,  which  continued  for  some  years  ; 
and  the  name  and  title  remain  in  the  Greek  church  until  the 
present  day.* 

In  Tafileh  we  may  probably  recognise  the  ancient  Tophel, 
once  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  in  connection  with  the 
'Arabah.  The  radical  letters  and  the  signification  are  the  same 
both  in  Hebrew  and  Arabic' 

The  place  el-Busaireh,  two  hours  and  three  quarters  south 
of  Tufdeh,  seems  to  bear  in  its  name  decisive  tokens  of  anti- 
quity. It  is  now  a  village  of  about  fifty  houses  situated  on  a 
hill,  on  the  top  of  which  is  a  small  castle.*  The  Arabic  form 
Busaireh  is  a  diminutive  of  Busrah,  the  present  Arabic  name  of 
Bozrah  in  Hauran,  the  Bostra  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans  ; 
which  latter  has  been  regarded  as  a  city  of  the  Edomites, 
though  lying  far  beyond  the  limits  of  their  territory.'  But 
the  name  el-Busaireh  affords  reason  to  suppose,  that  another 
Bozrah  lay  here  within  the  proper  Umits  of  Edom  ;  and  was  for 
a  time  the  capital  of  the  country.  This  hypothesis  is  strength- 
ened by  the  fact,  that  in  Scripture,  Bozrah  is  so  often  coupled  with 
the  land  of  Edom  itself ;  while  the  prophet  Amos  speaks  of  it 
expressly  in  connection  with  the  land  of  Teman  or  the  south.* 
Further,  both  Eusebius  and  Jerome  mention  a  Bozrah  as  exist- 
ing in  their  day  in  the  mountains  of  Idumea,  distinct  from  the 
northern  Bozrah.'  In  this  way,  as  it  seems  to  me,  we  are  relieved 
firom  the  incongruity,  of  supposing  the  chief  city  of  the  Edomites 
to  have  lain  at  the  distance  of  several  days'  journey  away  from 
their  territories.' 


'  WDL  Tyr.  11.  26.  ib.  1.5.  21.  Jac  de 

Vitr.  c.  96.  Com  p.  above,  p.  16-3,  n.  6. 
This  fonn  of  the  name  the  crusaders 
took  from  the  Valgate,  which  in  h.  16,  1 
readj  '•  Petra  deaerti,"  instead  of  Sela. 

'  Win.  Tyr.  20.  3.  .Jac.  de  \"tr.  c.  56. 
Le  Qoien  Oriens  Christ.  III.  p.  1305. 
Enrckhardt'a  Trar.  p.  .387.  See  above, 
VoL  I.  p.  424  sq. 

'  Dent.  1,  1.  The  identity  of  Tophel 
and  Tilfileh  affords  an  easy  explanation 
of  thi.s  very  difBcnlt  pas-sage,  to  which  I 
■hall  again  recnr.  I  am  indebtM  for  the 
suggestion  to  Prof.  Hengstenb^r^  of  Berlin. 

*  Borckhardt's  Travels  p.  407.  Irhv  an>l 
Mangles  p.  443.  [136.] 

'  So  Gesenina  Comm.  zu  .Jea.  xxsiv.  6. 
Lex.  Hebr.  art  n-aa.  RosenroiiUer  Bibl. 
Geogr.  II.  iL  p.  23  sq.  See  Poland  PaL 
p.  665  aq.    BoTckhardt  p.  226. 


'  laa.  34,  6.    63,  1.    Jer.  49,  13.  22. 

Am.  1,  12,  "But  I  ■win  send  afire  npon 
Teman,  which  shall  devonr  the  palaces  of 
Bozrah." 

'  Onomast  art.  Bonor. — The  conjecture 
of  Bnrckhardt,  that  el-Bnsaireh  is  the  an- 
cient Psora,  an  episcopal  see  of  the  Third 
Palestine,  rests  on  an  error  in  one  of  the 
ecclesiastical  Notitias,  which  reads  "  Mamo, 
Psora,"  In  two  words,  where  all  the  others 
read  Mamopsora  or  Mamapson ;  Relaod 
p.  217,  comp.  pp.  215,  223,  226.  See 
Bnrckhardt  p.  407. 

'  A  Bozrah  is  once  mentioned  among 
the  cities  of  Moab;  .Jer.  48,  24.  This 
was  not  improbably  the  same  ;  since  the 
possession  of  particxdar  cities  often  passed 
from  one  hand  to  another  in  the  wars  of 
adjacent  tribes.  See  2  Chr.  20.  23.  Am. 
2,  1.  So  too  Sela,  Is.  16,  1 ;  comp.  2  K. 
14,  7.    Se«  Geaanins  L  c 

ii.  570,  571 


168 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


Proceeding  further  south,  we  find  Ghurundel,  the  ancient 
Arindela,  as  already  described.' — In  Dhana,  a  Aallage  visited  by 
Burckhardt,  on  the  declivity  of  a  mountain  north  of  Wady  el- 
Ghuweir,  we  probably  have  the  site  of  the  ancient  Thana  or 
Thoana,  assigned  by  Ptolemy  to  Arabia  Petrsea,  and  marked 
also  apparently  in  the  Peutinger  Tables.^ — Shobek  corresponds 
to  no  known  ancient  place;  though  we  find  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment both  Shobach  and  Shobek  as  the  names  of  persons.' — 
Ma'an,  the  well  known  town  on  the  route  of  the  Syrian  Haj, 
nearly  east  of  Wady  Miisa,  is  with  good  reason  assumed  as  the 
probable  seat  of  the  Maonites  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures.* 
Abulfeda  describes  Ma'an  (from  Ibn  Haukal)  as  inhabited  by 
the  Ommiades  and  their  vassals.' — About  sis  hours  south 
of  Ma'an  and  Wady  Musa,  lies  Usdakah,  a  fine  fountain,  near 
which  is  a  hill  with  extensive  ruins  of  an  ancient  town,  con- 
sisting of  heaps  of  hewn  stones.  Both  the  name  and  situation 
correspond  to  the  Zodocatha  of  the  fifth  century  ;  which  is  also 
marked  in  the  Peutinger  Tables,  under  the  form  Zadagatta,  at 
eighteen  Roman  mUes  south  of  Petra.* 

One  other  town  in  this  region,  el-Humeiyimeh,  is  described 
by  Abulfeda  (quoting  from  Ibn  Sa'id)  as  the  native  place  of  the 
Abbassides.  Its  rains  still  remain,  and  were  visited  by  Laborde, 
on  the  plain  east  of  the  mountains,  considerably  south  of  the 
southern  Wady  Ghurundel,  and  north  of  the  head  of  Wady  el- 
Ithm.  The  ruins  are  very  considerable  ;  but  without  any  traces 
of  architectural  splendour.  There  was  an  aqueduct  leading  to 
it  for  a  long  distance  from  the  north  ;  and  the  place  itself  is  full 
of  cisterns,  now  broken  and  abandoned  in  the  midst  of  a  desert/ 


PETRA. 

We  come  now  to  the  celebrated  capital  of  this  region  in  an- 
cient times,  called  from  its  remarkable  position,  The  Rock  ;  in 


'  See  p.  117,  above. 

"  Ptol.  5.  17.  Reland  p.  463.  The 
Peutinger  Tables  have  Thorma,  probably 
a  corruption.    See  Burckhardt  p.  410. 

'  Shobach  T|aia  2  Sam.  10,  16.  18. 
Shobek  p^iir  Nch.  10,  24.— Burckhardt 
suggests,  that  Shobek  may  have  bee  t  he 
castle  Carcaria  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  one 
day's  journey  from  Petra.  But  this  notice 
is  too  indefinite  to  bear  out  the  supposition. 
Onomast.  art  Carcar.    Burckhardt  p.  416. 

*  Judg.  10, 12  '^^■S1i  Maonites.  1  Chr. 
4,41  and  2  Chr.  26,  7  0"«5  ISO  Mehunhns. 
They  arc  spoken  of  in  connection  with  the 
Amnlekites    and  Arabians.     The  form 

ii.  671-573 


Ma'dn  has  no  relation  to  the  name  Te- 
man.  See  Seetzen  in  Zach  ib.  XVIII.  p. 
381.  Burckhardt's  Travels  p.  437.  Ge- 
senius  Lex.  Heb.  art  "(ISa ,  and  Notes  on 
BuTckh.  p.  1069.  Rosenmuller's  Bibl. 
Geogr.  III.  p.  83. 

'  Abulfed.  Tab.  Sjt.  ed.  Kohler  p.  14. 

«  Notit.  Dignitat.  ed.  Pancirol.  p.  216. 
Reland  Pal.  p.  230.  See  Burckhardt's 
Travels  p.  435. 

'  Abulfeda;  Tab.  Syr.  p.  14.  Labordo 
writes  the  name  Ameim6 ;  Voyage  en 
Arab.  Petr.  p.  62.  [217.]— The  ftlacbcrt 
el-Abid  of  Laborde  is  probably  the  Klii'ir  i- 
bet  (ruins)  el-'Abid  of  our  lists ;  ibid.  p. 
63.  [2 18. J 


JCKD  1.] 


PETRA. 


169 


Hebrew  Sela,  in  Greek  Petra.'  In  the  Old  Testament  we  find 
it  recorded  of  king  Amaziali,  that  "  he  slew  of  Edom  ia  the 
valley  of  salt,  ten  thousand,  and  took  Sela  by  war,  and  called 
tJie  name  of  it  Joktheel  unto  this  day."'^  The  prophet  Isaiah 
also  exhorts  Moab  to  "  send  the  lamb  to  the  ruler  of  the  land 
from  Sela  to  (through)  the  wilderness  unto  the  mount  of  the 
daughter  of  Zion  ; "  alluding  apparently  to  the  tribute  in  sheep 
formerly  paid  to  Israel.'  At  this  time,  therefore,  Sela  would 
seem  to  have  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Moabites  ;  or  at  least 
they  pastured  their  flocks  as  far  south  as  to  that  region,  much 
iu  the  manner  of  the  adjacent  tribes  at  the  present  day.^ — 
These  are  the  only  certain  notices  of  this  city  found  in  Scrip- 
ture ;  and  the  last  of  them  cannot  be  later  than  about  700 

B.  C 

About  four  centuries  afterwards,  as  we  have  seen,  the  city 
was  already  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Petra  ;  it  had  passed  iuto 
the  hands  of  the  Nabatheans,  and  had  become  a  place  of  trade. 
The  two  expeditions  sent  against  it  by  Antigonus  before  301  B. 

C.  have  been  already  alluded  to.'  In  the  first,  Athenfeus  took 
the  city  by.  surprise,  while  the  men  were  absent  at  a  neighbour- 
ing mart  or  fair  ;  and  carried  off  a  large  booty  of  silver  and 
merchandise.  But  the  Nabatheans  quickly  pursued  him,  to  the 
number  of  eight  thousand  men  ;  and  falUng  upon  his  camp  by 
night,  destroyed  the  greater  part  of  his  army.'  Of  the  second 
expedition,  under  the  command  of  Demetrius,  the  Nabatheans 
had  previous  intelligence  ;  and  prepared  themselves  for  an  attack, 
by  driving  their  flocks  into  the  deserts,  and  placing  their  wealth 
under  the  protection  of  a  strong  garrison  in  Petra  ;  to  which, 
according  to  Diodorus,  there  was  but  a  single  approach,  and 
that  made  by  hand.'  In  this  way  they  succeeded  in  baffling 
the  whole  design  of  Demetrius. 

Strabo,  speaking  of  the  Nabatheans  during  the  reign  of 
Augustus,  describes  the  capital  as  follows  :  "  The  metropolis  of 
the  Nabatheans  is  Petra,  so  called  ;  for  it  lies  in  a  place  in  other 
respects  plain  and  level,  but  shut  in  by  rocks  roimd  about,  pre- 
cipitous indeed  on  the  outside,  but  within  having  copious  foun- 
tains for  a  supply  of  water  and  the  irrigation  of  gardens. 
Beyond  the  enclosure,  the  region  is  mostly  a  desert,  and  espe- 

*  Heb.  yho  Sela;  Greek  ^  nhpa  Pe-  The  expression  "the  rock,"  in  Jndg. 
tra,  and  also  in  the  plur.  oi  neVpoi  in  the  li  36  and  Is.  42,  11,  has  sometimes  been 
later  ecclesiastical  notices ;  Keland  pp.  referred  to  the  city  of  Petra  ;  but  is  too 
215,  217,  533.  Comp.  the  similar  case  of  indefinite,  both  in  itself  and  in  relation  to 
IIcXAa  and  OeAXai.  the  context,  to  be  taken  into  the  account. 

»  2  Kings  14,  7.  '  Page  159. 

*  Is  16,  1,  and  Gesenius  Comm.  in  loc.       '  Diod.  Sic.  19.  59. 

Comp.  2  K.  3,  4.  .  *  lb.  19.  97,  oGcrris /iiiis  aya0dcr(us  xf'p<^ 

*  So  the  Ma'az,  see  above,  p.  143.   Com-  iroiiiTov. 
pare  also  p.  167.  n.  8. 

Vol.  II.— 15  ii.  573,574 


1'70 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBEOK, 


[Sec.  Xn. 


cially  towards  Judea."'  At  this  time  the  city  had  become  the 
great  place  of  transit  for  the  products  of  the  east,  and  was  often 
resorted  to  by  foreigners.'  The  philosopher  Athenadorus,  Stra- 
bo's  friend,  spent  some  time  in  Petra  ;  and  related  with  admira- 
tion, that  he  foimd  many  Romans  and  other  strangers  residing 
there  ;  that  these  often  had  lawsuits  with  one  another  and  with 
the  inhabitants  ;  while  the  latter  lived  in  peace  among  them- 
selves, under  excellent  laws.^ 

Similar,  but  more  definite,  is  the  testimony  of  Pliny  in  the 
first  century  :  "  The  Xabatheans  inhabit  the  city  called  Petra, 
in  a  valley  less  than  two  (Roman)  miles  in  amplitude,  surround- 
ed by  inaccessible  mountains,  with  a  stream  flowing  through 
it."*  About  the  same  period,  Petra  is  often  mentioned  by 
Josephus  as  the  capital  of  Arabia  Petraea,  in  all  his  notices  of 
that  kingdom  and  its  connection  with  Jewish  affairs.^  With 
that  kingdom,  it  passed  under  the  immediate  sway  of  the 
Romans,  during  the  reign  of  Trajan.  His  successor  Adrian 
appears  to  have  granted  privileges  to  Petra,  which  led  the  in- 
habitants to  give  his  name  to  the  city  upon  coins.  Several  of 
these  are  still  extant.'  In  the  fourth  century,  Petra  is  several 
times  mentioned  by  Eusebius  and .  Jerome  ;  and  in  the  Greek 
ecclesiastical  Notitias  of  the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  it  appears 
as  the  metropolitan  see  of  the  Third  Palestine."  Of  its  bishops, 
Germanus  was  present  at  the  council  of  Seleucia  in  A.  D.  359  ; 
and  Theodorus  at  that  of  Jerusalem  in  A.  D.  536.' 

But  trom  that  time  onwards,  Petra  suddenly  vanishes  from 
the  pages  of  history.  In  the  two  Latin  Xotitiae,  referring  in 
part  to  the  centuries  after  the  Muhammedan  conquest  and  before 
the  crusades,  the  name  of  Petra  is  no  longer  found,  and  the 
metropolitan  see  had  been  transferred  to  Rabbah.'  Whether 
Petra  perished  through  the  ruthless  rage  of  the  fonatic  conquer- 
ors, or  whether  it  had  already  been  destroyed  in  some  incursion 
of  the  hordes  of  the  desert,  is  utterly  unknown.    The  silence  of 

'  Strsbo  16.  4.  21,  MrrTp6xo\is  St  ruy  '  Mionnet  Descr.  de  Medailles  Antiques, 

No/SaTcu'tci'  iariy  ri  HtVpa  KoXouatyT]-  Kft-  Tom.  V.  p.  587.    Eckhel  Doctr.  Nummor. 

TCI  yap    t'xl  x^P'O"  toAAo  d/xoAot!    (tol  Vet.  11.  p.  .503.    Xo  lers  than  eight  coins 

iiriirf^ou,  KVK\<f  Si  utrpa  <ppoupovu4vou,  to  of  Petra  are  described,  viz.  three  in  honour 

/lif  (KTiti  Kprt/ifov  airordnov,  to  5'  iyrhs  of  Adrian;  one  of  Marcus  Anrelius  and 

TT"/«s  o<p^o'i'Oi;i  Ixovtoi  tfj  re  vSpflay  koI  Verus;  two  of  Septimins  Severus ;  and 

(tJiireiaj-. '£(<<)  Sc  ToC  x€pi0<JAou  x^po  tp»;/«or  two  of  G eta.    Most  of  them  bear  on  the 

i]  xAfi'o-TTj,  (col  ni\iaTa  r)  trpbs  'louSoio.  reverse   the  inscription  :  'ASpiayri  HeVpo 

'  See  above,  p.  161.  Mrjrpi^xoAjj.    For  this  cuitoni  on  the  coins 

*  Strabo  ibid,  of  cities,  see  above,  p.  GO.  n.  3. 

*  Plin.  H.  X.  6.  28  v.  32,  "  Deinde  Naba-  '  Onomast.  arts.  Felra,  Jdatnaa,  The- 
tluei  oppidnm  incolunt  Petram  nomine  in  man,  etc.  Ueland  Pul.  p.  215,  217.  Sets 
convalle,  paulo  minus  II  mill,  passuum  am-  also  in  general  the  art.  Petra  in  Reknd  p. 
plitudiiiLs,  circumdatum  montibus  inacces-  926  sq. 

818  amne  iuterflueatc."  "'Relaud  Pal.  pp.  933,  533.    Le  Quieu 

*  See  the  references  to  Josepbus  above,  Oriens  Clir.  IIL  p.  725. 

p.  159.  n.  4.  •  KeLiud  PaL  pp.  223,  226. 
ii.  574,  575 


.JnxK  1.] 


PETRA.     WADY  MU8A. 


171 


all  Arabian  writers  as  to  the  very  existence  of  Petra,  would  seem 
to  favour  the  latter  supposition  ;  for  had  the  city  still  retained 
its  importance,  we  could  hardly  expect  that  they  should  pass  it 
over  without  some  notice,  in  their  accounts  of  the  country  and 
its  conquest.  As  it  is,  this  sudden  and  total  disappearance  of 
the  very  name  and  trace  of  a  city  so  renowned,  is  one  of  the 
most  singular  circumstances  of  its  history. ' 

The  crusaders,  as  we  have  seen,  found  Petra  at  Kerak,  just 
as  they  also  found  Beersheba  at  Beit  Jibrin  ;  thus  introducing 
a  confusion  as  to  Petra,  which  is  not  whollv  removed  even  at  the 
present  day.*  It  was  not  untO.  the  reports  collected  by  Seetzen 
respecting  the  wonderful  remains  in  Wady  Musa,  had  been  veri- 
fied by  the  personal  discovery  and  examination  of  them  by 
Burckhardt,  that  the  latter  traveller  first  ventured  to  assume 
their  identity  with  the  site  of  the  ancient  capital  of  Arabia 
Petrasa.^  This  identity  is  now,  I  believe,  admitted  by  all. — The 
arguments  for  the  identity  in  question,  are  of  a  threefold  nature, 
and  all  lie  within  a  small  compass. 

First,  the  character  of  the  site,  as  given  by  Strabo  and  PHny 
in  the  passages  above  quoted  ;  an  area  in  a  valley  surrounded  by 
precipitous  rocks,  with  a  stream  running  through  it,  and  a  single 
approach  '  made  by  hand,'  as  mentioned  by  Diodorus  aU  this 
corresponds  entirely  to  Wady  Musa  as  already  described. 

Again,  the  ancient  specifications  as  to  the  distance  of  Petra 
fi-om  both  the  Dead  Sea  .and  the  Elanitic  gulf,  all  point  to  "SVady 
Musa.  Pas.sing  over  the  merelv  casual  and  indefinite  estimates 
of  Strabo  and  Pliny,^  we  find  in  Diodorus  Siculus,  that  Deme- 
trius, on  his  return  from  Petra,  marched  three  hundred  stadia, 

'  No  Arabian  writer  mentions  Petra  ;  '  See  p.  167,  above.  Adrichomias  p.  129. 

and  the  only  ones  who  speak  of  Wady  Mu-  Rauiner's  Palast  p.  412  sq. 

sa,  so  far  as  yet  known,  are  Kazwiny  in  Burckhardt  p.  431.    The  first  pnb- 

the  thirteenth  century,  and  Ibn  ly.'is  (Ben  lished  account  of  Burckhardt's  visit  to  Wa- 

Ayas)  in  the  fifteenth.    Botli  these  au-  dy  Musa,  seems  to  have  been  contained  in 

thors  merely  relat«  a  Mnhammedan  legend,  a  letter  from  him  dated  Cairo,  Sept.  12, 

according  to  which  Jloses  died  aud  was  1812,  prefixed  to  his  Travels  in  Xubia, 

boned   in  this  valley.     See  Kazwin/s  Lond.  1819.     But  before  this  appeared, 

Geogr.  Lexicon,  Atfuir  el-Belad,  Cod.  Ms.  Ritter  had  already  suggested  the  idnntity 

Arab.  Biblioth.  Gothan.  No.  234.  fol.  80.  of  Wady  Musa  and  Petra,  on  the  strength 

Ibn  lyas  in  his  geogr.  work,  Nethfk  d-  of  Seetzen's  reports  in  Zach's  MonatL  Corr. 

Ezhur,  Cod.  Gothan.  No.  302.  foL  226.  X\'n.  p.  139.    See  Hitter's  Erdkunde  Th. 

These  notices  from  Mss.  in  the  Library  at  II.  p.  117.    BerL  1818. 

Gotha,  I  owe  to  the  kindness  of  Prof.  Roe-  *  See  pp.  169,  170. 

diger  of  Halle. — For  the  forms  Arce,  Are-  '  Strabo  places  it  at  three  or  four  days' 

ceme,  P^cem,  etc.  assigned  by  Josepbus  march  from  Jericho,  16.  4.  21.  Pli::y"at 

and  others  as  the  earUest  name  of  Petra  ;  600  Roman  miles  from  Gaza,  and  135  from 

as  also  f-r  the  er-Rakim  of  Arabian  writ-  the  Persian  gulf;  H.  N.  6.  28  or  32.  Here, 

ers,  see  Note  XXXVII,  at  the  end  of  the  as  Cellarius  suggests,  the  two  numbers  have 

volume. — In  like  manner  the  place  called  probably  been  transposed;  that  U,  it  should 

by  Arabian  writers  el-Hijr,  (not  el-Hajar  read  135  miles  from  Gaza,  and  600  from 

'  a  stouc ')  has  sometimes  been  mistaken  the  Persian  gulf.  Cellar.  Notit  Orb.  II.  p. 

for  Petra;  see  the  same  Note.  581. 

ii.  576,  577 


172 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


and  encamped  near  the  Dead  Sea.'  This  distance  is  equal  to 
about  fifteen  hours  with  camels  ;  and  if  reckoned  northwards 
from  Wady  Musa  along  the  ancient  road,  extends  to  nearly  op- 
posite the  south  end  of  the  sea.  After  all,  this  is  doubtless  also 
a  mere  estimate,  and  is  if  any  thing  too  small  ;  but  at  any  rate, 
it  could  never  apply  to  Kerak. — More  exactly  is  the  position  of 
Petra  laid  down  in  the  Peutinger  Tables.  The  distance  is  there 
marked  from  AUah  along  the  ancient  road  to  Petra,  by  the  sta- 
tions Ad  Dianam,  Preesidium,  Hauara,'  and  Zadagatta,  at 
ninety-nine  Roman  miles  in  all,  equivalent  to  about  seventy- 
eight  and  two  thirds  geographical  miles.  ^  The  actual  direct  dis- 
tance between  'Akabah  and  Wady  Musa,  on  a  straight  line,  is 
about  sixty-four  geographical  miles  ;  and  when  we  take  into 
account  the  windings  of  the  way  and  the  steepness  of  the 
mountains,  the  comparison  is  here  suflSciently  exact.^  On  this 
route  too,  the  name  and  site  of  Zadagatta  (Zodocatha)  stiU  exist 
at  Usdakah,  about  six  hours  south  of  Wady  Musa.'  Further,  the 
same  Tables,  although  somewhat  confused  on  the  north  of  Petra, 
yet  give  the  distance  between  it  and  Eabbah  as  at  least  over 
seventy-two  Eoman  miles  ;  which  corresponds  well  with  Wady 
Musa. 

Lastly,  Josephus,  and  also  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  testify  ex- 
pressly, that  Mount  Hor,  where  Aaron  died,  was  in  the  vicinity 
of  Petra.^  And  to  this  day  the  mountain  which  both  tradition 
and  the  circumstances  of  the  case  mark  as  the  same,  still  rears 
its  lonely  head  above  the  vale  of  Wady  Musa, 

These  considerations  appear  to  me  to  demonstrate  the  iden- 
tity of  Petra  with  Wady  Musa  ;  and  also  to  show  as  conclu- 


'  Diod.  Sic.  19.  98,  ir\{ttriov  t^s  'A(r<J)o\- 
t/ti5os  KifjLvus. 

'  The  Avdpa  of  Ptolemy,  and  the  Hava- 
na of  the  Notitia  Dignitatum.  Ptol.  6.  17. 
Reland  Pal.  pp.  463,  230. 

'  The  following  is  the  specification  of  the 
Tables :  From  Haila,  xvi  ad  Dianam.  xxi 
Prasidio.  xxiii  Hauara.  xx  Zadagatta. 
XVIII  Petris.  Sumnaa  xcix. — The  station 
'  ad  Dianam  '  is  common  to  both  the  routes 
from  Allah,  to  Jerusalem  and  to  Petra. 
It  must  therefore  have  lain  in  the  great 
valley ;  and  the  distance  of  16  Roman  miles 
from  'Akahiih  would  bring  it  about  oppo- 
site the  Wady  and  fountain  el-Hendis.  It 
is  marked  as  a  small  temple  of  Diana. 
This  point  must  have  been  considerably 
north  of  the  mouth  of  Wady  el-Ithm. 
The  Roman  road  to  Petra  appears  there- 
fore to  have  ascended  the  mountain  north 
of  that  Wady  ;  and  the  station  Prxsidium 
is  probably  to  bo  sought  in  those  moun- 
tains. It  would  consequently  seem,  that 
ii.  577-579 


cl-Humeiyimeh  did  not  He  upon  the  great 
Roman  road,  of  which  Laborde  found  tra- 
ces further  north  upon  the  mountain. 

■*  The  geographical  position  of  Petra  is 
fixed  on  the  accompanving  map  at  30° 
2.)'  N.  Lat.  and  35^  38''9"  E.  Long,  from 
Greenwich.  This  latitude  is  the  mean 
between  'that  resulting  from  our  routes 
and  Laborde's.  Moore  and  Beke  give  it 
at  30°  19',  which  appears  to  be  even  less 
correct  tlian  their  obsen'ations  at  Jerusa- 
lem and  Hebron  ;  see  above,  p.  74,  n.  2. 
Vol.  I.  p.  2.59,  n.  1.  The  longitude  is 
that  found  by  a  comparison  of  our  routes 
with  those  of  Laborde.  See  Kiepert's  Me- 
moir in  the  former  edition  of  this  work, 
HL  App.  p.  37. 

»  See  above,  p.  168. 

'  Josephus  Ant.  4.  4.  7.  Euseb.  et 
Hieron.  Onomasticon  :  "Or,  mons  in  quo 
mortuus  est  Aaron  justa  civitatcm  Pe- 
tram." 


JtlJIE  2.] 


PETRA. 


173 


sively,  that  it  could  not  have  been  situated  at  Kerak,  where  the 
crusaders  placed  it.* 

But  how  or  when  the  name  of  Petra  was  dropped,  or  in  what 
age  that  of  Wady  Musa  was  adopted,  we  have  no  means  of  as- 
certaining. The  crusaders  found  the  latter  in  current  use,  and 
speak  here  only  of  the  "  Vallis  Moysi."*  They  also  speak  of  a 
building  on  the  neighbouring  mountain,  consecrated  to  Aaron  ; 
but  they  appear  to  have  discovered  nowhere  any  trace  of  a 
Christian  population.' 

Then  came  other  centuries  of  oblivion  ;  and  the  name  of 
Wady  Miisa  was  not  again  heard  of,  until  the  reports  of  Seetzen 
in  A.  D.  1807.  During  his  excursion  from  Hebron  to  the  hill 
Madurah,  his  Arab  guide  of  the  Haweitat  described  the  place, 
exclaiming :  "  Ah,  how  I  weep,  when  I  behold  the  ruins  of 
Wady  Musa  !  The  subsequent  ^asits  of  Burckhardt,  Irby 
and  Mangles,  Laborde,  and  others,  have  put  the  world  in  posses- 
sion of  most  of  the  details  ;  yet  I  apprehend  that  the  historical 
and  antiquarian  interest  of  the  place  is  by  no  means  exhausted. 
The  scholar  who  should  go  thither  learned  in  the  lore  of  Grecian 
and  Egyptian  arts  and  architecture,  would  be  able,  I  doubt  not, 
still  to  reap  a  rich  harvest  of  new  facts,  illustrative  of  the  taste, 
the  antiquities,  and  the  general  history  of  this  remarkable 
people. 


Saturday,  June  2d.  As  morning  dawned,  we  rose  from  our 
couch  of  sand  in  the  middle  of  the  'Arabah  ;  and  at  4|  o'clock 
were  again  upon  our  way  towards  the  fountain  el-Weibeh. 
Looking  back,  we  could  see  the  Wady  through  which  we  had 
descended  from  the  pass  of  Nemela,  bearing  S.  55°  E.  and 
marking  the  course  we  had  travelled  during  the  darkness.  We 
were  now  more  than  half  way  across  the  'Arabah  ;  and  continued 
to  travel  on  nearly  W.  N.  W.  through  a  rolling  gravelly  desert, 
with  rounded  naked  hills  of  considerable  elevation.  Our  guides 
had  usually  in  the  'Arabah  kept  one  man  ahead  as  a  scout ;  and 
now,  as  we  approached  el-Weibeh,  they  took  double  precautions 
against  any  enemy  ;  since  this  and  other  fountains  in  the  valley, 
are  the  usual  rendezvous  of  wandering  parties. 

'  For  the  question  whether  there  was  Not  improbably  there  may  have  been  here 

probably  more  than  one  Petra,  see  in  Note  originally  a  Christian  chapel,  as  on  Jebel 

XXXVII,  at  the  end  of  the  Volume.  Musa  and  Mount  St.  Catherine ;  but  there 

"  See  above,  pp.  163,  165.  is  no  historical  trace  of  any  monastery  on 

'  Guibert  speaks  of  this  building  as  a  the  mountain.    See  Note  XXXVI,  end  of 

church ;  7.  36.  p.  655.    Another  writer  the  volume. 

ballsitan  "Oratorium;"  GestaDeip.  581.       ^  Zach's  Monatl.  Corn  XVII.  p.  136. 

Fulcher  incorrectly  makes  it  a  monastery  See  above,  p.  165. 
dedicated  to  St.  Aaron;  c.  23,  p.  405. 

Vol.  II.— 15*  ii.  579,580 


174 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xir. 


We  came  out,  at  half  past  6  o'clock,  upon  the  high  but  not 
steep  bank  of  AVady  el-Jeib  ;  which  here  sweeps  round  quite  to 
the  foot  of  the  ascent  on  the  west  side  of  el-'Arabah.  We  de- 
scended into  it  from  the  gravelly  hills,  one  hundred  feet  or  more. 
It  is  here  three  quarters  of  an  hour  in  breadth,  and  everywhere 
sprinkled  with  herbs  and  shrubs.  Just  on  its  western  side, 
where  the  land  slopes  up  very  gradually  into  a  tract  of  low  lime- 
stone hills,  lies  'Ain  el-Weibeh,  one  of  the  most  important 
watering  places  in  all  the  great  valley.  There  are  here  indeed 
three  foxmtains,  issuing  from  the  chalky  rock  of  which  the  slope 
is  composed.  Below  them,  on  the  border  of  the  J eib,  is  a  jimgle 
of  coarse  grass  and  canes,  with  a  few  palm  trees,  presenting  at  a 
distance  the  ajipearance  of  fine  verdure,  but  proving  near  at 
hand  to  be  marshy  and  full  of  bogs.  This  slope  continues 
towards  the  south,  where  it  becomes  wider,  and  is  also  sprinkled 
with  herbs  ;  being  watered  in  winter  by  a  Wady  called  el- 
Ghamr,  with  a  small  spring  of  bad  water,  an  hour  and  a  half  or 
two  hours  south  of  el-Weibeh.  As  we  approached  this  latter 
fountain,  we  could  see  the  verdure  around  'Ain  eil-Ghamr.' 

As  our  scouts  had  reported  that  there  were  no  visitors  at  el- 
Weibeh,  we  proceeded  directly  thither  ;  and  reaching  it  at  7.20, 
halted  more  than  two  hours  for  breakfast  and  rest.  The  three 
fountains  are  some  rods  apart,  running  out  in  small  streams  from 
the  foot  of  a  low  rise  of  ground,  at  the  edge  of  the  hiUs.  The 
water  is  not  abundant ;  and  in  the  two  northernmost  sources, 
has  a  sickly  hue,  Hke  most  desert  foimtains,  with  a  taste,  of  sul- 
phuretted hydrogen.  The  temperature  of  the  water  was  75°  F. 
that  of  the  air  being  about  the  same.  But  the  southernmost 
source  consists  of  three  small  rills  of  hmpid  and  good  water, 
flowing  out  at  the  bottom  of  a  small  excavation  in  the  rock. 
The  soft  chalky  stone  has  crumbled  away,  forming  a  semicircular 
ledge  about  six  feet  high  around  the  spring,  and  now  a  few  feet 
distant  from  it.  The  intermediate  space  is  at  present  occupied 
by  earth  ;  but  the  rock  apparently  once  extended  out,  so  that 
the  water  actually  issued  from  its  base. — We  could  find  here  no 
trace  of  the  remains  of  former  dwellings. 

'Ain  el-Weibeh  is  situated  just'  on  the  exterior  of  a  great 
bend  of  Wady  el-Jeib,  which  here  comes  down  from  the  S.  by  W. 
and  sweeps  round  almost  towards  the  E.  N.  E.  In  it,  at  some 
distance  below  el-Weibeh,  we  could  see  the  verdure  around 
another  place  of  water,  called  el-Hufeiry  ;  the  water  is  found  by 
digging  holes  in  the  ground,  is  scanty,  and  fails  in  summer. 

From  tliis  point,  (at  el-Weibeh,)  Mount  Hor  is  seen  to  fine 
advantage,  toweiing  in  lone  majesty,  and  prominent  above  aU 

>  See  Borckhardt  p.  446. 

ii.  580-582 


joKE  2.] 


'ain  el-weibeh. 


175 


the  peaks  which  immediately  skirt  the  'Arahah  ;  but  itself  lower 
than  the  high  ridges  further  east.  Indeed,  as  here  seen,  this 
peak,  and  the  rocky  groups  around  Wady  Mtlsa  and  next  the 
'Arabah,  appear  to  belong  to  a  chain  further  west  and  lower 
than  the  high  main  chain  of  esh-Slierah.  The  latter,  beginning 
from  Wady  Ghuweir,  and  consisting  of  round  summits  and 
ridges  without  precipices,  runs  on  continuously  as  far  south  as 
the  eye  can  reach.  The  lower  masses  of  porphyry,  are  all  along 
marked  by  a  dark  and  almost  black  appearance.' 

We  were  much  struck  while  at  el-Weibeh,  with  the  entire 
adaptedness  of  its  position  to  the  scriptural  account  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  IsraeUtes,  on  their  second  arrival  at  Kadesh.' 
There  was  at  Kadesh  a  fountain,  called  also  En-Mishpat  ;^  this 
was  then  either  partially  dried  up,  or  exhausted  by  the  multi- 
tude ;  so  that  "  there  was  no  water  for  the  congregation."  By  a 
miracle,  water  was  brought  forth  abundantly  out  of  the  rock. 
Moses  now  sent  messengers  to  the  king  of  Edom,  informing  him 
that  they  were  "  in  Kadesh,  a  city  in  the  uttermost  of  his 
border  ; "  and  asking  leave  to  pass  through  his  country,  so  as  to 
continue  their  course  around  Moab  and  approach  Palestine  from 
the  east.  This  Edom  refused  ;  and  the  Israehtes  accordingly 
marched  to  Mount  Hor,  where  Aaron  died  ;  and  then  along  the 
'Arabah  to  the  Red  Sea.* 

Here  at  el-Weibeh,  all  these  scenes  were  before  our  eyes. 
Here  was  the  fountain,  even  to  this  day  the  most  frequented 
watering  place  in  all  the  'Arabah.  On  the  northwest  is  the 
mountain,  by  which  the  Israehtes  had  formerly  assayed  to  ascend 
to  the  land  of  Palestine,  and.  were  driven  back.'  Overagainst 
us  lay  the  land  of  Edom  ;  we  were  in  its  uttermost  border  ;  and 
the  great  Wady  el-Ghuweir,  affording  a  direct  and  easy  passage 
through  the  mountains  to  the  table  land  above,  was  directly 
before  us  ;  while  further  in  the  south,  Mount  Hor  formed  a 
prominent  and  striking  object,  at  the  distance  of  two  good  days 
journey  for  such  a  host.  The  small  fountain  et-Taiyibeh  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pass  er-Euba'y,  may  then  have  been,  either  the 
wells  of  Bene-Jaakan,  or  the  Moseroth,  of  the  Israehtes.' 
The  stations  of  Gudgodah  and  Jotbath  further  south,  we  may 
perhaps  find  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wady  Ghurundel,  and  in  the 
marshy  tract  with  palm  trees  further  towards  'Akabah,  men- 

•  The  several  points  seen  from  the  foun-.  '  Num.  14,  40-45.    Deut.  1,  41-46. 
tain  el-^Veibeh,  bore  as  follows :  Mount  «  Nmn.  33,  30.  31.  37.    Deut.  10,  C. 
Hor  S.  25'  E.    Wady  from  pass  of  Neme-  Eusebius  and  Jerome  relate,  that  the  place 
la  S.  60    E.    Wady  el-Ghuweir  S.  80"  E.  of  the  Beeroth  Bene-Jaakan  was  still  Eho\TO 
el-Hufeiry  N.  65°  E.  in  their  day,  ten  Roman  miles  from  Petra, 

Num.  c.  20.  at  the  top  of  the  mountain.    Onomast.  art. 

»  Gen.  14,  7.  Beroth  Ftlior.  Jac. 

*  Num.  20,  14-29. 

ii.  582.  583 


176 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Skc.  xn. 


tioned  by  Laborde  and  Schubert ;  wbere  in  winter  at  least  we 
might  look  for  "  a  land  of  rivers  of  waters."' 

In  view  of  all  these  circumstances,  we  were  disposed  to  re- 
gard el-Weibeh  as  the  probable  site  of  the  ancient  Kadesh  ;  and 
felt  that  we  were  here  treading  on  ground  consecrated  by  many 
sacred  associations.  Some  other  circumstances  corroborative  of 
the  same  view,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  adduce  further  on.'^ 
Yet  the  surrounding  desert  has  long  since  resumed  its  rights  ; 
and  all  traces  of  the  city  and  of  its  very  name,  have  disap- 
peared. Indeed  there  is  nothing  which  shows  Kadesh  to  have 
ever  been  a  place  of  any  size,  or  of  any  importance,  except  in  con- 
nection with  the  journeyings  of  the  Israelites. 

As  we  were  ascending  the  pass  of  Nemela,  (May  30th,)  we 
were  overtaken  by  a  single  Arab,  who  had  come  the  same  day 
from  'Ain  el-Weibeh.  From  him  we  learned,  that  during  the  pre- 
ceding night,  while  we  were  travelling  up  Wady  el-Jeib,  a  ma- 
rauding party  (Ghuzu)  had  encamped  at  el-Weibeh,  composed 
of  four  hundred  men  on  dromedaries  from  the  Tiyahah,  Terabin, 
Dhullam  and  'Azazimeh,  going  against  the  Hawazim  and  'Anazeh 
of  the  Syrian  desert.  Had  we  not  travelled  during  the  night, 
we  might  very  probably  have  fallen  in  with  them.  It  is  these 
marauding  expeditions,  which  render  the  'Arabah  and  the  Ghor 
dangerous  for  travellers.  They  pass  and  repass  frequently 
between  the  hostile  tribes  of  the  Arabs  on  the  east  and  west ; 
and  there  is  always  some  risk  of  encountering  them.  In  the 
present  instance,  such  an  encounter  would  have  brought  us  into 
no  danger  ;  as  those  tribes  are  all  allies  of  the  Jehalin,  under 
whose  protection  we  made  this  journey. 

From  'Ain  el-Weibeh  a  travelled  path  enters  immediately 
among  the  Hmestone  hUls,  and  proceeding  about  N.  N.  W.  doubt- 
less ascends  the  mountain  to  the  region  above.  Our  Jehalin 
seemed  not  to  be  acquainted  with  this  road,  being  accustomed 
from  el-Weibeh  to  skirt  the  'Arabah  along  the  foot  of  the  hUls, 
as  far  north  as  to  Wady  el-Khurar,  and  then  ascend  by  the  pass  of 
es-Sufiih.  But  as  the  buffoon  Muhammed,  who  had  recently 
been  here  with  Lord  Prudhoe's  party,  professed  to  have  taken 
this  direct  road,  and  to  have  found  it  shorter,  the  guides  conclu- 
ded to  follow  it  now.  We  left  the  fountain  at  9f  o'clock,  and  at 
once  entered  among  the  hills,  here  low  and  consisting  of  chalky 
stone  and  conglomerate,  without  a  particle  of  vegetation.  At 
10.20,  we  crossed  a  large  Wady  called  el-Mirzaba,  which  gives 
name  to  a  pass  up  the  mountains  on  the  left  ;^  and  at  11  o'clock 
we  came  to  another  very  large  one  called  el-Muhelleh,  from  a 

'  Deut.  10,  7;  comp.  Num.  33,  32.  33.  '  See  further  on:  Approach  of  the  Is- 

See  Liiborde's  Map  and  Voynge  p.  53.  raelites  to  Palestine. 

[147.]    Schubert's  Kcise  II.  p.  399.  '  See  above,  p.  125. 
ii.  583-585 


JcjfK2.] 


PATHS  FROM  EL-WEIBEH. 


177 


place  of  tliat  name  in  the  country  of  the  'Azazimeh  in  the  same 
mountains.  These  Wadys,  like  those  which  succeeded,  find 
their  way  to  "Wady  el-Jeib  ;  and  have  in  them  many  Seiyal  or 
Tulh  trees,  some  of  which  are  very  large. 

It  now  appeared,  that  our  Arabs  were  afraid  of  having  taken 
a  wrong  road.  The  path  was  evidently  much  travelled ;  but 
where  it  led  to,  no  one  seemed  to  know.  We  therefore  turned 
to  the  right  on  a  course  about  N.  N.  E.  without  any  track,  in 
order  to  regain  the  path  known  to  our  guides,  descending  grad- 
ually and  obhquely  among  the  hills  towards  the  'Arabah.  In 
doing  this  we  crossed  several  Wadys  of  which  our  Arabs  did  not 
know  the  names.  Indeed,  they  seemed  to  be  quite  lost,  as  if 
they  were  entire  strangers  to  the  region.  "We  had  found  it  at  aU 
times  difficult  to  get  information  from  them,  owing  partly  to 
their  ignorance,  partly  to  carelessness,  and  somewhat  to  unwil- 
lingness. But  they  had  become  less  reserved  and  more  and  more 
communicative,  the  longer  we  had  been  with  them.  All  Arabs 
are  usually  ignorant  of  the  localities  two  or  three  days  distant 
from  their  own  country  ;  but  the  general  intelligence  of  our 
present  guides,  was  the  most  limited  we  had  yet  met  with,  and 
we  never  found  more  difficulty  in  eliciting  information.  Nor 
could  we  always  put  trust  in  that  which  they  did  communicate, 
without  much  cross-examination  and  other  confirmatory  evi- 
dence. 

At  length,  at  1  o'clock,  we  came  down  near  the  mouth  of  a 
"Wady  not  far  from  the  'Arabah,  where  was  a  small  cane  brake 
indicating  water.  Here  we  fell  into  the  road  of  which  our 
guides  were  in  search.  The  spot  is  caUed  'Ain  el-Mureidhah ; 
but  the  Arabs  said  the  water  was  good  for  nothing,  and  consisted 
of  little  more  than  dampness  of  the  earth.  Following  now^  the 
known  path,  we  struck  up  again  N.  Is.  W.  among  the  hills 
towards  the  mountains.  We  passed  the  Wady  Abu  Jeradeh  at 
1.55  ;  and  came  at  2.40  to  the  Kufafiyeh,  a  large  Wady,  which 
conducted  us  more  into  the  mountains.  Leaving  this  we  crossed 
over  to  Wady  el-Khurar,  which  we  reached  at  3.20.  Between 
all  these  Wadys  are  only  desert  limestone  hills,  becoming  grad- 
ually higher  and  more  broken  towards  the  west. 

At  the  mouth  of  Wady  el-Khurar,  where  it  issues  upon  the 
'Arabah,  an  hour  or  more  east  of  the  point  where  we  struck  it, 
is  the  fountain  called  'Ain  el-Khurar,  smaller  than  el-Weiljeh, 
but  having  tolerable  water,  which  continues  through  the  year. 
As  we  passed  along  and  over  the  hills,  we  could  see  the  verdure 
around  this  fountain  ;  and  also  that  around  the  water  of  Hash 
in  the  plain  beyond,  somewhat  further  north.'    The  waters  of 


'  See  above,  p.  119. 


ii.  585,  586 


178  FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON.  [Sec.  XIL 


the  Khfirar  and  all  the  Wadys  we  had  passed,  find  their  way  to 
the  J eib,  apparently  south  of  Wady  Hash  ;  or  in  part,  perhaps, 
through  that  Wady. 

Following  up  Wady  el-Khttrar  for  about  half  an  hour,  we  left 
it,  and  ascended  by  a  steep  but  not  long  pass,  called  the  pass  of 
Khurar.  This  brought  us  out  at  4  o'clock,  not  exactly  upon 
table  land,  but  upon  a  higher  tract  of  country,  forming  the  first 
of  the  several  steps  or  offsets  into  which  the  ascent  of  the  moun- 
tains in  this  part  is  di%dded.  This  is  here  perhaps  four  or  five 
hundred  feet  higher  than  the  tract  we  had  left ;  and  lay  before 
us  two  and  a  half  hours  in  breadth,  quite  to  the  base  of  the  next 
ascent,  in  which  is  the  main  pass  of  es-Sufah.  The  tract  runs 
up  nearly  from  E.  N.  E.  to  W.  S.  W.  from  the  hills  around  Us- 
dum  and  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea,  to  an  indefinite  extent 
on  our  left ;  lising  very  considerably  all  the  way,  and  drained  in 
its  whole  length  by  the  Wady  el-Fikreh,  which  enters  the  Ghor 
at  the  southwest  corner. '  The  bed  of  this  Wady  hes  beyond 
the  middle  of  the  tract,  near  the  base  of  the  next  ascent.  The 
surface  is  here  broken,  and  in  some  parts  mountainous,  hke  that 
of  the  lower  region  behind  us.  At  the  distance  of  an  hour  or 
two  further  south,  a  ridge  begins  on  the  front  or  southeast  part 
of  this  higher  tract,  and  runs  ofi"  parallel  to  the  next  chain  ; 
the  head  of  Wady  el-Fikreh  being  far  up  between  them  in  tho 
southwest. — We  soon  struck  upon  a  small  Wady,  called  diminu- 
tively Wudey  Sik  ;  which  after  we  had  followed  it  for  a  while, 
ran  off  on  the  right  towards  the  'Arabah.  After  this,  all  the 
smaller  Wadys  ran  towards  the  Fikreh  ;  and  the  country  just 
here  was  less  broken  than  towards  the  left. 

The  mountain  before  us,  forming  the  next  step  of  the  ascent, 
presented  a  formidable  barrier,  a  naked  limestone  ridge,  not  less 
than  a  thousand  feet  in  height,  and  very  steep.  Three  passes 
up  this  mountain  were  pointed  out,  viz.  that  of  es-Siiiah  direct- 
ly before  us  ;  on  the  right,  not  far  off,  another,  es-Sufey  ;  and 
on  the  left  at  some  distance  the  third,  called  el- Yemen,  leading 
up  through  a  deep  rent  known  as  Wady  el- Yemen.  This  chasm 
cleaves  the  mountain  to  its  base  ;  and  here  the  higher  portion 
of  the  ridge  may  be  said  to  terminate  ;  for  although  it  continues 
to  run  on  far  to  the  southwest,  yet  it  is  there  lower  and  less  steep. 
The  Wady  el-Yemen  brings  down  apparently,  in  the  rainy  sea- 
son, large  quantities  of  water  from  the  regions  above  into  the  Fik- 
reh. At  the  top  of  this  pass,  water  is  found  in  pits,  which  is 
good  and  never  fails. 

Fifteen  minutes  before  we  reached  the  Fikreh,  a  road  fell 
into  ours  (at  5.50)  coming  up  directly  from  'Ain  el-KhQrdr. 

'  See  above,  p.  116. 

ii.  58G-588 


-  JCNE  2.] 


PATHS.  MADURAH. 


179 


The  spot  was  marked  by  an  unusual  number  of  heaps  of  stones. 
Immediately  afterwards,  a  path  apparently  much  travelled,  went 
off  towards  the  left,  leading  to  the  pass  el- Yemen.  A  branch 
of  it  was  said  to  take  a  course  still  more  to  the  left,  so  as  to 
keep  along  up  the  Fikreh  for  some  time,  and  then  ascend  the 
mountain  further  in  the  southwest,  where  it  is  lower  and  less  dif- 
ficult. This  circuitous  road  is  called  el-Haudeh,  and  is  usually 
taken  with  loaded  animals  ;  since  it  escapes  the  steep  ascent. 
The  roads  which  lead  up  all  these  passes,  fall  into  each  other 
again  in  the  countr}'^  above,  as  we  shall  see.  Yet  a  track  would 
seem  to  procorid  directly  from  the  ascent  of  the  Haudeh  to  Gaza  ; 
and  on  this,  so  far  as  we  could  learn,  perhaps  in  the  next  chain 
of  mountains,  is  probably  the  pass  called  el-Gharib,  of  which  we 
several  times  heard.' 

The  road  which  immediately  enters  the  hills  from  el-Weibeh, 
and  which  we  had  at  first  taken,  seems  to  ascend  more  in  the 
south  to  this  higher  tract,  on  which  we  now  were.  Lord  Lind- 
say appears  to  have  followed  it  with  Sheikh  Husein  of  the  'Ala- 
win  ;  and  he  relates,  that  at  seven  hours  from  el-Weibeh,  a  path 
went  off  on  the  left  to  Gaza,  while  he  and  his  party  kept  on  and 
ascended  the  pass  es-Sufah.  This  Gaza  road  probably  joined 
the  Haudeh  as  above  described!  An  hour  north  of  the  fork  of 
the  same  roads,  the  party  had  on  their  left  the  isolated  chalky 
hiU  or  mountain  of  Madurah;  under  which,  their  guides  said, 
God  once  crushed  a  village  for  its  vices.* 

This  mountain,  so  remarkable  in  its  appearance,  we  too  had 
seen  upon  our  left  at  the  distance  of  about  an  hour,  ever  since 
we  came  out  upon  this  higher  tract,  rising  alone  like  a  lofty  cit- 
adel on  the  eastern  bank  of  Wady  el-Fikreh.  Sheikh  Hussan 
related  of  it,  that  a  city  once  stood  there  ;  but  God  was  pro- 
voked at  the  inhabitants  and  slew  them,  and  destroyed  their  city 
with  stones  from  heaven.  He  could  not  say,  however,  whether 
there  were  now  any  ruins  on  or  near  it.^ — This  question,  as  I 
have  since  found,  had  been  already  determined  by  Seetzen 
thirty-one  years  before.  Being  at  Hebron  in  March,  1807,  he 
was  told  of  this  mountain,  and  of  the  city  Madurah  which  once 
stood  upon  it,  but  was  now  by  the  vengeance  of  God  buried  be- 
neath it ;  there  were  also  said  to  be  round  about  it  many  human 
bodies  turned  to  stone.    Thinking  to  find  here  something  which 

'  See  Vol.  I.  p.  208.  el- Yemen ;  Bull,  de  la  Soc.  de  Gfiogr.  Juin 

'  Lord  Lindsay's  Letters,  etc.  11.  p.  46.  1839,  p.  321-323. 
— Schubert  also  mentions  Madurah,  and  '  To  this  mountain  Bertou  gives  the  ad- 
appears  to  have  ascended  by  the  pass  es-  ditional  name  of  Kadessa,  and  supposes  it 
Sulah  ;  but  by  which  route  he  travelled  to  be  the  site  of  Kadesh,  but  without  tho 
from  el-Weibeh  tliither,  I  am  not  able  to  slij;htest  ground ;  Bulletin  etc.  1.  c.  p. 
make  out;  Reise  II.  p.  441—1-13.  Bertou  322. 
followed  our  route,  but  ascended  the  pass 

ii.  588,  589 


180 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  m 


might  illustrate  the  pillar  of  salt,  Seetzen  travelled  hither  with 
guides  of  the  Haweitat  from  esh-Sherah ;  descending,  it  -would 
seem,  by  the  pass  el- Yemen.  He  examined  the  mountain  care- 
fiill}^ ;  but  no  trace  of  ruins  was  to  be  found  ;  and  instead  of 
petrified  human  bodies,  there  was  nothing  but  a  small  plain  cov- 
ered with  round,  conical,  cylindrical,  and  lens-shaped  stones, 
about  the  size  of  a  man's  head,  composed  of  limestone  mixed 
with  sand.  It  was  to  make  up  for  this  disappointment,  that  his 
guide  now  told  him  of  Wady  Musa  and  the  other  ruined  places 
of  his  own  country.  But  although  Mount  Hor  was  here  direct- 
ly before  the  traveller,  and  in  full  sight ;  and  he  was  likewise 
told  of  the  Wely  Neby  Ha  run  upon  a  high  rocky  summit  ;  yet 
his  eye  appears  nevertheless  not  to  have  rested  distinctly  upon 
that  mountain.' 

We  came  upon  the  Fikreh  at  five  minutes  past  6  o'clock  ; 
it  is  here  a  large  shallow  Wady  with  marks  of  much  water,  and 
evidently  takes  its  rise  at  a  long  distance  on  the  left.  The  moun 
tain  before  us,  we  could  now  see,  was  composed  of  naked  strata 
of  limestone  lying  obliquely  and  very  irregvdarly,  sometimes  in- 
deed rising  up  in  convex  curves,  as  if  forming  the  external  cov- 
ering of  an  arch.  These  strata  are  occasionally  cut  through  by 
short  but  deep  chasms.  This  aacent  is  obviously  the  continua- 
tion in  this  direction  of  the  step  or  oftset  which  we  had  formerly 
descended  adjacent  to  the  lower  ez-Zuweirah  ;  though  it  is  here 
much  higher  and  more  difiicult  than  there." — We  kept  on  di- 
rectly towards  the  middle  pass  es-Sufah,  which  afibrds  also  the 
shortest  route.  Near  the  foot  of  the  mountain  we  came  at  6^ 
o'clock  upon  the  ruins  of  a  small  fort  or  castle  of  hewn  stones, 
with  a  few  other  foundations  round  about.  It  was  obviously  de- 
signed to  guard  the  pass  ;  like  a  similar  one  at  ez-Zuweirah.' 

We  reached  the  bottom  of  the  pass  at  6.40,  and  began  im- 
mediately to  ascend.  The  way  leads  up  for  a  short  time  grad- 
ually along  the  edge  of  a  precipitous  ravine  on  the  right ;  and 
then  comes  all  at  once  upon  the  naked  surface  of  the  rock,  the 
strata  of  which  lie  here  at  an  oblique  angle,  as  steep  as  a  man 
can  readily  climb.  The  path,  if  so  it  can  be  called,  continues  for 
the  rest  of  the  ascent  along  this  bare  rock,  in  a  very  winding 
course.  The  camels  made  their  way  with  difiiculty,  being  at 
every  moment  liable  to  slip.  The  rock  indeed  is  in  general  po- 
rous and  rough ;  but  yet  in  many  spots  smooth  and  dangerous 

'  Seetzen  in  Zach's  Monatl  Corr.  XVII.  the  whole  range,  so  far  as  we  could  learn, 

p.  133-138.    Reisen  III.  13  sq.  does  not  bear  either  of  these  ns  a  general 

'  See  p.   101,  above. — The  Arabs  in  name ;  as  socras  to  be  supposed  by  Schu- 

gpeaklng  of  this  mountain,  would  be  very  bcrt  and  Bertou. 

likely  to  give  to  the  different  parts  of  it  ^  From  this  spot  Madurah  bore  S.  ;">()' 

the  names  of  Jebel  es-Siif.ih,  Jebel  el-Ye-  VV.    Mount  Hor  S.  15  E.    Mountain  of 

men,  etc.  from  the  various  passes.    But  Moiib  near  Khanzireh  N.  80°  £. 
ii.  589-591 


Jiise2.] 


PASS  E8-SrFAH. 


181 


for  animals.  In  such  places  a  path  has  been  hewn  in  the  rock 
in  former  days  ;  the  slant  of  the  rock  being  sometimes  levelled, 
and  sometimes  overcome  by  steps  cut  in  it.  The  vestiges  of 
this  road  are  more  frequent  near  the  top.  The  appearance  is 
that  of  a  very  ancient  pass.  The  whole  mountain  side  presents 
itself  as  a  vast  inclined  plane  of  rock  ;  in  which,  at  intervals, 
narrow  tracts  of  the  strata  run  up  at  a  steep  angle,  and  break 
out  towards  the  upper  part  in  low  projections ;  while  in  other 
places,  they  seem  to  have  been  thrown  up  in  fantastic  shapes  by 
some  convulsion  of  nature. 

We  clambered  up  the  pass  on  foot,  taking  a  direct  course 
over  the  surface  of  the  rock,  while  the  camels  ascended  more 
slowly  by  the  winding  route.  A  parallel  and  still  more  direct 
path  for  footmen,  was  taken  by  several  of  our  Arabs  ;  entering 
the  chasm,  on  our  right  from  below,  and  then  climbing  up  by  a 
long  narrow  point  or  ledge  of  the  rock,  which  extends  far  down 
into  it.  Further  to  the  right,  beyond  the  chasm,  the  pass  of 
the  Sufey  winds  up  over  the  rock  in  a  similar  manner. 

The  name  of  this  pass,  es-Stifah  (a  rock),  is  in  form  identi- 
cal with  the  Hebrew  Zephath,  called  also  Hormah  ;  which  we 
know  was  the  point  where  the  Israelites  attempted  to  ascend  the 
mountain,  so  as  to  enter  Palestine  from  Kadesh,  but  were  driven 
back.'  A  city  stood  there  in  ancient  times,  one  of  the  "  utter- 
most cities  of  Judah  towards  the  coast  of  Edom  southwards," 
■which  was  afterwards  assigned  to  the  tribe  of  Simeon.'  There 
is  therefore  every  reason  to  suppose,  that  in  the  name  of  es- 
Sufah,  we  have  a  reminiscence  of  the  ancient  pass  which  must 
have  existed  here,  and  bore  the  name  of  the  adjacent  city 
Zephath.    Of  the  name  Hormah  we  could  find  no  vestige. 

"We  reached  the  top  of  the  steep  ascent  at  7J  o'clock  ;  when 
the  light  of  day  was  nearly  gone,  and  the  landscape  behind  us 
was  dim.  Below  us,  we  could  overlook  the  broad  tract  or  step 
which  we  had  just  crossed,  drained  in  its  whole  length  by  the 
Fikreh  ;  beyond  were  the  lower  hilLs,  the  'Arabah,  and  the  moun- 
tains of  Edom.  In  the  northeast  the  Dead  Sea  was  of  course 
visible.  We  continued  to  ascend  more  gradually,  through  an 
exceedingly  rocky  and  desert  region.  We  wished  much  to  en- 
camp somewhere  near  the  brow  of  the  pass,  in  order  to  obtain  a 
ftdler  view  by  daylight  ;  but  there  was  here  neither  wood  for  a 
fire,  nor  pasture  for  the  camels.  We  were  therefore  compelled 
to  proceed,  lighted  only  by  the  moon  in  her  first  quarter.  This 
we  much  regretted  ;  for  the  region  which  we  now  traversed, 
seemed  one  of  the  wildest  and  most  broken  we  had  yet  seen. 
After  a  little  while,  pursuing  the  same  general  course,  about  N. 

'  Jndg.  1,  17.   Nmn.  14,  43.    21,  3.       '  Josh.  12,  14,    15,  30.    19,  4. 
Dent  1,  44. 

Vol.  IL— 16  ii.  591,  592 


182 


FROM  "WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


N.  W.  over  a  more  level  tract,  we  could  distinguish  deep  ravines 
on  each  side  of  us,  with  precipitous  mountains  beyond,  seeming- 
ly rent  to  their  base.  The  road  for  some  distance  lay  along  a 
narrow  causeway  of  rock,  between  two  such  ravines,  hardly  wide 
enough  for  a  dozen  men  to  walk  abreast,  with  a  deep  precipice 
on  each  side.  From  this  we  at  length  found  a  descent  towards 
the  right  into  a  broader  Wady,  and  following  it  up,  encamped 
near  it  at  9j  o'clock,  in  a  small  plain  surrounded  by  hills.  Here 
were  many  Tulh  trees  and  shrubs.  The  Arabs  had  no  name 
for  the  spot,  and  knew  of  no  ruins  in  the  \dcinity  ;  but  we 
thought  we  had  seen,  not  long  before,  a  couple  of  small  towers  on 
the  right  of  the  road. 

We  were  excessively  fatigued ;  having  now  been  upon  our 
camels  since  11  o'clock  of  the  preceding  day,  with  only  occa- 
sional stops  of  two  or  three  hours.  The  camels  too  had  eaten 
nothing  for  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  that  is,  since  our  stop  of 
the  evening  before  ;  yet  they  did  not  seem  fatigued.  Being  now 
out  of  aU  danger,  we  rejoiced  to  encamp  and  give  ourselves  up 
to  repose  ;  and  after  the  fatigues  of  the  'Arabah  and  the  ex- 
citing scenes  of  Wady  Musa,  we  looked  forward  with  delight  to 
a  day  of  rest  upon  the  morrow.  While  the  tent  was  pitching,  I 
threw  myself  upon  my  cloaks  and  fell  immediately  into  a  deep 
sleep  ;  from  which  it  was  hard  to  be  awaked  to  remove  into  the 
tent,  and  partake  of  our  evening  meal.  But  we  slept  soundly  * 
through  the  whole  night ;  and  felt  afterwards  no  further  remains 
of  the  fatigue. 

Of  the  three  passes,  that  of  es-Siifah  is  the  most  direct ;  but 
that  of  el- Yemen,  though  the  way  is  longer,  is  more  used,  on 
account  of  the  water  at  the  top.  We  did  not  learn,  that  there 
is  any  great  difference  between  them  all,  as  to  the  length  or 
difficulty  of  the  ascent  itself,  which  we  estimated  at  about  a 
thousand  feet.'  The  roads  leading  up  the  two  adjacent  passes, 
es-Sufah  and  es-Sufey,  as  we  have  seen,  are  similar.  The  third 
road  enters  the  gorge  of  Wady  el- Yemen  ;  and  following  it  up 
for  a  time,  then  climbs  the  wall  of  rock  by  a  steep  and  difficult 
path.  Seetzen  describes  this  Wady  as  a  frightfully  wild,  deep, 
and  desert  valley,  strewed  with  large  rocks  so  thickly,  that  it  is 
often  difficult  to  find  a  way  between  them.'^ 

The  high  region  which  we  had  now  reached,  is  bounded, 
as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  by  another  less  elevated  ridge  in  the 
northwest,  and  forms  a  second  step  or  ofiset  in  the  whole  ascent 
to  Palestine.    It  is  indeed  the  continuation  of  the  broad  desert 

'  Tho  whole  elevation  from  Wad}'  el-  "  J^ach's  Monatl.  Corr.  XVII.  pp.  134, 

Fikreh  to  a  point  near  our  cncampiueut,  is  135.    So  Bcrtou  in  BvilL  de  la  Soc.  de 

given  by  Schubert's  ulea^nroments  at  1434  Giiogr.  Juin  1839,  p.  323. 
Paris  feet ;  Iteiste  II.  p.  448. 

ii,  592-594 


Jose  2.]  EL-GHOR  AND  EL-'aRABAH.  183 

tract,  which  lies  between  the  two  passes  of  ez-Zuweirah,  and 
runs  up  in  this  direction.' 


As  we  had  now  taken  leave  of  the  'Arabah  and  of  the  region 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  probably  for  ever,  it  may  be  proper  to  pause 
for  a  few  moments,  and  bring  together  into  one  view  what 
remains  to  be  said  upon  these  topics.  I  subjoin  too,  some 
remarks  upon  the  catastrophe  of  the  cities  of  the  Plain,  and  on 
the  route  of  the  children  of  Israel  in  their  approach  to  Palestine. 

WADT  EL-'aRABAH. 

This  great  valley,  lying  here  between  the  Dead  Sea  and  the 
gulf  of  'Akabah,  constitutes  a  very  remarkable  feature  in  the 
configuration  of  the  whole  region.  "With  a  partial  interruption, 
or  rather  contraction,  between  the  lakes  el-Hiileh  and  Tiberias, 
it  may  be  said  to  extend  from  Banias,  at  the  foot  of  Jebel  esh- 
Sheikh,  to  the  Red  Sea.  The  northern  half  is  watered  by  the 
Jordan,  which  during  its  course  expands  into  the  two  fresh-water 
lakes  just  mentioned  ;  and  is  at  length  lost  in  the  bitter  waters 
of  the  Dead  Sea  ;  this  latter  occupying  the  middle  point  of  the 
great  valley  nearly  equidistant  from  irs  two  extremities.  From 
the  lake  of  Tiberias  to  the  line  of  cliffs  some  three  hours  south 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  vaUey  or  great  chasm  bears  among  the 
Arabs  the  name  el-Ghor  ;  above  and  south  of  the  offset  of  those 
cliffs,  and  so  to  'Akabah,  it  is  known  only  as  Wady  el-'Arabah. 
Its  breadth  at  Jericho  and  at  'Ain  Jidy  has  already  been  speci- 
fied ;^  where  we  had  now  crossed  it,  somewhat  obliquely,  from 
the  pass  of  Nemela  to  'Ain  el-Weibeh,  we  had  found  the  width 
to  be  not  far  from  six  hours  with  camels,  or  nearly  the  .same  as 
at  Jericho  ;  while  at  'Akabah,  as  we  have  seen,  it  is  contracted 
perhaps  to  less  than  half  that  distance.' 

The  remarkable  depression  of  the  Dead  Sea  in  the  middle 
of  this  long  valley,  of  more  than  thirteen  hundred  feet  below 
the  Mediterranean,  has  already  been  adverted  to.*  To  judge 
from  the  general  configuration,  and  from  the  course  and  current 
of  the  Jordan,  it  follows  almost  of  necessity,  that  the  lake  of 
Tiberias,  and  most  probably  also  the  Huleh,  must  also  be  simi- 
larly depressed  ;  although  the  measurements  are  as  yet  so  indefi- 
nite and  inconsistent,  that  the  actual  degree  of  this  depression 
can  hardly  be  regarded  as  determined.' 

'  See  this  tract  described,  pp.  103,  104,  '  See  Vol.  I.  p.  162. 
»l>ove.  ♦  See  Vol.  I.  p.  513. 

•  Soc  above,  VoL  L  pp.  559  sq.  509  sq.       »  See  Note  XXX,  end  of  Yd.  L 

ii.  594,  595 


184 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[SEcXn. 


On  the  south  of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  elevation  of  the  water- 
shed, which  according  to  our  Arabs  lies  beyond  the  southern 
"Wady  Ghurundel,  has  not  yet  been  determined.  Schubert 
gives  the  depression  of  the  bed  of  Wady  el-Jeib,  an  hour  and  a 
half  south  of  el-Weibeh,  at  ninety-one  Paris  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  Red  Sea  ;  and  that  of  Wady  el-Fikreh,  near  the  pass  es- 
Sufah,  at  five  feet  below  the  same.'  These  specifications  seem 
to  me  to  correspond  tolerably  with  the  depression  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  But  apart  from  all  barometrical  measurements,  which  as 
yet  are  so  uncertain,  the  veiy  conformation  of  this  part  of  the 
great  valley,  thus  presenting  a  much  longer  and  greater  descent 
towards  the  north  than  towards  the  south,  seems  of  itself  to  in- 
dicate, that  the  Dead  Sea  must  he  considerably  lower  than  the 
gulf  of  'Akabah. 

The  Ghor,  between  the  lake  of  Tiberias  and  the  Dead  Sea, 
as  we  have  seen,  is  for  the  most  part  a  desert ;  except  so  far  as 
the  Jordan  and  occasional  fountains  cover  some  portions  of  it 
with  exuberant  fertility.*  On  the  south  of  the  Dead  Sea,  Avhere 
instead  of  the  Jordan  we  find  only  during  the  rainy  season  the 
torrents  of  el-J eib,  the  surface  of  the  'Arabah  is  almost  unin- 
terruptedly a  stdl  more  frightful  desert.  In  the  Ghor  indeed, 
around  the  southern  end  of  the  sea,  the  living  streams  from  the 
Wadys  Kerak,  el-Kurahy,  and  et-Tufileh,  impart  fertility  to 
the  adjacent  soil ;  while  on  the  southwest,  and  along  the  base 
of  the  transverse  hne  of  chffs,  the  brackish  fountains  compre- 
hended under  the  names  el-Beida  and  el-Arus,  nourish  exten- 
sive tracts  of  marshy  verdure.^  But  in  el-'Arabah,  although 
the  fountains  are  numerous  for  a  desert,  yet  they  are  less  copi- 
ous, and  seem  to  exert  a  less  Advifnng  power,  than  those  of  the 
northern  Ghor.  On  the  east,  the  stream  which  fertilizes  Wady 
Ghuveir,  in  which  the  Fellahin  of  Dhaneh  plough  and  sow, 
appears  not  to  reach  the  great  plain  of  the  'Arabah,  at  least  not 
to  any  great  extent.  Then  follow  towards  the  south,  'Ain  el- 
Buweirideh  already  described  ;  the  small  fountain  et-Taiyibeh 
near  the  foot  of  the  pass  leading  up  to  Mount  Hor  ;  and  the 
waters  within  the  mouth  of  the  southern  Wady  Ghurundel.* 
On  the  western  side,  we  find  first  the  water  of  Hash  in  the  plain 

'  Reise  n.  pp.  440.  443. — From  'Aka-  '  See  above,  in  Vol.  I.  pp.  545,  556,  659, 

bah  to  Wady  Abu  Kugbeibeh  leading  np  571,  etc. 

to  Mount  Hor,  Schubert  travelled  along  '  See  gent  rally  above,  pp.  112, 113  ;  al- 

tbe  east  side  of  the  'Arabah,  where  the  so  pp.  115-117. 

ground  is  higher  than  on  the  western  side.  '  Kor  Wady  el-Ghuweir,  see  p.  121, 

Of  course  the  measurements  of  465,  954,  above;  for  'Ain  el-Buweirideh  p.  122; 

and  2046  feet  of  elevation,  do  not  mark  the  for  'Ain  et-Taiyibeh  p.  139.     For  the 

proper  level  of  the  'Arabah  ;  especially  the  springs  near  the  mouth  of  Wady  Ghjriin- 

latter  one,  which  seems  to  have  been  taken  del,  see  Burckhardt  p.  441.  Laborda 

in  the  eastern  mountains.    Ibid.  pp.  401,  Voyage  p.  53.  [148.] 
411,  440;  comp.  p.  439. 

ii,  595-5'J7 


JUSE  2.] 


EL-GHOR  AND  EL-'aRABAH. 


185 


of  the  'Arabah ;  then  'Ain  el-Khurar  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Wady  of  the  same  name  ;  'Ain  el-Mureidhah  ;  el-Hufeiry  ;  el- 
Weibeh  ;  'Ain  el-Ghamr  ;  and  then  beyond  the  Jerafeh  also  el- 
Melihy  and  el-Ghudhyan.' 

The  main  road,  by  which  Ma'an  and  the  adjacent  country 
has  communication  vnth.  Hebron  and  Gaza,  descends  to  the 
'Arabah  near  Mount  Hor,  and  crossing  to  el-Weibeh  ascends 
again  to  the  south  of  Palestine  by  some  one  of  the  passes  above 
described,  the  Hand  eh,  el- Yemen,  es-Sufah,  or  es-Sufey.  A 
route  also  from  'Akabah  to  Hebron  and  Gaza  leads  along  the 
'Arabah  ;  one  branch  goes  up  through  Wady  el-Beyaneh  to  the 
western  plain  and  so  to  Kuhaibeh  ;  while  another,  apparently 
little  travelled,  remains  in  the  'Arabah,  and  falls  into  the  Ma'an 
road  at  el-Weibeh.'  An  ancient  route  between  Hebron  and 
Allah  followed  the  same  track  ;  it  is  mentioned  by  Eusebius  and 
Jerome,  and  its  traces  still  remain  along  the  pass  of  es-Sufah.' 

Not  the  least  remarkable  circumstance  in  regard  to  this  great 
valley  between  the  two  seas,  is  the  singular  fact,  that  until  the 
present  century,  its  existence  should  have  remained  unknown  to 
modem  geographers.  Among  ancient  writers,  neither  Strabo, 
nor  Pliny,  nor  Ptolemy,  nor  Josephus,  nor  any  other  geographer 
or  historian,  makes  the  slightest  allusion  to  it ;  although  they 
often  speak  both  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Elanitic  gulf,  and  de- 
scribe the  adjacent  regions.*  The  historians'  of  the  middle  ages 
preserve  the  same  silence  ;  although  the  crusaders  must  have 
been  acquainted  with  the  'Arabah  throughout  its  whole  length. 
We  read  indeed  of  a  vaUey  in  these  parts,  to  which  the  crusa- 
ders gave  the  name  of  "  Vallis  Illustris  ; "  but  this  appears  to 


'  See  above  for  the  Hash,  pp.  119,  177  ; 
for  el-Khurar  and  'Ain  el-Mureidhah,  p. 
177;  for  el-Hufeiry,  p.  174;  for  el-Wei- 
beh, p.  174-176  ;  for  el-Ghamr  p.  174 ;  for 
el-Melihv,  p.  12.5.  For  el-Ghudhyan  see 
Vol.  I.  pp.  169,  182.  See  also  generally. 
Vol  I.  p.  182;  and  Burckhardt  p.  446. 
Schubert  speaks  of  water  found  by  digging 
holes  in  the  bottom  of  the  Jeib,  an  hour 
and  a  half  south  of  el-Weibeh  ;  where  the 
■water  probably  has  some  connection  with 
el-Ghamr.  He  also  describes  a  fountain 
three  or  four  hours  north  of  el-Weibeh,  in 
a  valley  which  he  calls  Mirzaba  ;  though 
the  proper  Wady  of  this  name  is  only  35 
minutes  from  el-Weibeh.  The  distance 
coincides  well  with  that  of  'Ain  el-Murei- 
dhah.   Reise  U.  p.  440-443. 

'  See  above.  Vol.  I.  p.  198. 

*  See  pp.  180, 181.  Onomast.  art.  Jla- 
zazon-Thamar,  compared  with  art.  Arath. 
Reland  Pal.  pp.  410,  885. 

*  Ritter  cites  a  passage  from  the  Peri- 

VoL.  IL— 16* 


plus  of  Agatharcides,  as  referring  to  this 
valley,  or  at  least  to  the  southern  end  of  it 
near  Ailah  :  "  Beyond  the  Laeanitio  (Ela- 
nitic) gulf,  around  which  the  Arabs  dwell, 
is  the  country  of  the  Bi,themanei ;  a  spa- 
cious plain,  well  watered  and  low,  with  va- 
rious grasses  as  high  as  a  man's  head, 
and  much  fruit ;  full  also  of  wild  camels 
and  deer,  and  multitudes  of  flocks  and 
herds  of  cattle  and  mules  ;  "  Agatharcides 
PeripL  Rubri  Maris,  ed.  Hudson,  pp.  57, 
58 ;  in  Hudson's  Geogr.  Vet.  Scriptores 
Minores  Tom.  I.  There  seems  however 
nothing  in  this  language,  except  the  word 
low  (Pa^eia),  that  can  well  be  applied  to 
the  'Arabah  ;  all  the  rest,  if  meant  to  re- 
fer to  that  valley,  is  exaggerated  and  fab- 
ulous. This  circxmistance,  and  also  the 
expression  beyond  (^tercf)  the  gulf,  seem 
rather  to  intimate,  that  the  writer  was 
speaking  of  some  part  of  Arabia  further 
east.  See  Ritter's  Erdkunde  Th.  II.  p. 
219.  BerL  1818. 

u.  597,  598 


186  FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON.  [Sec.  XII. 

refer  merely  to  the  Ghor  just  around  the  south  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea,  the  valley  of  Salt  of  the  Scriptures. ' 

Arabian  writers  not  unfrequently  speak  of  the  Ghor,  apply- 
ing this  term  solely  to  the  valley  of  the  Jordan.'  In  Abidfeda 
alone  we  find  it  mentioned,  that  the  valley  extends  southwards 
to  the  Red  Sea.  He  describes  it  as  follows  "From  the  Dead 
Sea  and  Zoghar  (Zoar)  to  Beisan  and  Tiberias,  the  tract  is  called 
el-Ghor,  as  lying  between  two  mountains.  One  part  of  the 
Ghor  is  reckoned  to  the  district  of  the  Jordan,  the  other  to 
Palestine.  Ibn  Haukal  adds  :  The  Ghor  begins  at  the  lake  of 
Gennesareth,  whence  it  extends  to  Beisan,  and  so  to  Zoghar  and 
J ericho,  even  to  the  Dead  Sea  ;  and  thence  to  Ailah."  To  this 
passage  is  subjoined,  in  a  note,  a  Scholion,  apparently  of  Abul- 
feda  himself,  from  the  Leyden  manuscript,  supposed  to  be  an 
autograph  "  el-Ghor  is  a  deep  valley  shut  in  by  mountains. 
This  tract  abounds  in  palm  trees,  fountains,  and  streams  ;  and 
snow  sometimes  falls  in  it.  One  part  extends  from  the  district 
of  Jordan  till  you  pass  Beisan  ;  then  comes  Palestine.  And  if 
one  proceeds  continuously  in  this  valley  [southwards],  it  will 
bring  him  to  AUah."  These  passages,  which  we  now  know  to  be 
literally  correct,  were  long  overlooked.  Biisching,  near  the  close 
of  the  last  century,  simply  refers  to  them.^ 

But  if  we  turn  to  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  both  the  knowledge 
and  the  name  of  the  'Arabah,  are  found  to  go  back  to  a  high 
antiquity.  The  Hebrew  word  'Arabah,  signifying  in  general  "  a 
desert  plain.  Steppe,"*  is  applied  with  the  article  (the  'Arabah) 
directly  as  the  proper  name  of  the  great  valley  in  question  in  its 
whole  length  ;  and  has  come  down  to  us  at  the  present  day  in 
the  same  form  in  Arabic,  el-' Arabah.  We  find  the  Hebrew 
'Arabah  distinctly  connected  with  the  Red  Sea  and  Elath  ;  the 
Dead  Sea  itself  is  called  the  sea  of  the  'Arabah.  It  extended 
also  towards  the  north  to  the  lake  of  Tiberias  ;  and  the  'Arboth 
(plains)  of  Jericho  and  Moab  were  parts  of  it.''  The  'Arabah 
of  the  Hebrews,  therefore,  like  the  Ghor  of  Abidfeda,  was  the 
great  valley  in  its  whole  extent ;  and  in  our  present  state  of 

'  See  above,  p.  109.  '  Heb.  n^nsn  Aa'.4ra6aA,  in  connection 

'  Edrisipar  Jaubcrtp.  346.    Bohaeddin  vrith  the  Re'd'Sea  and  Elath,  Deut.  1,  1. 

Vit.  Salad,  pp.  221,  222.    .Jakiit  Lex.  2,  8.     As  extending  to   the   lake  of 

Gcogr.  quoted  by  Schultens,  Index  in  Vit.  Tiberias,  Josh.  12,  3.     2   Sam.  4,  7. 

Salad,  art  Algauriim.    Reland  Pal.  p.  2  K.  25,  4.    "  Sea  of  the  'Arabah,  the 

1041.  Salt  sea,"  Josh.  3,  16.     12,  3.  Deut 

»  Abulfedte  Tab.  Syr.  ed.  Kohler,  Lips.  4^  49.     "  plains  (riair)  of  Jericho," 

1766,  pp.  8,  9.  Josh.  5,  10.    2  K.  25,' ?>.    "  Plains  of 

*  Ibid.  p.  9.  n.  35.  See  the  account  of  Moab,"  L  e.  opposite  Jericho,  probably 
this  nianu.script  in  Kohler's  Prooemium.  pastured  by  Moab  though  not  within  ita 

'  Erdheschr.  Th.  XL  L  pp.  879,  605.    proper  territory,  Deut.  ?4,  1.  8.  Num. 

Hamb.  1792.  22,  1.    Comp.  Gesenius  Lex.  Heb.  art. 

•  Is.  33,  9.    Jer.  50, 12,  61,  43.  nanS. 
ii.  598-600 


JtrsK  2.] 


el-'arabah.    the  dead  sea. 


187 


knowledge  respecting  it,  the  Scriptures  thus  receive  an  impor- 
tant illustration.' 

Yet  60  utterly  vmsuspected  was  the  general  conformation  of 
the  region  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  that  Seetzen, 
a  keen  observer  and  well  prepared  as  a  traveller,  appears  not  to 
have  noticed  or  inquired  further  after  this  great  valley  ;  although, 
as  he  descended  from  the  mountains  of  Kerak  in  A.  D.  1806, 
and  again  when  he  travelled  in  1807  as  far  south  as  to  the  hill 
Madurah,  it  lay  directly  before  him,  stretching  off  towards  the 
south  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  That  he  should  have  failed 
to  remark  it,  is  most  singular ;  or  if  he  noticed  it,  then  his 
silence  is  equally  unaccountable.*  Burckhardt  in  1812  was  the 
first  to  visit  and  describe  this  valley  as  it  exists  ;  but  his  dis- 
covery seems  to  have  been  first  published  to  the  world  in  1819, 
and  his  more  full  description  in  1822.^  Before  this  time,  how- 
ever, the  sagacity  of  Ritter,  from  the  account  of  Abulfeda  alone, 
had  already  detected  the  true  configuration  of  the  region  in  ques- 
tion ;  and  he  had  described  it  in  language  which,  even  now, 
there  would  be  little  occasion  to  alter.* 

The  journey  of  Laborde  in  1828,  gave  occasion  for  the  earli- 
est good  map  of  the  'Arabah,  south  of  Wady  Musa.  The  first 
to  pass  through  its  whole  length  from  one  sea  to  the  other,  was 
M.  de  Bertou,  who  preceded  us  by  a  few  weeks.  In  looking 
through  the  published  account  of  his  journey,  I  have  only  to  re- 
gret the  appearance  of  some  inaccuracies  ;  which,  followed  as 
they  seem  to  have  been  by  Letronne,  can  only  lead  to  confusion 
in  the  geography  of  this  region.' 


THE  DEAD  SEA  AND  CATASTROPHE  OF  THE  PLAIK. 

With  the  conformation  of  the  valley  of  the  'Arahah  as  above 
described,  the  history  and  character  of  the  Dead  Sea  stand  in 


•  Besides  this  general  illustration,  the 
difficult  passage  in  Deut.  1,  1,  admits  in 
this  way  an  easy  explanation.  The  Isra- 
elites were  in  the  plains  of  Moah  opposite 
Jericho  ;  and  are  there  described  as  "  in 
the  'Arabah  overagainst  the  Red  Sea,"  L  e. 
in  the  part  opposite  to  the  Red  Sea,  or  to- 
wards the  other  end.  This  'Arabah  is 
then  said  to  lie  between  Paran  (Kadesh) 
on  the  one  side,  and  Tophel  (Tiifileh)  on 
the  other.  The  remaining  names  men- 
tioned, are  all  on  the  west,  viz.  Laban,  the 
Libnah  of  Num.  33,  20;  Hazeroth,  i.  e. 
'Ain  el-Hudherah  ;  and  Di-Zahab,  prob- 
ably Dahab. — I  owe  the  suggestion  of  this 
explanation  to  the  kind  communication  of 
Prof.  Hengstenberg  of  Berlin. 


'  I  speak  here  of  course  only  with  re- 
ference to  his  printed  letters,  in  Zach's 
Jlonatl.  Corr.  XVII.  pp.  133-UO.  XVni. 
pp.  433-443.  His  silence  as  to  Mount 
Hor  has  already  been  noticed;  p.  180, 
above. 

'  See  the  letter  dated  Sept.  12,  1812, 
prefixed  to  his  Travels  in  Nubia,  Lond. 
1819.  Also  Travels  in  Syria  etc.  Lond. 
1822.  p.  441  sq. 

*  Erdkunde  Th.  II.  p.  218.    BerL  1818. 

'  These  particulars  were  pointed  out  in 
the  former  edition  of  this  work,  in  Note 
XXXVII,  end  of  VoL  U ;  also  in  Monaths- 
bericht  der  Berliner  Ges.  fiir  Erdk,  I.  p. 
192  sq.  BerL  1840. 

ii.  600,  601 


188 


FEOM  WADT  MTSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[SbcXIL 


close  connection.  It  lias  usuaUv  been  assumed,  that  this  lake  has 
existed  only  since  the  destraction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  as 
recorded  in  the  book  of  Genesis  ;  and  the  favourite  hypothesis 
of  late  years  had  been,  that  the  Jordan  before  that  time  had 
flowed  through  the  whole  length  of  Wady  el-'Arabah  to  the  gulf 
of  'Akabah,  lea\-ing  the  present  bed  of  the  Dead  Sea  a  fertile 
plain.  But  this,  as  we  had  now  learned,  could  not  have  been 
the  case  ;  at  least  not  witliin  the  times  to  which  history  reaches 
back.  Instead  of  the  Jordan  pursuing  its  course  southwards  to 
the  gulf,  we  had  found  the  waters  of  the  'Arabah  itself,  and  also 
those  of  the  high  western  desert  far  south  of  'Akabah,  all  flow- 
ing northwards  into  the  Dead  Sea.'  Every  circumstance  goes 
to  show,  that  a  lake  must  have  existed  in  this  place,  into  which 
the  Jordan  poured  its  waters,  long  before  the  catastrophe  of 
Sodom.  The  great  depression  of  the  whole  broad  Jordan  vaUey 
and  of  the  northern  part  of  the  'Arabah,  the  direction  of  its 
lateral  valleys,  as  well  as  the  slope  of  the  high  western  desert 
towards  the  north,  aU  go  to  show  that  the  configuration  of  this 
region,  in  its  main  features,  is  coeval  with  the  present  condition 
of  the  surface  of  the  earth  in  general ;  and  not  the  effect  of  any 
local  catastrophe  at  a  subsequent  period. 

It  seems  also  to  be  a  necessary  conclusion,  that  the  Dead  Sea 
anciently  covered  a  less  extent  of  surface  than  at  present.  The 
cities  which  were  destroyed,  must  have  been  situated  on  the 
south  of  the  lake  as  it  then  existed  ;  for  Lot  fled  to  Zoar,  which 
was  near  to  Sodom  ;  and  Zoar,  as  we  have  seen,  lay  almost  at 
the  southern  end  of  the  present  sea,  probably  in  the  mouth  of 
Wady  Kerak  as  it  opens  upon  the  isthmus  of  the  peninsula.* 
The  fertile  plain,  therefore,  which  Lot  chose  for  himself,  where 
Sodom  was  situated,  and  which  was  well  watered  like  the  land 
of  Egypt,  lay  also  south  of  the  lake,  "  as  thou  comest  unto 
Zoar."^  Even  to  the  present  day,  more  living  streams  flow  into 
the  Ghor  at  the  south  end  of  the  sea,  from  Wadys  of  the  eastern 
mountains,  than  are  to  be  found  so  near  together  in  all  Pales- 
tine ;  and  the  tract,  although  now  mostly  desert,  is  still  better 
watered,  through  these  streams  and  by  the  many  fountains,  than 
anv  other  district  throughout  the  whole  countrv.^ 

In  the  same  plain  were  slime  pits  ;  that  is  to  say,  weUs  of 
bitumen  or  asphaltum  ;  the  Hebrew  word  being  the  same,  as 
that  used  in  describing  the  building  of  the  waUs  of  Babylon, 
which  we  know  were  cemented  with  bitumen.*    These  pits  or 

'  See  VoL  L  pp.  180,  199.    Compare       '  Gea  13,  10-12. 
also  above,  p.  lU  sq.  «  See  above,  pp.  112,  113. 

'  Gen.  19,  20,  '•Behold  now,  this  city       »  n  v  1 1    m  _j 

.„''„,.     ^,     -.     CI  Heb.  "icn  Gea  14,  10:  compand 

u  near  to  nee  to.     I  or  the  site  of  Zoar,      ■  u  i     o    '  " 
lee  above  p.  IOC  sq.  and  Note  XXXV,  end  * 
of  the  volume. 

iL  601-603 


Jtok  2.] 


CATASTROPHE  OF  S0T10M. 


189 


fountains  appear  to  have  been  of  considerable  extent.  The  val- 
ley in  which  they  were  situated,  is  indeed  called  Siddim  ;  but  it 
is  said  to  have  been  adjacent  to  the  salt  sea,  and  it  contained 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah.*  The  streams  that  anciently  watered 
the  plain,  remain  to  attest  the  accuracy  of  the  sacred  historian  ; 
but  the  pits  of  asphaltum  are  no  longer  to  be  seen.  Did  they 
disappear  in  consequence  of  the  catastrophe  of  the  plain  ? 

The  remarkable  configuration  of  the  southern  part  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  I  have  already  described  ;  the  long  and  singular  pe- 
ninsula connected  with  the  eastern  shore  by  a  broad  low  neck ; 
the  bay  extending  up  further  south,  in  many  parts  very  shallow  ; 
and  the  low  flat  shores  beyond,  over  which  the  lake,  when  swol- 
len by  the  rains  of  winter,  sets  up  for  several  miles.  Indeed  the 
whole  of  this  part  of  the  sea,  as  I  have  said,  as  seen  from  the 
western  mountains,  resembles  much  the  winding  estuary  of  a 
large  river,  when  the  tide  is  out,  and  the  shoals  left  dry.*  I  have 
also  related  the  sudden  appearance  of  masses  of  asphaltum  float- 
ing in  the  sea  ;  which  seems  to  occur  at  the  present  day  only 
rarely,  and  immediately  after  earthquakes  ;  and  also,  so  far  as 
the  Arabs  knew,  only  in  the  southern  part  of  the  sea.^  The 
character  of  the  shores,  the  long  mountain  of  fossil  salt,  and  the 
various  mineral  productions,  have  also  been  described.* 

In  view  of  aU  these  facts,  viz.  the  necessary  existence  of  a 
lake  before  the  catastrophe  of  Sodom ;  the  well  watered  plain 
towards  the  south,  in  which  were  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah, and  not  far  off  the  sources  of  bitumen ;  as  also  the  pecu- 
liar character  of  this  part  of  the  Dead  Sea,  where  alone  asphal- 
tum at  the  present  day  makes  its  appearance  ;  I  say  in  view  of 
aU  these  facts,  there  is  but  a  step  to  the  obvious  hypothesis,  that 
the  fertile  plain  is  now  in  part  occupied  by  the  southern  bay,  or 
that  portion  of  the  sea  lying  south  of  the  peninsula  ;  and  that 
by  some  convulsion  or  catastrophe  of  nature,  connected  with  the 
miraculous  destruction  of  the  cities,  either  the  surface  of  this 
plain  was  scooped  out,  or  the  bottom  of  the  sea  was  heaved  up, 
so  as  to  cause  the  waters  to  overflow  and  cover  permanently  a 
larger  tract  than  formerly.  In  either  case,  it  would  follow,  that 
the  sources  of  bitumen  would  in  like  manner  be  covered  by  the 
sea  ;  and  the  slimy  substance  becoming  hardened  and  fixed  by 
contact  with  the  waters,  might  be  expected  occasionally  to  rise 
and  float  upon  the  surface  of  this  heavy  flood.  The  ancients 
describe  the  masses  of  asphaltum  as  thus  rising  from  the  bottom 
of  the  sea,  apparently  in  greater  abundance  than  at  the  present 
day  ;  although  this  circumstance  perhaps  may  be  accounted  for, 

'  Gen.  U,  2.  3.  10-12.  »  See  Vol.  I,  p.  617  sq. 

See  above,  Vol  L  pp.  501  gq.  519.  ♦  See  Vol  I.  p.  610 ;  also  p.  108,  above. 

ii.  603.  604 


190 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn, 


by  supposing,  that  the  bitumen  was  not  anciently,  as  now,  eager- 
ly gathered  up  and  carried  away.' 

The  country  we  know  is  sulDject  to  earthquakes  ;  and  exhi- 
bits also  frequent  traces  of  volcanic  action.  In  the  whole  region 
around  the  lake  of  Tiberias  these  traces  are  decided  ;  and  at  a 
short  distance  northwest  of  Safed,  we  afterwards  came  iipon  the 
crater  of  an  extinguished  volcano.  It  would  have  been  no  un- 
common eifect  of  either  of  these  causes,  to  upheave  the  bottom 
of  the  ancient  lake,  and  thus  produce  the  phenomenon  in  ques- 
tion. But  the  historical  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  cities, 
implies  also  the  agency  of  fire  :  "  The  Lord  rained  upon  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  brimstone  and  fire  from  the  Lord  out  of  heaven  ; " 
and  Abraham  too  "  beheld,  and  lo,  the  smoke  of  the  country 
went  up  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace."'  Perhaps  both  causes 
were  at  work  ;  for  volcanic  action  and  earthquakes  go  hand  in 
hand  ;  and  the  accompanying  electric  discharges  usually  cause 
lightnings  to  play  and  thunders  to  roll.  In  this  way  we  have 
all  the  phenomena,  which  the  most  literal  interpretation  of  the 
sacred  records  can  demand. 

Further,  if  we  may  suppose,  that  before  this  catastrophe,  the 
bitumen  had  become  accumulated  around  the  sources,  and  had 
perhaps  formed  strata  spreading  for  some  distance  upon  the 
plain  ;  that,  possibly,  these  strata  in  some  parts  extended  under 
the  soil  and  might  thus  easily  "approach  the  vicinity  of  the  cities  ; 
if  indeed  we  might  suppose  all  this,  then  the  kindUng  of  such  a 
mass  of  combustible  materials,  through  volcanic  action  or  by 
lightning  from  heaven,  would  cause  a  conflagration  sufficient  not 
only  to  engulf  the  cities,  but  also  to  destroy  the  surface  of  the 
plain,  so  that  "  the  smoke  of  the  country  would  go  up  as  the 
smoke  of  a  furnace  "  and  the  sea  rushing  in,  would  convert  it  into 
a  tract  of  waters.  The  supposition  of  such  an  accumulation  of 
bitumen,  may  at  first  appear  extravagant ;  but  the  hypothesis 
requires  nothing  more,  (and  even  less,)  than  nature  herself  ac- 
tually presents  to  our  view,  in  the  wonderful  lake  or  tract  of 
bitumen  found  on  the  island  of  Trinidad.'  The  subsequent 
barrenness  of  the  remaining  portion  of  the  plain,  is  readily  ac- 
counted for  by  the  presence  of  such  masses  of  fossil  salt,  which 
perhaps  were  brought  to  light  only  at  the  same  time. 

The  preceding  views  and  suggestions  are  not  the  result  of 
mere  conjecture  ;  but  rest  upon  a  basis  of  facts  and  analogies 
supplied  by  the  researches  of  science.  Nor  do  they  depend  sim- 
ply upon  my  own  unaided  authority,  which  would  be  nothing  in 

'  See  Vol.  I.  p.  518.  sq.     The  account  of  this  extraordinary 

*  Gen.  19,  24.  28.  lake  of  pitch,  illustrates  very  strikingly, 

'  See  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Geo-  what  well  may  have  been  the  character  of 

logical  Society,  London  1811,  Vol.  I.  p.  C3  a  portion  of  the  ancient  plain  of  Sodom, 
ii.  CO-i-OOo 


jniE  2.] 


CATASTROPHE  OF  SODOM. 


191 


a  matter  of  this  kind.  Through  the  kindness  of  the  distinguished 
geologist  Leopokl  von  Buch,  whose  researches  have  been  partic- 
ularly directed  to  the  phenomena  of  volcanos,  I  was  permitted 
to  lay  before  him  an  abstract  of  the  facts  which  have  been  more 
fully  detailed  in  this  work  ;  and  the  following  letter  in  reply 
contains  his  commentary  upon  them. 

Berlin,  April  20,  1839. 

Sib, 

It  is  rather  in  reply  to  your  kind  confidence,  than  in  the 
hope  of  presenting  any  observation  of  importance,  that  I  address 
to  you  these  lines. 

The  valley  of  the  Jordan  is  a  fissure  (o'evasse),  which  ex- 
tends from  Mount  Lebanon  to  the  Red  Sea  without  interruption. 
Such  it  seems  to  me,  is  the  result  of  your  researches,  as  well  as 
of  those  of  M.  de  Bertou  and  of  M.  Callier ;  who  nevertheless 
find  fault  with  Ritter  for  having  said  the  same  thing.  These 
long  fissures,  especially  frequent  among  limestone  mountains,  give 
the  configuration  to  our  continents.  If  they  are  very  large  and 
deep,  they  afford  passage  to  the  primitive  mountains,  which  for 
that  reason  form  chains,  in  the  direction  which  the  fissure  pre- 
scribes. We  might  therefore  expect  a  greater  development  of 
the  volcanic  agents  at  the  bottom  of  this  fissure,  than  upon  the 
heights. 

According  to  the  most  recent  researches,  fossil  salt  is  a  pro- 
duct of  volcanic  or  plutonic  action  along  an  opening  of  this  na- 
ture. But,  fountains  of  asphaltum  or  bitumen  are  so  likewise  ; 
as  is  proved  by  the  numerous  sources  of  bitumen  fi-om  the  foot 
of  the  Zagros  in  the  environs  of  Bassorah  as  far  as  to  Mosul, 
and  also  at  Bakou  ;  as  is  proved  further  by  the  source  of  bitu- 
men in  the  gulf  of  Naples,  or  at  Mellilli  near  to  Syracuse  ;  as 
is  proved  too  by  the  sources  of  bitumen  in  the  isle  of  Zante,  and 
even  by  the  bitumen  of  Seyssel,  of  which  they  make  side-walks 
in  Paris. 

The  asphaltum  of  the  Dead  Sea,  is  probably  nothing  more 
than  bitumen  consolidated  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake  ;  wliich,  not 
being  able  to  flow  off",  forms  by  consequence  a  layer  at  the  bot- 
tom, as  in  the  island  of  Trinidad.  It  is  quite  probable,  that 
this  accumulation  may  have  taken  place  in  remote  times,  as  well 
as  in  our  day  ;  and  if  some  volcanic  action,  an  elevation  of  the 
soil,  or  shocks  of  earthquakes,  have  brought  to  light  masses  of 
asphaltum  analogous  to  that  which  you  describe,  (a  phenomenon 
of  the  highest  importance,  hitherto  unknown,)  we  can  very  weU 
conceive  of  the  conflagration  of  entire  cities,  by  the  inflamma- 
tion of  materials  so  eminently  combustible. 

ii.  606,  607 


192 


ntOM  WADT  MTSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec  Xn. 


Could  some  mass  of  basalt  be  discovered  in  the  southern 
part,  or  towards  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Dead  Sea,  one 
might  believe  that  a  basaltic  dyke  had  been  upheaved  at  the 
time  of  the  celebrated  catastrophe  ;  just  as  this  took  place  in 
1820,  near  the  isle  of  Banda,  and  at  another  time  at  the  foot  of 
the  volcano  of  Ternate.'  The  movements  which  accompany  the 
breaking  out  of  such  a  dyke,  are  of  a  character  to  produce  all 
the  phenomena  which  have  changed  this  interesting  region, 
without  exercising  any  very  marked  influence  upon  the  form  and 
configuration  of  the  mountains  round  about. 

The  fertihty  of  the  soil  depends  sometimes  upon  light  acci- 
dents. It  is  not  probable,  that  bitiunen  would  be  adapted  to 
augment  it.  But  it  is  very  possible,  that  earthquakes  may  have 
brought  out  a  larger  mass  of  fossil  salt  ;  which  being  carried  by 
the  waters  to  the  bottom  of  the  vaUey,  would  suffice  to  take 
away  its  productive  power.  Lot  would  hardly  have  been  so 
struck  with  the  fossil  salt,  as  to  suppose  his  wife  was  changed 
into  salt,  had  there  been  any  knowledge  of  its  existence  be- 
tween the  layers  of  the  moimtain,  before  the  remarkable  catas- 
trophe. 

It  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the  very  active  Geological  Society  of 
London  may  one  day  send  out  one  of  its  members,  to  illuminate 
with  the  torch  of  geology  the  facts  which  interest  aU  the  world. 
But  it  would  be  necessarv  to  examine  the  whole  geological  con- 
stitution,  both  of  Motmt  Lebanon  and  of  all  the  valley  of  the 
Jordan,  from  Tiberias  quite  to  'Akabah. 

I  conceive,  Sir,  that  all  this  can  hardly  conteat  you.  But  I 
think  it  would  be  rash  to  build  a  theory  upon  fects,  of  which 
one  has  not  himself  at  least  observed  the  results. 

(Signed)    Leopold  von  Bcch.* 


APPROACH  OF  THE  ISRAELITES  TO  PALESTI>'E. 

I  have  formerly  endeavoured  to  trace  the  route  of  the  Israel- 
ites to  Sinai ;  and  have  pointed  out  also  their  probable  course 
from  Sinai  northwards,  passing  by  'Ain  el-Hudhera  correspond- 
ing to  the  ancient  Hazeroth.'    I  have  likewise  already  expressed 


'  Descriprion  des  Ilea  Canaries  etc.  par 
L.  de  Bnch.  Paris  18.36,  pp.  412,  4:i3. 

'  The  oriirinal  of  this  letter  U  given  in 
Note  X.XXVIII,  end  of  the  volume. — For 
some  of  the  main  soisgestions  coatoined  in 
the  views  above  presented,  I  am  indebted 
to  mj  friend  and  companion,  Mr  Smith, 
whose  attention  was  tamed  to  the  sabject 

iL  607-609 


at  an  earlier  period  than  my  own.  It  was 
in  consequence  of  these  suggestions,  that  I 
was  first  led  to  lay  the  subject  before  the 
writer  of  the  abore  letter. 

'  See  at  the  end  of  Sect  II,  and  the  first 
part  of  Sect  IIL  For  el-UudberB  tee  Vol 
L  p.  15L 


Jrtk  2.] 


BOUTE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


193 


my  conviction,  that  whatever  may  have  heen  the  direction  of 
their  course  after  leaving  that  fountain, — whether  to  the  shore 
of  the  eastern  gulf  and  so  along  the  'Arabah,  or  whether  they 
crossed  the  Tih  and  came  out  upon  the  high  western  desert 
north  of  that  mountain, — they  stUl  could  not  have  passed  on 
the  west  of  Jebel  'Araif,  and  the  mountainous  tract  further 
north.  Such  a  course  would  have  brought  them  directly  to 
Beersheba,  and  not  to  Kadesh  in  the  "  uttermost  border  of 
Edom.'" 

The  mountainous  tract  north  of  Jebel  'Araif  and  west  of 
the  'Arabah,  forming  the  country  of  the  'Azazimeh,  we  had  now 
seen  on  all  sides.  Beginning  at  the  bluff  el-Mukrah  and  the 
fountain  'Ain  esh-Shahibiyeh,  it  extends  northwards  nearly  or 
quite  to  the  point  where  we  now  were,  a  desert  limestone  region 
full  of  precipitous  ridges,  through  which  no  travelled  road  has 
ever  passed.^  Our  conviction  was  therefore  strengthened,  that 
even  if  the  Israelites  came  out  at  first  upon  the  great  western 
plateau,  they  must  necessarily  have  followed  down  the  Jerafeh 
to  its  junction  with  the  'Arabah  opposite  Mount  Hor ;  and 
then,  in  any  case,  have  approached  the  border  of  Palestine  along 
the  latter  valley.  Most  probably,  however,  they  passed  by  way 
of  the  Red  Sea  and  the  'Arabah  :  for  the  language  of  the  sacred 
writer  seems  to  imply,  that  their  way  led  along  Mount  Seir.^ 

"We  are  led  also  to  the  same  conclusion  by  all  the  scriptural 
notices  of  the  site  of  Kadesh,  to  which  they  first  came.  It  was 
"  in  the  uttermost  border  of  Edom."*  The  southern  quarter  of 
Judah  too  is  described  as  being  "  along  by  the  coast  of  Edom  ; " 
and  the  line  was  drawn  "  from  the  shore  of  the  salt  sea,  from 
the  bay  that  looked  southward  ;  and  it  went  out  to  the  sijuth 
side  to  the  ascent  of  Akrabbim,  and  passed  along  to  Zin,  and 
ascended  up  on  the  south  side  to  Kadesh-bamea."^  Further, 
from  Kadesh  the  spies  entered  Palestine  by  ascending  the 
mountain  ;  and  the  murmuring  Israelites  attempting  to  do  the 
same,  were  driven  back  by  the  Amalekites  and  Canaanites,  and 
afterwards  apparently  by  the  king  of  Arad  as  far  as  to  Hormah, 
then  called  Zephath.'  There  was  also  at  Kadesh  a  fountain, 
mentioned  long  before  the  exodus  of  the  Israelites  ;  and  the 
miraculous  supply  of  water  took  place  only  at  their  second 
visit ;  which  imphes,  that  at  their  first  approach,  there  was  no 
special  lack  of  this  necessary  article.'    From  Kadesh  they 

•  See  Vol  L  p.  187.  Nouv.  AnnaL  des  Voyages,  1839.  Tom. 

»  See  VoL  I.  186.    Not  hat  that  !t  may  III.  p.  272. 
b«  and  is  gometimes  traversed;  for  the       *  Dent.  1,2. 
'Azazimeh  live  in  it;  but  other  Arabs       *  Num.  20,  16. 

avoid  the  tract  and  paas  around  it  on  their  *  Josh.  15,  1.  2.  3  ;  comp.  Num.  34,  3. 4. 
journeys.    M.  Callier  appears  to  hare  got       '  Num.  13,  17.    14,40-45.  21,1-3. 

among  these  mountains  on  his  journey  in  Deut.  1,  41-44.    Comp.  Jndg  1,  17. 
thia  region;  Joum.  des  Savans,  Jan.  1836.       '  Gen.  14,  7.    Num.  20,  1-11. 
Vol.  II. -17  ii.' 609,  610 


194 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


turned  back  to  Mount  Hor,  and  thence  proceeded  to  the  Ecd 
Sea. 

These  circumstances  all  combine  to  fix  the  site  of  Kadesh  at 
a  fountain  in  the  northern  part  of  the  great  valley  ;  and  I  have 
already  pointed  out  the  remarkable  coincidence  of  the  position 
of  the  fountain  el-Weibeh,  with  all  these  particulars.  There 
the  Israelites  would  have  Mount  Hor  in  the  S.  S.  E.  towering 
directly  before  them  ;  across  the  'Arabah  is  the  Wady  el-Ghu- 
weir,  affording  an  easy  passage  through  the  land  of  Edom  ;  in 
the  northwest  rises  the  mountain  by  which  they  attempted  to 
ascend  to  Palestine,  with  the  pass  still  called  Sfifah  (Zephath)  ; 
while  further  north  we  find  also  Tell  'Arad,  marking  the  site  of 
the  ancient  Arad.  To  all  this  comes  then  the  vicinity  of  the 
southern  bay  of  the  Dead  Sea  ;  the  line  of  cliffs  or  offset  sepa- 
rating the  Ghor  from  the  'Arabah,  answering  to  the  ascent  of 
Akrabbim  and  the  desert  of  Zin  with  a  place  of  the  same 
name  between  Akrabbim  and  Kadesh,  not  improbably  at  the 
water  of  Hash  in  the  Arabah.'^ — In  this  way  all  becomes  easy 
and  natural ;  and  the  scriptural  account  is  entirely  accordant 
with  the  character  of  the  country.^ 

I  have  thus  far  assumed  that  the  Israelites  were  twice  at 
Kadesh  ;  and  this  appears  from  a  comparison  of  the  various  ac- 
counts. They  broke  up  from  Sinai  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the 
second  month  in  the  second  year  of  their  departure  out  of 
Egypt,  corresponding  to  the  early  part  of  May  ;^  they  came  into 
the  desert  of  Paran,  whence  spies  were  sent  up  the  mountain 
into  Palestine,  in  "  the  time  of  the  first  ripe  grapes  ; "  and  these 
returned  after  forty  days  to  the  camp  at  Kadesh.^  As  grapes 
begin  to  ripen  on  the  mountains  of  Judah  in  July,  the  return 
of  the  spies  is  to  be  placed  in  August  or  September.  The  peo- 
ple now  murmured  at  the  report  of  the  spies  ;  and  received  the 
sentence  from  Jehovah,  that  their  carcasses  should  fall  in  the 
wilderness,  and  their  children  wander  in  the  desert  forty  years.* 


'  See  above  p.  120. 

'  See  pp.  119,  177,  above.  Compare 
Num.  20,  1. 

^  Mr  Rowlands  supposes  tliat  lie  found 
Kadesh  at  the  fountain  el-'Aiu,  in  the  liigh 
western  desert;  see  above.  Vol.  I.  pp.  18!), 
1!)0.  Holy  City  I.  p.  460  sq.  That  fountain  is 
calked  also  'Ain  el-Kudcir.it,  from  a  tribe  of 
Arabs  who  water  there.  Out  of  this  name 
Mr  Kowlands,  or  hisGreek  dragoman,  seems 
to  have  made  Kiidi  s  or  Kadi-s  ;  ami  on  the 
strength  of  this  blunder,  assumed  tliore  the 
site  of  Kadesh.  Against  this  view  the  con- 
siderations urged  above  in  the  text,  are 
conclusive  ;  not  one  of  them  applies  to 
el-'Ain.    It  is  not  iu  the  uttermost  border 

ii.  610,  611 


of  Kdom  ;  there  is  no  great  valley  passing 
up  thence  through  Edom  to  the  eastern 
desert,  like  el-Ghuweir ;  the  host  could 
not  have  proceeded  thence  directly  to 
Mount  Hor,  where  Aaron  dies ;  there  is  no 
mountain  near,  by  which  the  spies  could 
ascend  into  Palestine  ;  nor  by  which  the 
people  could  go  up  to  Arad,  where  tliey 
were  discomfited.  In  short,  the  position 
of  el-'Ain,  is  utterly  inconsistent  witli  all 
the  circumstances  narrated  as  having  taken 
place  at  Kadesh.  See  more  in  Biblioth. 
Sacra,  1840,  p.  .S77-381. 

*  Num.  10,  11  ;  comp.  9,  1. 

'  Num.  12,  16.    13,  2.  17.  20.  25.  20. 

•  Num.  14,  29.  32.  33. 


Joke  2.] 


ROUTE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


195 


They  were  ordered  to  turn  back  into  the  desert  "  by  the  way  of 
the  Eed  Sea  ; "  although  it  appears  that  they  abode  "  many 
days  "  in  Kadesh.' 

The  next  notice  of  the  Israelites  is,  that  in  the  first  month,  • 
thc-y  came  into  the  desert  of  Zin  and  abode  again  at  Kadesh  ; 
here  Miriam  dies  ;  Moses  and  Aaron  bring  water  from  the  rock  ; 
a  passage  is  demanded  through  the  land  of  Edom,  and  refused  ; 
and  they  then  journey  from  Kadesh  to  Mount  Hor,  where  Aaron 
dies  in  the  fortieth  year  of  the  departure  from  Egypt,  in  the 
first  day  of  the  fifth  month,  corresponding  to  a  part  of  August 
and  September.*  Here  then,  between  August  of  the  second 
year  and  August  of  the  fortieth  year,  we  have  an  interval  of 
thirty-eight  years  of  wandering  in  the  desert.  With  this  coin- 
cides another  account.  From  Mount  Hor  they  proceeded  to 
Elath  on  the  Red  Sea,  and  so  around  the  land  of  Edom  to  the 
brook  Zered  on  the  border  of  Moab  ;  and  from  the  time  of  their 
departure  from  Kadesh,  (meaning  of  course  their  first  dej^ar- 
ture,)  until  they  thus  came  to  the  brook  Zered,  there  is  said  to 
have  been  an  interval  of  thirty-eight  years. ^ 

In  this  way,  the  scriptural  account  of  the  joumeyings  of  the 
Israelites,  becomes  perfectly  harmonious  and  intelligible.  The 
eighteen  stations  mentioned  only  in  the  general  list  in  the  book 
of  Numbers,  as  preceding  the  arrival  at  Kadesh,  are  then  appa- 
rently to  be  referred  to  this  eight  and  thirty  years  of  wandering, 
during  which  the  people  at  last  approached  Ezion-geber,  and 
afterwards  returned  northwards  a  second  time  to  Kadesh,  in 
the  hope  of  passing  directly  through  the  land  of  Edom.*  Their 
wanderings  extended  doubtless  over  the  western  desert  ;  although 
the  stations  named  are  probably  only  those  head-quarters  where 
the  tabernacle  was  pitched,  and  where  Moses  and  the  elders  and 
priests  encamped  ;  while  the  main  body  of  the  people  was  scat- 
tered in  various  directions.^ 

How  in  these  wide  deserts,  this  host  of  more  than  two  mil- 
lions of  souls,  having  no  traffic  nor  intercourse  with  the  sur- 
rounding hordes,  could  find  supplies  of  food  and  water  sufficient 
for  their  support  without  a  constant  miracle,  I  for  one  am  unable 
to  divine.  Yet  among  them  we  read  only  of  occasional  longings 
and  complaints  ;  while  the  tribes  that  now  roam  over  the  same 
regions,  although  numbering  scarcely  as  many  thousands,  are 
exposed  to  famine  and  privation  of  every  kind  ;  and,  at  the 
best,  obtain  only  a  meagre  and  precarious  subsistence.^ 

'  Num.  14,  25.    Dent.  1,  40.  46.  *  For  a  synoptical  arrangement  of  the  sev- 

Kum.  20,  1-29.    33,  37.38.  eral  lists  of  stations  during  the  wanderings 

'  Num.  21,  4.    Deut.  2,  8.  13.  14.  18.  of  the  Israelites,  exhibiting  in  one  view  the 

*  See  the  list  of  all  these  stations,  Num.  whole  course  of  their  journey,  see  Note 

83,  18-36.  XXXIX,  end  of  the  Volume. 
'  See  above,  VoL  I.  p.  72  sq.  Comp.  ib.  52. 

ii.  611-613 


196 


FBOM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


Sunday,  June  3d.  After  our  fatigues  of  the  preceding  two 
days,  we  slept  soundly  until  6^  o'clock  ;  and  rose  congratulating 
ourselves  upon  the  rest  of  the  Christian  Sabbath.  '  But  this  rest 
to-day  was  not  to  be  of  long  duration.  After  breakfast,  one  of 
the  Arabs,  Muhamnied,  went  with  the  camels  to  the  water  at 
the  head  of  the  pass  Yemen,  nearly  an  hour  distant  from  our 
tent  in  the  southwest.  There,  as  he  said,  he  met  an  Arab  who 
had  come  up  the  pass  during  the  night,  and  who  reported,  that 
yesterday  towards  evening  he  had  seen  a  party  of  men  with 
horses  and  dromedaries  encamp  at  the  water  of  Hash  in  the 
'Arabah,  apparently  coming  this  way  on  a  marauding  expedi- 
tion. Our  Arabs  immediately  concluded,  that  they  were  of  the 
Sulit  or  Hejaya  coming  against  the  Tiyahah  in  retaliation  for 
the  inroads  of  the  latter.  Should  they  ascend  by  the  Sufah, 
they  would  come  directly  upon  us  ;  or  if  by  the  Yemen,  their 
scouts  would  doubtless  discover  our  tent ;  and  as  they  were  at 
war  with  the  Jehahn  also,  we  should  of  course  be  exposed  to  be 
plundered,  if  to  nothing  worse.  We  had  indeed  strong  suspi- 
cions, that  this  was  a  story  got  up  by  Muhammed,  the  worthless 
buffoon,  who  alone  had  seen  the  stranger,  in  order  to  induce  us 
to  push  forward.  Yet  it  might  after  all  be  true  ;  and  we  there- 
fore thought  it  advisable  under  the  circumstances  to  go  on,  and 
get  out  of  the  reach  of  any  danger.  This  was,  however,  the 
only  instance,  in  which  we  were  compelled  to  violate  our  princi- 
ple of  not  travelling  upon  the  Christian  Sabbath. — It  was  said, 
the  party  would  not  reach  the  top  of  the  pass  until  the  after- 
noon. A  camel  was  now  despatched  with  the  water-skins  to  be 
filled  at  the  water  of  Yemen.  The  Arabs  seemed  to  be  in  no 
hurry  whatever  ;  and  it  was  not  until  after  long  delays,  that  we 
at  length  set  off.  Nor  do  we  know  unto  the  present  day, 
whether  the  story  of  the  hostile  party  was  tnie  or  false. 

We  at  length  started  at  10|  o'clock  ;  the  course  continuing 
about  N.  N.  W.  We  soon  came  out  upon  an  open  and  tolera- 
bly level  tract,  called  et-Turaibeh  ;  which,  although  chiefly  cov- 
ered with  loose  sand,  had  ever}Tvhere  many  herbs  affording 
pasture  for  camels.  It  belongs  to  the  Arabs  called  Sa'idiyeh. 
Before  ns  was  another  long  mountain  ridge,  running  from  E.  N. 
E.  to  W.  S.  W.  similar  in  its  general  appearance  to  that  we  had 
ascended  last  night ;  though  not  more  than  half  as  high.  This 
tract,  between  the  top  of  one  ridge  and  the  bottom  of  the  other, 
constitutes  the  second  step  or  offset  of  the  whole  ascent  between 
the  'Arabah  and  Palestine  ;  and  is,  as  we  have  seen,  the  con- 
tinuation in  this  direction  of  the  broad  region  of  desert  hills  be- 
tween the  two  passes  of  ez-Zuweirah  ;  the  lower  ridge  being 
here  much  higher,  and  the  upper  one  much  lower,  than  on  that 
road.    Further  north,  it  is  drained  by  Wady  el-Fa'iya,  a  branch 

ii.  G13.  614 


Jxnsz  3.] 


KUENUB. 


197 


of  the  Muhauwat,  which  enters  the  Dead  Sea  at  the  north  end 
of  Usdum;'  but  just  in  this  part,  the  waters  are  carried  off 
southwards  by  one  of  the  main  heads  of  Wady  el- Yemen,  which 
runs  along  the  base  of  the  next  ridge.  On  this  plain,  the  roads 
from  the  three  passes,  Sufey,  Sufah,  and  Yemen,  all  unite  ;  and 
a  branch  was  also  said  to  come  in  from  the  Haudeh.'' 

At  12.25  we  crossed  the  branch  of  Wady  el-Yemen,  which 
commences  not  far  to  the  right.  Here  we  immediately  began  to 
ascend  by  a  low  gap  in  the  ridge  before  us,  called  el-Muzeikah. 
The  ascent  is  gradual  and  easy ;  at  a  quarter  before  one,  we 
were  at  the  top,  and  came  out  upon  another  higher  tract  of 
table  land,  or  rather  a  basin,  shut  in  on  the  southeast  by  hiUs, 
forming  the  top  of  the  ridge.  They  are  here  comparatively  low  ; 
but  further  towards  the  W.  S.  W.  the  ridge  becomes  higher,  and 
spreads  out  into  a  mountainous  tract,  through  which  our  Arabs 
knew  no  road.  Yet  we  were  led  to  suppose,  that  the  pass  el- 
Gharib,  of  which  we  had  several  times  heard,  is  probably  con- 
nected with  this  range  of  mountains.^ 

We  kept  on  N.  N.  W.  across  the  basin,  around  which  are 
gravel  hills,  and  which  is  bounded  on  the  other  side  at  the  dis- 
tance of  about  an  hour  by  another  low  ridge  or  line  of  hills, 
parallel  to  that  we  had  just  ascended.  On  our  right  the  surface 
had  a  gradual  descent ;  and  here  was  the  beginning  of  a  Wady 
running  down  northeast  to  Wady  el-Fa'iya,  and  forming  one  of 
its  heads.  On  the  left  we  could  perceive  a  shallow  Wady  called 
Abu  Teraifeh,  coming  from  the  north  and  passing  down  through 
the  hiUs  of  the  ridge  we  had  ascended,  about  half  a  mile  further 
southwest  to  Wady  el- Yemen.  Another  road  ascends  along  this 
Wady,  which  was  taken  by  some  of  our  Arabs.  Just  at  the 
head  of  this  latter  pass,  we  could  distinctly. see  the  ruins  of  a 
town,  called  Kurnub,  covering  a  low  hill  near  the  Wady  ;  our 
guides  said  there  was  here  living  water  in  pits  (Themail)  ;  and 
on  that  account  they  had  been  very  desirous  to  reach  this  spot 
the  evening  before.  With  our  telescopes  we  could  distinguish 
two  or  three  ruined  walls,  apparently  of  hewn  stones,  which 
seemed  to  be  the  remains  of  churches  or  other  public  "buildings.V 


'  See  above,  pp.  104,  106. 

'  In  1834,  M.  Callier  travelled  from 
Hebron  to  "  D.iriy6  "  (Dhoheriyeh ) ;  thence 
S.  S.  W.  to  Wady  "Kalassa"  (Kliulacah, 
Kuni,  see  Vol.  I.  p.  202)  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  where  he  encamped  on  the 
third  day.  On  the  fourth  day  he  follow- 
ed up  this  Wady  into  the  mountains  and 
then  descended  eastwards  along  another 
Wady  called  "Traybe"  (Turuibeh),  which 
brought  him  near  to  the  Ghor.  This 
would  seem  to  have  some  reference  to  the 
tract  we  were  now  crossing,  which  is  about 
Vol.  II.— 17* 


in  the  latitude  of  Wady  Khulasah ;  and 
the  traveller  probably  approached  the  pass 
of  Yemen.  But  from  Hebron  to  this 
point,  his  route  by  Dhoheriyeh  was  singu- 
larly circuitous  ;  occupying  four  days  in- 
stead of  the  two  which  it  took  us.  See 
Journ.  des  Savans  Jan.  183G,  p.  47.  Nouv. 
Annal.  de  Voy.  1839,  Tom.  III.  p.  274. 

^  See  Vol.  I.  p.  208  ;  also  p.  179,  above. 

*  Lord  Lindsay  appears  to  have  ascend- 
ed by  the  more  southern  pass,  directly  to 
Kurimb ;  he  describes  it  as  the  extensive 
ruins  of  an  ancient  walled  town,  about 
ii.  615,  616 


198 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


This  place  is  marked  on  Seetzen's  map,  and  would  seem  most 
probably  to  have  been  the  Thamara  of  Ptolemy  and  other 
■writers,  as  well  as  the  Thamar  of  the  Old  Testament.'  The 
grounds  on  which  this  supposition  rests,  will  be  better  under- 
stood in  connection  with  the  remarks  respecting  el-Milh  further 
on. 

In  passing  over  this  open  tract  or  basin,  we  saw  traces  of 
grass,  now  dried  up.  At  1.20  we  crossed  obliquely  the  bed  of 
Wady  Abu  Teraifeh.  Here  a  path  branched  off  to  the  right, 
leading  directly  to  the  country  of  the  Jehahn  ;  while  that  which 
we  still  followed  is  the  Hebron  and  Gaza  road.  At  2  o'clock  we 
came  out  upon  the  top  of  the  swell  or  low  ridge  above  mentioned, 
here  called  Kubbet  el-Baul  ;  and  had  before  us  a  smaller  basin 
forming  the  head  of  Wady  'Ar'arah,  which  runs  off  to  Wady  es- 
Seba',  and  so  to  the  Mediterranean.  We  now  had  a  slight  de- 
scent into  this  basin,  and  kept  then  along  the  broad  Wady. 
Here  was  the  first  appearance  of  soil ;  and  along  this  tract  we 
found  at  2.30  traces  of  ancient  walls,  probably  once  dams  or 
terraces  connected  with  tillage.  Indeed  the  vestiges  of  ancient 
cultivation  began  to  be  everywhere  visible.  Towards  the  western 
part,  at  3.05,  we  passed  the  foundations  of  a  former  village  of  un- 
hewn stones,  now  called  el-Kuseir  (little  castle),  from  a  small 
structure  near  the  foot  of  the  hiU,  which  may  have  been  a  tower. 
This  tract  belongs  to  the  DhuUam.  We  found  in  it  a  stray  female 
camel  with  her  foal,  which  our  Arabs  at  first  were  inclined  to 
drive  off  with  them.  They  caught  her  and  examined  her  marks  ; 
and  finding  that  she  belonged  to  the  'Azazimeh,  let  her  go. 
Each  tribe  has  a  peculiar  mark  for  its  camels  ;  and  those  of  one 
tribe  are  in  no  danger  of  being  taken  by  any  other  in  time  of 
peace.  • 

At  a  quarter  past  3  o'clock,  another  path  went  off  towards 
the  right,  leading  directly  to  el-Milh  ;  this  is  the  usual  Hebron 
road.  We  still  kept  the  Gaza  path,  which  passes  to  the  left  of 
el-Mllh.  The  Wady  soon  sweeps  off  more  towards  the  northeast 
and  after\Yards  northwest.  We  ascended  the  low  ridge  or  swell 
on  the  left,  and  from  the  top  at  3|  o'clock,  had  a  wide  view  over 
the  broad,  open,  undulating  region,  extending  ia  the  northeast  to 

three  hours  from  the  top  of  the  pass  es-  self  not  tinnaturally  :  ^Mjether  these  rnSns 

Sufah,  exhibiting  fragments  of  columns,  may  not  mark  the  site  of  Honnah,  the  an- 

bnt  no  inscriptions  ;  he  saw  a  large  vault-  cient  Zophath  ?     But  this  place  would 

ed  subterranean  chamber  near  a  ruined  more  appropriately  be  sought  further  south, 

building,  and  a  strong  dam  in  a  ravine  on  nearer  to  the  pass  Si'if  in  (Zephatli) ;  if 

the  south  of  the  town.    Letters  etc.  II.  p.  not  indeed  quite  at  the  foot  of  the  pass 

46.     \\'hen  Schubert  passed  this  way,  around  the  small  fort.    It  could  hardly  be 

there  was  here  an  Arab  encampment;  expected,  that  any  very  di?-tiiict  niins  should 

Reise  II.  p.  449.  yet  remain  of  a  town  last  mentioned  in  1 

'  l-iek.  47,19.    48,28.    Reland  Pa-  Sam.  30,  30.    See  Reland  PaL  p.  721. 
Itest.  p.  1031. — The  question  suggests  it- 
ii.  GIC,  G17 


ABOER. 


199 


the  neighbourhood  of  Tell  'Arad,  and  on  the  west  towards  Beer- 
sheba,  with  the  mountains  of  Judali  in  the  north.  Indeed  it 
was  the  southern  part  of  the  same  wide  tract,  which  we  had 
formerly  beheld  from  the  mountain  south  of  Carmel  and  that 
same  mountain  ridge  was  now  directly  before  us,  terminating 
towards  the  left  in  a  low  bluff ;  and  forming,  as  it  were,  another 
step  in  the  whole  ascent.  The  high  encampment  of  the  Jehalin 
was  visible  bearing  about  N.  N.  E. — Descending  very  gradually 
towards  the  north  for  an  hour,  we  again  struck  "Wady  'Ar'arah 
at  4|  o'clock,  here  running  northwest  and  then  W.  N.  W.  to  join 
W ady  es-Seba',  of  which  it  is  one  of  the  main  branches. 

Here  in  the  broad  Wady  are  many  pits  for  water  (Themail), 
which  are  caEed  'Ar'arah,  and  give  name  to  the  valley.  The 
water  is  good  ;  but  most  of  the  pits  were  now  dry.  In  the  val- 
ley and  on  the  western  hiU  are  evident  traces  of  an  ancient  til- 
lage or  town  ;  consisting  only  of  foundations  of  unhewn  stones 
now  much  scattered,  but  yet  sufficiently  in  place  to  mark  them 
as  foundations.  Small  fragments  of  pottery  are  also  everywhere 
visible.  In  this  instance,  the  name  leaves  little  room  to  ques- 
tion, that  this  is  the  site  of  the  ancient  Aroer  of  the  south  of 
J udah  ;  to  which  David  sent  presents  after  the  recovery  of  the 
spoil  of  Ziklag.' — This  water  is  frequented  chiefly  by  the  Dhul- 
1am.  On  the  west  side  of  the  bed  of  the  Wady  is  a  burying 
place  belonging  to  the  Sa'idiyeh ;  in  which  were  several  fresh 
graves.  The  dead  are  brought  from  a  great  distance  to  this 
cemetery. 

We  had  come  thus  far  upon  the  Gaza  road  in  order  to  visit 
the  site  of  Aroer.  After  a  stop  of  ten  minutes,  we  now  struck 
across  the  country  northeast  towards  Milh,  without  a  path,  in 
order  to  regain  the  Hebron  road.  The  land  was  undulating, 
with  gentle  swells  and  broad  valleys.  Here  we  fell  in  with 
another  stray  camel,  which  joined  company  with  ours,  although 
the  Arabs  tried  to  drive  it  away.  At  6  o'clock  we  encamped  in 
a  retired  valley,  hid  from  all  view  ;  and  felt  ourselves  now  out 
of  the  reach  of  aU  marauders,  whether  real  or  imaginary. 

Monday,  June  4th.  We  rose  early,  and  found  ourselves 
enveloped  in  a  thick  fog,  the  first  we  had  yet  felt  in  Palestine  ; 
once  before,  when  at  Beit  Nettif,  we  had  seen  the  mists  in  the 
valleys  below.  The  strange  camel  was  still  with  us  5  while  the 
dromedary  of  my  companion  had  strayed  away  during  the  night, 
and  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  It  was  the  property  of  Sheikh 
Hussan,  who  now  went  in  search  of  it.  As  however  we  no 
longer  needed  to  fill  the  water-skins,  we  were  able  to  get  on 
with  four  camels  ;  and  accordingly  set  ofi"  at  5  o'clock,  leaving 


•  See  pp.  97,  98. 


*  1  Sam.  30,  26.  28. 

ii.  617-619 


200 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


HussSn  to  overtake  us.  Our  track  was  northeast  over  a  country 
still  undulating  ;  and  after  an  hour  we  reached  the  wells  el-MUh 
at  6  o'clock.  Here  we  stopped  for  breakfast,  and  to  wait  for 
Hussan  ;  but  we  saw  no  more  of  him  to-day  ;  and  afterwards 
learned,  that  having  sought  long  and  in  vain  for  his  camel,  he 
had  despaired  of  overtaking  us,  and  had  gone  directly  to  the 
encampment  of  his  tribe. 

At  ^lilh  are  two  wells,  measuring  about  forty  feet  in  depth, 
and  walled  up  round  with  good  mason  work  ;  one  of  them  is 
seven  and  a  half,  and  the  other,  five  feet  in  diameter.  The 
water  seemed  not  to  be  good,  and  the  Arabs  said  it  was  acid ; 
but  we  had  no  rope  or  bucket  to  draw  any.  The  Arabs  of  the 
Tiyahah  water  here  ;  they  come  hither  early  in  autumn  ;  and 
after  the  rains  commence,  send  their  camels  to  the  Ghor  es- 
Safieh  for  the  winter,  and  go  themselves  to  sow  in  the  Sheri'ah 
south  of  Gaza. ' — The  broad  shallow  Wady  close  by  which  the 
wells  are  situated,  Wady  el-Milh,  comes  from  the  northeast  and 
continues  on  W.  S.  W.  to  unite  with  the  'Ar'arah,  and  so  to 
"Wady  es-Seba'.  It  passes  around  the  southwestern  extremity 
or  bluff  of  the  ridge  before  us,  (that  south  of  Kurmul,)  which 
was  now  not  far  distant  in  the  same  direction.  Here  and  on  our 
way,  great  numbers  of  the  bird  called  Kuta  by  the  Arabs,  a 
large  species  of  partridge,  were  flying  about  very  low  in  all  di- 
rections ;  our  Egyptian  servants,  being  used  only  to  water-fowl, 
mistook  them  for  ducks,  and  fired  among  them  repeatedly, 
though  without  success.  This  species  of  bird  has  often  been 
suj^posed  to  be  the  quails,  that  came  up  and  covered  the  camp 
of  the  Israelites  ;  but  there  seems  to  be  no  other  ground  for  this 
opinion,  than  their  present  abundance  in  regions  not  very  far 
remote  from  the  route  of  that  people.' 

On  the  plain  adjacent  to  the  weUa  on  the  south,  the  stones  of 
a  ruined  town,  or  extensive  village,  are  scattered  over  a  space  of 
E early  half  a  mile  square,  all  unhewn.  Just  by  the  wells  is  a 
round  hill  like  a  high  tumulus,  upon  which  the  foimdations  of 
a  wall  are  visible,  running  in  the  form  of  a  square  around  the 
whole  top.  On  this  hill  is  now  an  Arab  cemetery,  where  the 
DhuUam  bury.^    From  this  spot  we  saw  Tell  el-Kuseifeh,  a  hill 

'  In  this  connection  it  was  told  ns,  that  the  quail  is  Selwa.    The  ancient  versions 

the  Kudeinit  water  at  Beersheha ;  and  that  also  understood  here   the  quail ;  Sept. 

the  Terabin  live  chiefly  in  the  Fari'a.  oprvyo/i-firpa,    Vulg.    cotvrnix.  There 

"  Kx.  16,  13.    Num.  11,  31.  32.  Ps.  105,  would  therefore  seem  to  be  no  sufficient 

40. — The  Kuti  is  the  7e/raoa/rAa<a  of  Lin-  reason  for  laying  aside  this  coincidence, 

naeus,  Syst.  Xat.  Tom.  I.  P.  II.  p.  745.  Ko.  and  adopting  another  explanation  on  mere 

11.   Has?elquist  calls  it    "  Tetrao  Isra-  conjecture.    See  Gesenius' Notes  on  Biirck- 

elitarum,"  and   describes  it  fully,  Reise  hardt  p.  10G7.    Comp.  Niebuhr's  Beschr 

pp.    331-333.     But  the  Hebrew  name  von  Arabien  p.  17C.    Rosenmuller'a  Bibl 

of  the  bird  of  the  Israelites  is  Sclav  (^^b)  ArchseoL  IV.  ii.  p.  346  sq. 
quaU;  and  the  present  Arabic  name  for       '  ^'rom  the  iummit  of  this  Tell  atMilh, 
ii.  619,  620 


Jose  4.] 


EL-MILH,  MOLADAH, 


201 


about  an  hour  distant,  having  upon  it  what  appeared  to  be  a 
considerable  ruin.  Tell  'Arad  lies*  somewhat  more  remote  ; 
and,  as  we  have  seen,  probably  marks  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Arad.'  The  Arabs  said  indeed,  that  no  ruins  exist  there  ;  but 
they  had  said  the  same  thing  of  'Ar'arah  and  Milh.  Two  other 
places,  Rrddiama  and  'Asluj  were  mentioned  as  lying  southwest 
of  Milh  on  the  way  to  'Abdeh. 

These  wells  and  ruins  at  el-Milh,  I  am  disposed  to  regard 
as  marking  the  site  of  the  ancient  Moladah  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, the  Malatha  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  There  is  at 
first  sight  an  apparent  resemblance  in  the  names  ;  but  I  am 
able  to  make  out  no  etymological  affinity  ;  and  if  there  be  a 
connection,  it  can  be  only  because  the  Arabic,  in  the  popular 
pronunciation,  has  corrupted  the  last  letter,  so  as  to  obtain  a 
usual  and  significant  form.^  But  the  testimonies  of  ancient 
writers  as  to  the  position  of  Malatha  are  tolerably  definite. 

Moladah  was  situated  in  the  extreme  south  of  J udah  towards 
Edom  ;  it  was  afterwards  assigned  to  Simeon  ;  and  was  again 
inhabited  after  the  exile. ^  Josephus  also  mentions  Malatha  as 
in  his  day  a  castle  of  Idumea.*  Eusebius  and  Jerome  speak 
of  it  several  times,  and  place  it  four  Roman  miles  from  Arad, 
on  the  way  from  Hebron  to  Aila  by  Thamara  ;  Arad  itself 
being  according  to  them  twenty  miles  from  Hebron.'  Still  later, 
Malatha  is  noticed  as  the  station  of  a  Roman  cohort.*  To  all 
these  circumstances,  as  it  seems  to  me,  the  situation  of  el-Milh 
very  exactly  corresponds.  We  have  here  the  vestiges  of  an  ex- 
tensive town  with  important  wells,  on  the  great  route  from 
Hebron  to  the  Red  Sea  through  the  'Arabah  ;  and  in  the  N.  E. 
by  E.  we  still  find  Tell  'Arad,  about  an  hour  and  a  half  from 

we  took  the  following  bearings :  Encamp-  and  Mawalih. — But  even  to  the  supposi- 

ment  of  the  Jehalin  about  N.  38°  E.  tion  of  such  a  corruption  from  the  Greek, 

Tell  el  Kuseifeh  N.  54°  E.    Tell  'Ariid  N.  there  is  this  objection.    In  all  other  cases 

59°  E.  where  the  present  Arabic  name  of  a  place 

'  See  above,  p.  101.  owes  its  origin  to  a  Greek  name,  that 

'  The  form  Milk  has  no  etymological  Greek  name  was  wholly  different  from  the 

affinity  with  Moladah  (mbia)  nor  Mala-  original  Hebrew  one ;  as  in  Nubulus  and 

tha  (M<£A.a.*o).    There  is' no  known  in-  SebQstieh  for  the  ancient  Shechem  and  Sa- 

stance  of  a  change  of.  or  »  into  the  ^f"^  ^^"^  ^'■'"'^         itself , is 

A    v    rr      Tf       '1.1    -..1.  mere  corruption  of  the  Hebrew :  and  the 

tt^^^\ZCiM^^^^^  ^-"^^ 

must  regard  it  as  an  instance  of  the  usual  s  ■,'  ,  ,~ 

tendency  of  popular  pronunciation,  to  re-  Josh.  15,  26,  corap.  vs.  21.    19,2.  1 

duee  foreign  proper  names  to  a  si<^uificant  t'                 ^^'26.    See  generally 

form  ;  as  in  German,  Mailand  (i.  e.  May-  ^^^"^^  Falsest,  pp.  885,  886. 

land)  for  MUan ;  and  as  in  English  the  *  Antiq.  18.  6.  2. 

plant  Asparagus  is  mostly  known  among  '  Onomast.  arts.  Arath  ('Apand),  Haza- 
the  common  people  only  as  Sparrow-grans.  zon-Tliamar.  See  note  2,  on  the  ne.xt  page. 
At  any  rate,  .l/i7A  (salt)  and  its  derivatives  «  Notitia  Dignitatum  ed.  Pancirol.  pp. 
furnish  among  the  Arabs  many  names  for  217,  219.  Reland  Pal.  p.  231.— The  No- 
places ;  thus  besides  Milh,  we  have  in  sev-  titia  reads  Moleahn,  and  another  manu- 
eral  instances,  Malih,  Mulihah,  Muweilih,  script  has  Moleathia. 

ii.  620-G22 


202 


FROM  WADT  MUSA  TO  HEBRON, 


[Sec.  XH 


Milh,  and  some  eight  hours  distant  from  Hebron  on  a  different 
route.' 

According  to  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  Thamara  was  a  town  and 
fortress  one  day's  journey  from  Malatha  on  the  way  from  Hebron 
to  Ailah,  and  in  their  day  was  held  by  a  Roman  garrison.^  It 
is  likewise  mentioned  in  the  same  quarter  by  Ptolemy  and  ia 
the  Peutinger  Tables  and  seems  to  have  been  the  Thaniar  of 
the  prophet  Ezekiel,  from  which  the  southern  border  of  the  land 
was  to  be  measured,  on  one  side  to  Kadesh,  and  on  the  other  to 
the  western  sea.*  If  we  assume,  as  above,  that  Malatha  was 
situated  at  el-Milh,  then  all  the  circumstances  correspond  to  fix 
the  position  of  Thamara  at  Kurnub,  the  site  with  ruins  six 
hours  south  of  Milh  tow-ards  the  pass  es-Sufah.  In  that  place 
we  find  the  remains  of  a  walled  town  with  water,  on  the  great 
route  from  Hebron  to  'Akabah  by  way  of  the  'Arabah,  at  the 
distance  of  an  ordinary  day's  journey  from  el-MUh.^ 

From  all  these  considerations,  it  appears  probable,  that  the 
ancient  eastern  road  from  Hebron  to  Ailah  and  also  that  to 
Petra,  followed  the  same  general  route  as  that  of  the  present 
day  ;  passing  by  Malatha  and  Thamara,  and  so  down  the  moun- 
tain to  Kadesh  ;  just  as  now  it  touches  el-Milh,  Kurnub,  and 
el-Weibeh,  and  thence  branches  off  to  'Akabah  and  Wady 
Musa.' 

After  having  waited  for  more  than  an  hour  and  a  half,  and 
no  Hussan  appearing,  we  at  length  at  7.40  set  forward.  The 
guides  were  very  desirous  to  take  us  to  the  encampment  of  their 
tribe  for  the  night ;  while  our  wish  was  to  go  by  Semu'a  and 
reach  Hebron  to-day  ;  both  because  it  would  save  us  time,  and 
because  we  should  thus  escape  the  annoyance  of  the  Bedawia 
hospitahty,  manifested  in  the  killing  and  eating  of  a  sheep 
among  themselves,  for  which  we  should  then  have  to  pay  the 
full  value  in  the  shape  of  a  present.  Yet  so  bent  were  the 
Arabs  upon  their  object,  that  at  first  they  prevaricated,  and  said 
there  was  no  way  by  Semu'a  ;  though  they  could  take  us,  they 


'  To  jvKlge  merely  from  the  name,  el- 
Milh  might  well  be  the  "  City  of  Salt " 
(nban  i^S)  mentioned  Josh.  l.'S,  62. 
That  city  however  lay,  not  in  the  south  of 
Judah,  but  in  the  desert  near  the  Dead 
Sea  (comp.  vs.  21.  61)  ;  and  I  have  already 
spoken  of  it  as  probably  situated  in  or  near 
the  valley  of  Salt,  connected  with  the 
mountain  of  Salt,  at  the  south  end  of  that 
lake.    See  above,  p.  10!). 

'  Onomast.  art.  llazazon-Tliamar.  The 
text  of  both  authors  is  here  sinjjularly  cor- 
rupted in  this  proper  name  ;  Eusebius  has : 
liiytTai  Sf  Tis  Qanapa  K<ifi7)  Stfffriixra  fi6\ts 
(aL  MiXis)    rjfitpas  oShy   airi6inii>v  liirh 

ii.  622,  023 


XeBpuv  fls  AtKdjx.  Jerome  :  "  Est  et  aliud 
castelhim  Thamara  unius  diei  itinere  a 
Memphis  oppido  separatum  pergentibus 
Ailam  de  Chebron."  But  these  corrup- 
tions fortunately  aid  in  correcting  each 
other ;  the  Memphis  of  Jerome  serves  to 
show  that  there  must  have  been  here  a 
proper  name ;  while  the  fiSkts  or  Ma\i$ 
of  Eusebius  shows  no  less  clearly,  that  this 
name  was  Malatha.  Comp.  Le  Clerc  in 
loo.    Reland  Patest.  p.  1031. 

'  Ptolem.  4.  IG.  Rcland  Pal.  p.  462. 

*  Ezek.  47,  10.    48,  28. 
"  See  p.  197. 

•  See  p.  185. 


THE  SOUTH  OF  JTDAH. 


203 


said,  across  the  mountain  west  of  their  encampment,  and  so 
through  Susieh  and  Yutta  to  Hebron.  At  last,  however,  they 
recollected  that  there  was  also  a  road  to  Semii'a,  and  we  took  it. 
Our  course  lav  about  N.  X.  E.iE.  haWng  the  mountain  at  our 
left,  and  approaching  it  gradually  and  very  obliquely  along  a 
level  plain.  At  9^  o'clock  we  came  to  the  foot  of  the  ascent ; 
and  had  on  our  right  not  far  off  the  site  of  a  former  place,  called 
llak-htd,  consisting  of  little  more  than  a  few  caves  in  the  side 
of  the  hill.  Indeed,  such  caverns  constitute  the  chief  mark  of 
several  ancient  sites  in  this  region.  The  path  goes  up  here  along 
a  gap  or  ravine,  somewhat  steep,  but  not  long.  We  reached  the 
top  of  the  steep  ascent  at  a  quarter  before  ten ;  and  stopped  for 
a  time  to  take  a  last  survey  of  the  country  behind  us.' 

This  ascent  did  not,  as  we  had  expected,  bring  us  out  upon 
a  ridge,  like  that  we  had  crossed  in  travelKng  south  from  Carmel 
and  Ma'in ;  but  only  among  higher  hills.  After  fifteen  minutes 
we  went  on  again  :  and  continued  crraduallv  ascending:  alon^  the 
Wady,  shut  in  by  the  mountainous  tract  on  every  side,  which 
cut  off  all  prospect  around  us.  Here  all  at  once  a  jackal  start- 
ed up  near  our  path,  and  ran  at  full  speed  up  a  hill  on  our  left ; 
when  about  half  way  to  the  top,  much  to  our  amusement,  he 
stopped  and  looked  round  very  sheepishly,  to  see  if  we  were  yet 
in  sight  ;  and  perceiving  us,  set  off"  anew  with  still  greater  speed, 
without  venturing  to  look  again.  At  lOi  o'clock  we  were 
through  the  mountainous  tract,  and  came  out  upon  the  hill 
country  of  Judah,  resembling  the  region  around  Hebron  in  its 
hUls  and  naked  rocks  ;  but  apparently  less  fertile.  We  made 
here  no  descent  from  the  chain  of  hills  behind  us  ;  but  had 
gained  another  step  of  the  whole  ascent  between  the  Dead  Sea 
and  Hebron. 

On  examining  the  Hst  of  the  cities  of  Judah  and  Simeon,  as 
given  in  the  book  of  J oshua,  it  appears,  that  all  the  cities  of 
the  mountains,"  so  far  as  their  position  is  known,  were  situated 
north  of  the  point  where  we  now  were  ;  while  those  of  the  ut- 
termost south  lay  either  behind  us  or  on  oiu-  left,  further  in  the 
south.2  rpi^jg  to  tlie  probable  conjecture,  that  this  moun- 
tain ridge,  which  commences  not  far  flom  Carmel  and  runs  W. 
S.  W.  to  the  latitude  of  Beersheba,  formed  the  natural  bound- 
ary, on  this  side,  of  the  higher  tract  or  "  mountains"  of  Judah  ; 
while  the  lower  region  further  south,  extending  quite  around 
to  Beersheba,  constituted  appropriately  the  uttermost  border 
"  toward  the  coast  of  Edom  southward." 

At  this  season  of  drought,  the  country  looked  naked  and 

•  The  bearings  here  taken  were  ns  fol-    of  the  mountain  of  Moab,  near  Khanzireh, 
lows :  TeU  Milh  S.  26  W.    TeU  Knseifeh    S.  57'  E. 
S.  2"  E.  TeU  'Arad  S.  70  E.    Sonth  end       »  Josh.  15,  21-32.  4a-60. 

iL  623-625 


204 


FROM  WAJJY  MUSA  TO  HEBEON, 


[Sec.  XII. 


desolate ;  towards  the  north  and  west,  the  eye  rested  only  on 
parched  and  rocky  hills.  Yet  it  was  evidently  a  fine  grazing 
region.  Traces  of  ancient  tillage  were  everywhere  visible  in  the 
terraces  built  up  along  the  hill  sides.  Our  course  was  now  in  gen- 
eral about  N.  20°  E.  At  11.20  we  came  upon  the  first  appear- 
ance of  recent  tillage  ;  and  near  by  were  fields  of  millet,  sown 
by  the  people  of  Semu'a.  At  11.40  we  had  in  a  valley  on  our 
right,  eight  or  ten  minutes  distant,  the  ruins  of  a  village  called 
el-Ghuwein,  perhaps  the  ancient  ^nm  and  at  the  same  time  the 
site  of  Attir  was  on  our  left,  bearing  about  west,  at  the  distance 
of  half  an  hour,  marked  by  caves  upon  a  liill.'^  Here  we  feD  in 
with  several  small  swarms  of  young  locusts,  the  first  we  had  seen 
during  our  journey.  They  were  quite  green,  with  wings  just 
sprouting ;  they  entirely  resembled  grasshoppers,  and  hopped 
briskly  away  from  our  path.  Our  Arabs,  when  asked  if  they 
ate  them,  spurned  at  the  idea  ;  but  said  the  Ma'az  do  so,  and 
also  the  Sherarat,  a  tribe  in  Wady  Sirhan  in  the  east. 

From  an  elevated  point  in  the  road  at  12^^  o'clock,  several 
places  were  visible,  which  we  had  formerly  seen  from  Ma'in.' 
Their  names  and  sites  were  quite  familiar  to  us  ;  and  we  felt 
that  we  were  approaching  Hebron,  which  we  looked  upon  almost 
as  the  end  of  our  journey. 

At  half-past  12  o'clock  we  passed  a  ruin  on  a  hiU  at  the 
left,  called  Rafat  ;  and  just  by  the  way  side  was  a  cistern  of  rain 
water  hewn  in  the  rock,  with  a  large  circular  hewn  stone  near 
by,  intended  probably  as  a  curbstone,  but  never  finished.  Ten 
nadnutes  beyond,  we  came  to  another  place  of  ruins  bearing  the 
same  name,  Rafat,  on  the  southern  slope  of  a  low  hill  close  by 
the  path.  These  ruins  are  somewhat  extensive,  with  remains  of 
walls  and  arches.  A  square  building  of  large  hewn  stones  is  still 
standing  ;  the  doorway  has  been  walled  up  ;  but  over  it  is  a 
round  arch  of  good  workmanship,  separate  from  the  wall,  and 
as  it  were  leaning  against  it.  The  building  has  the  appearance 
of  having  been  once  a  church. 

We  reached  Semu'a,  the  first  inhabited  place  in  approaching 
Hebron  from  this  quarter,  at  1  o'clock.  It  is  a  considerable  vil- 
lage, situated  on  a  low  hill,  with  broad  valleys  round  about,  not 
susceptible  of  much  tillage,  but  full  of  flocks  and  herds  aU  in 

'  The  name  Anim,  C^sr  (for  CS"^?)    i°  Judah,  apparently  beyond 

T-.u   1  c  rn  :»            _„i  If  ..iw      c  '  the  ridge  above  mentioni'd.     The  sng- 

Josb.  15,  50,  IS  the  plural  ot        a  foun-  "  <•  »  •     .  ,        ^  n.-i 

„,      ...              .     :  •    ,.    .  cestion  of  Aium  belongs  to  Dr  Wilson: 

tain.    The  Arabic  Ghuwezn  is  a  d>m.n-  ^j-  jj^^  yi^ie  I.  p.%rA. 

ntive  of  the  form   •,■'5  .    Anim  is  men-  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  494. 

tioned  in  Josh.  1.  c.  along  with  Anab  and  "  These  places  bore  as  follows ;  Semu'a 

Eshtemoa. — In  the  former  edition  I  refer-  N.  20'  E.    Mejd  el-Ba'a  N.  4'  E.  Shu 

red  el-Ghuwein  to  the  Heb.  Ain,  Josh,  weikeh  N.  51"  W.    Dhohoriyeh  N.  57" 

15,  32.    i;>,  7.    The  Arabic  name  cor-  W.    Za'uutah  N.  85°  W. 
responds  better  to  Ain  ;  but  the  latter  was 

ii.  625,  626 


JUMX  4.] 


semu'a,  eshtemoa. 


205 


fine  order.  We  halted  among  the  olive  trees  in  the  shallow 
southern  valley  ;  and  were  glad  once  more  to  obtain  milk  and 
fresh  fruits  for  our  noon-day  meal.  After  dinner  we  walked 
through  and  around  the  village.  In  several  places  there  are  re- 
mains of  walls  built  of  very  large  stones,  bevelled,  but  left  rough 
in  the  middle.  We  measured  several  of  the  stones,  which  were 
more  than  ten  feet  in  length.  These  old  foundations  seem  to 
mark  this  as  the  site  of  an  extensive  ancient  town  ;  probably, 
as  I  have  already  shown,  the  Eshtemoa  of  the  Old  Testament.' 

The  most  conspicuous  object,  at  the  present  day,  is  the 
ruins  of  a  castle  ;  of  which  however  only  one  square  tower  re- 
mains in  any  degree  perfect.  This  and  the  other  portions  of 
the  walls,  are  built  of  well-wrought  masonry,  with  loop-holes  ; 
but  there  are  now  no  arches,  except  some  small  ones  of  modern 
construction.  The  work  does  not  look  ancient  ;  and  might  per- 
haps be  referred  to  the  crusaders,  were  there  any  evidence  that 
they  had  outposts  and  fortresses  further  south  than  Hebron.  It 
is  most  probably  of  Saracenic  or  Turkish  origin. — We  had  some 
difficulty  in  getting  to  the  top  of  the  tower,  as  all  the  doors 
leading  to  it  were  closed  ;  and  we  could  find  no  place  by  which 
to  climb  up  on  the  outside.  The  men  of  whom  we  inquired, 
seemed  too  lazy  to  take  the  trouble  of  showing  us  the  way.  At 
length,  however,  one  man  volunteered  to  take  us  up  ;  and  led 
the  way,  clambering  up  the  outside  of  the  wall,  and  passing 
over  the  flat  roofs  of  several  houses.  He  seemed  well  acquainted 
with  the  surrounding  country,  and  proved  an  intelligent  guide. 

The  prospect  from  the  tower  is  somewhat  extensive  ;  and 
various  places  were  in  sight.'^  At  Susieh,  we  were  told,  here  as 
well  as  at  Ma'in,  is  a  large  extent  of  ruins,  with  columns  and 
other  indications  of  an  ancient  city.'  Our  guide  also  said  that  at 
Mar'in  and  Tawaneh,  there  are  wells  of  living  water  belonging  to 
the  Jehalin  ;  and  other  similar  ones  at  Deirat  and  Abu  Sheb- 
ban  belonging  to  the  Ka'abineh  ;  while  both  tribes  water  at 
Kurmul  in  common.  This  however  does  not  accord  with  the 
account  given  us  by  the  Jehalin  themselves.'' 

As  we  came  down  from  the  tower,  an  old  man  sat  at  the 
foot,  playing  on  the  Kemenjeh,  a  little  musical  instrument  some- 
what like  a  viol,  common  also  in  Egypt,  and  described  by  Mr 
Lane.'  We  left  Semu'a  at  2\  o'clock,  descending  first  gradually 
into  a  deep  valley  running  southwest,  apparently  the  great  drain 
of  the  basin  west  of  Carmel  and  Zif and  then  ascending  to 

"  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  494,  n.  4.  »  See  Vol.  I.  p.  494. 

"  Bearings  at  Semu'a  :  Ma'in  N.  87°  *  See  p.  98,  above.     Comp.  Vol.  I.  p. 

E.    Susieh  N.  80'  E.    Beni  Na'im  N.  41°  499. 

E.    Yutta  N.  30'  E.    Hebron,  not  visible,  '•  Mann,  and  Cust.  of  the  Mod.  Egyp- 

aboutN.  20'  E.  Mejd el-Ba'a N.  5' W.  Shu-  tians.  Vol.  II.  p.  6.3  sq. 

weikeh  N.  75"  W.    Dhoheriyeh  N.  77°  W.  '  See  above.  Vol.  I.  p.  493. 

Vol.  II.— 18  ii.  626-628 


206 


FROM  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[SKcXn. 


the  higher  tract  heyond.  Here,  after  ahout  three  quarters  of  an 
hour,  Yutta  lay  on  the  right  before  us,  having  the  appearance 
of  a  large  modern  Muhammedan  town,  on  a  low  eminence,  with 
trees  around.  Our  guide  at  Semii'a  told  us,  that  there  were 
here  old  foundations  and  walls  like  those  in  the  former  place. 
We  have  already  seen  that  this  is  the  ancient  Juttah  of  the  Old 
Testament,  a  city  of  the  priests,  which  has  been  lost  sight  of 
since  the  days  of  Jerome.  There  seems,  therefore,  little  reason 
to  question  the  correctness  of  Roland's  suggestion,  that  this  was 
probably  the  residence  of  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth,  and  the 
birthplace  of  John  the  Baptist.' 

We  were  here  of  course  considerably  higher  than  in  the  plain 
of  Carmel.  After  3  o'clock  we  began  to  get  among  bushes,  the 
verdure  of  which  we  had  long  seen  from  a  distance  as  we  ap- 
proached. 

Descending  into  a  cultivated  valley  at  3.20,  we  turned  off 
from  the  road,  firet  west  and  then  W.  S.  W.  to  Um  el-'Amad, 
"  Mother  of  Columns,"  a  site  of  ruins  thirty-five  minutes  dis- 
tant. Here,  on  a  low  round  hill,  once  stood  apparently  a  town 
of  no  great  size,  with  houses  of  hewn  stone,  the  foundations  of 
which  still  remain.  The  place  takes  its  name  from  the  ruins  of 
a  small  church,  which  had  originally  four  columns  on  each  side 
of  the  middle  aisle  ;  of  those  on  the  south  side,  three  with  the 
architrave  are  still  standing  ;  and  one  on  the  north  side.  They 
are  all  of  common  limestone,  of  coarse  architecture,  and  of  no 
order.  Near  by  is  an  excavated  tomb  or  magazine. — This  spot 
is  not  far  fi-om  the  south  side  of  the  great  Wady  el-Khfihl.^ 

After  a  stop  of  ten  minutes,  we  returned  E.  N.  E.  leaving 
the  ruined  village  Beit  'Amreh  on  our  left,  to  the  Hebron  road. 
This  we  reached  at  4.40,  at  a  point  some  twenty  minutes  north 
of  wdiere  we  had  left  it  ;  thus  losing  in  all  about  an  hour.  We 
soon  came  to  the  great  Wady  el-Khiilil,  here  mnning  southwest 
and  quite  deep  ;  we  reached  the  bottom  at  5  o'clock.  On  a  hill 
at  the  right,  on  the  south  bank,  are  the  ruins  of  a  village,  the 
name  of  which  we  did  not  learn.  Crossing  the  valley,  we 
entered  Wady  Kirlds,  which  conies  in  from  the  north  ;  on  the 
left  is  a  Tell  with  the  ruins  of  a  village  called  Kirkis,  which  we 
passed  at  5\  o'clock.  Our  way  led  up  the  W ady  ;  which  how- 
ever soon  turns  more  N.  N.  W.  while  our  path  ascended  obliquely 
along  the  eastern  slope  to  the  top  of  the  ridge  ;  where  we  came 

'  Josh,  l.'j,  ."i.^.    21,16.    See  above,  Vol.       '  From  Um  el-'Amad  we  took  bcarirps  : 

I.pp.4'.)l,  4!»4.  Also  Rcliind  Pal.T.'st  p.  870.  Dhoheriyeh  .S.  74    W.    Mi'jd  el-B..'n  S. 

Relaiid  sup;)oses  this  to  be  the  ^(JAis 'loi'/Sa  25' E.  Beit  'Amreh  N.  44  E.    Thi.s  last 

of  Luke  1,  3!l ;  being  so  written  by  a  cor-  is  the  niinsof  a  large  village  on  a  hill  iieai' 

ruption,  or  from  a  softer  pronunciution,  Wady  el-Khulil,  ]K'rhaps  twenty  minutes 

instead  of  ttSMs  'Iouto.  distant  from  Um  el-'Amad. 

ii.  628;  629 


Jtoh  5.] 


TUTTA.  HEBRON. 


207 


out  at  6  o'clock.  Here,  close  on  our  right,  were  the  foundations 
of  another  ruined  village. 

At  this  point  begin  the  fields  of  grain  and  the  cultivation  on 
this  side  of  Hebron.  We  now  kept  along  on  high  ground, 
around  the  heads  of  two  cultivated  Wadvs  running  off  southeast, 
and  at  6.20  reached  the  top  of  another  ridge,  from  which  we  de- 
scended into  a  broad  fertile  Wady  full  of  fields  of  wheat,  run- 
ning down  into  the  valley  in  which  Hebron  is  situated.  We  fell 
in  with  many  people  returning  from  their  work,  some  of  them 
with  donkeys  carrying  home  loads  of  sheaves.  This  showed  that 
the  wheat  harvest  was  here  just  beginning.  We  came  now 
upon  the  olive  groves  and  vineyards  ;  and  rounding  the  point  of 
the  hill  between  the  two  valleys,  entered  that  in  which  Hebron 
stands.  At  length,  at  7{  o'clock,  we  encamped  on  our  old  spot 
on  the  green  slope  west  of  the  city. 

Our  friend  EUas  was  already  on  the  look-out,  and  soon 
visited  us  ;  and  we  were  glad  to  learn,  in  general,  that  all  things 
remained  as  they  were.  The  plague  in  Jerusalem,  it  was  said, 
had  not  increased  its  ravages  ;  although  the  city  continued  to  be 
still  shut  up. 

Tuesday,  June  5th.  Our  first  care  now  was,  to  decide  upon 
our  further  course  from  Hebron  ;  and  as  the  journey  from  Wady 
Musa  had  occupied  less  time  than  we  had  anticipated,  in  conse- 
quence of  our  travelling  uninterruptedly  by  night  and  day  ;  and 
as  much  of  the  week  was  still  before  us  ;  we  concluded  to  go 
from  Hebron  to  Eamleh,  and  thence  to  Yafa  or  Jerusalem,  as 
the  case  might  be.  In  Hebron,  however,  no  animals  were  to  be 
had,  except  camels  or  asses  ;  and  we  therefore  despatched 
Komeh  at  once  on  a  donkey  to  J erusalem,  to  bring  us  beasts, 
money,  and  our  letters  ;  and  return  as  soon  as  possible.  We 
had  occupation  enough,  and  more  than  enough,  for  the  day,  in 
writing  up  our  journals  ;  which  during  our  late  rapid  travelling 
had  fallen  greatly  behind. 

In  the  course  of  the  forenoon,  the  Sheikhs  of  the  Jehalin, 
Defa'  Allah  and  our  guide  Hussan,  came  in  to  receive  their 
money  and  to  take  leave.  They  and  the  men  of  Hebron,  of 
whom  many  visited  us,  expressed  great  indignation  at  the  con- 
duct of  the  Arabs  of  Wady  Musa,  and  paid  us  many  compli- 
ments for  having  extricated  ourselves  so  successfully  from  their 
clutches.  We  distributed  a  bakhshish  to  Sheikh  Hussan  and 
his  men,  which  appeared  to  satisfy  them  fully  ;  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  wortliless  Muhammed,  whom  we  designedly  passed 
over,  and  whose  disappointment  seemed  to  amuse  the  Sheikhs. 
We  had  also  a  hint  from  Elias,  that  besides  all  this,  a  present 
of  ten  or  twelve  dollars  to  the  chief  Sheikh  would  be  very 
proper  ;  but  as  the  suggestion  lay  very  near,  that  if  the  said 

ii,  629-6.S1 


208 


FROSI  WADY  MUSA  TO  HEBRON. 


[Sec.  XH 


Sheikh  deserved  such  a  present,  a  similar  one  would  be  much 
more  proper  in  the  case  of  Elias  himself,  we  could  not  regard  the 
hint  as  entirely  disinterested,  and  took  no  further  notice  of  it. 
Defa'  Allah  himself  put  in  no  such  claim. 

As  to  the  price  of  the  camels,  we  could  not  pay  it  until  our 
money  should  arrive  from  Jerusalem  the  next  day.  Meanwhile, 
there  arose  a  trial  of  skill  between  Elias  the  Christian  and  Defa' 
Allah  the  Bedawy,  in  arranging  to  whom  the  money  should  be 
paid  over.  The  Arabs  wished  to  go  home,  leaving  some  one  to 
receive  the  money  ;  and  Elias  felt  entitled  to  be  that  receiver, 
because  he  said  they  owed  him  several  thousand  piastres  ;  while, 
for  this  very  reason,  the  Sheikh  did  not  wish  the  money  to  go  into 
his  hands.  But  the  policy  of  Elias  towards  us  was  so  very 
crooked,  that  it  gave  the  Sheikh  the  advantage  over  him,  how- 
ever Httle  he  might  otherwise  deserve  it.  We  doubted  indeed 
for  a  time  the  story  of  the  debt ;  though  Ehas  afterwards 
showed  us  the  written  obligation.  Our  course  was  plain  enough  ; 
we  had  made  the  bargain  with  Defa'  Allah  for  his  camels  ;  and 
our  duty  was  to  pay  the  money  only  to  him  or  to  liis  order. 
Accordingly,  he  brought  to  us  a  man  with  witnesses,  who  testi- 
fied solemnly,  that  this  person  had  advanced  the  money  to  the 
Sheikh ;  and  now  the  Sheikh,  in  their  presence,  requested  us  to 
pay  over  the  money  to  the  same  man,  when  it  should  arrive. 
Elias  was  very  indignant  on  learning  this  transaction  ;  declaring 
that  we  ought  at  any  rate  to  pay  the  money  into  his  hands  ; 
because  the  bargain  was  made  through  him,  as  the  agent  of  the 
Franks  in  Hebron. 

The  man  to  whom  we  were  to  pay  the  money,  was  the  owner 
of  camels,  to  whom  allusion  has  formerly  been  made. '  He  had 
been  a  great  traveller  in  his  day,  and  now  gave  us  particidar  in- 
formation respecting  'Abdeh  in  the  southern  desert,  as  to  wliich 
we  had  hitherto  had  some  doubts.  He  was  quite  desirous  of 
famishing  us  with  camels  for  our  further  journey  to  Damascus 
and  Beirut.    But  of  this  offer  we  had  no  wish  to  avail  ourselves. 

We  had  now  done  with  camels  ;  and  I  cannot  say  otherwise, 
than  that  I  rejoiced  at  the  circumstance.  Admirably  adapted 
to  the  desert  regions  which  are  their  home,  they  yet  constitute 
one  of  the  evils  which  travelling  in  the  desert  brings  with  it. 
Their  long,  slow,  rolling  or  rocking  gait,  although  not  at  first 
very  unpleasant,  becomes  exceedingly  fatiguing  ;  so  that  I  have 
often  been  more  exhausted  in  riding  five  and  twenty  miles  upon 
a  camel,  than  in  travelling  fifty  on  horseback.  Yet  without 
them,  how  could  such  journeys  be  performed  at  all  ? 

But  their  home  is  the  desert ;  and  they  were  made,  in  the 

•  See  Note  XXUI,  end  of  Vol.  I. 

ii.  631,  632 


JtWE  5.] 


THE  CAMEL. 


209 


wisdom  of  the  Creator,  to  be  the  carriers  of  the  desert.  The 
coarse  and  prickly  shrubs  of  the  wastes,  are  to  them  the  most 
dehcious  food  ;  and  even  of  these  they  eat  but  little.  So  few 
are  the  wants  of  their  nature,  that  their  power  of  going  without 
food,  as  well  as  without  water,  is  wonderful.  They  never  appear 
to  tire,  but  commonly  march  as  freshly  at  evening  as  in  the 
morning.  The  only  instance  I  remember  to  the  contrar)',  was 
yesterday  after  our  long  march  in  returning  to  Hebron  ;  when 
my  young  camel,  on  arriving  at  the  place  of  encampment,  seemed 
weary,  and  lay  down  of  its  own  accord  in  order  to  be  relieved  of 
its  load.  If  they  once  begin  to  fail,  they  soon  lie  down  and  die. 
Thus  two  camels  of  our  train  died  between  Suez  and  'Akabah, 
which  a  few  hours  before  had  been  travelhng  with  full  loads.  In 
all  our  recent  journey  to  Wady  Musa,  the  camels  fed  only  upon 
shnibs,  and  never  tasted  grain  of  any  kind  ;  although  once  we 
had  them  loaded  for  thirty-six  hours,  during  aU  which  time  they 
browsed  only  for  one  hour. 

Their  well  known  habit  of  lying  down  upon  the  breast  to  re- 
ceive their  burdens,  is  not,  as  is  often  supposed,  merely  the  result 
of  training  ;  it  is  an  admirable  adaptation  of  their  nature  to  their 
destiny  as  carriers.  This  is  their  natural  position  of  repose  ;  as 
is  shown  too  by  the  callosities  upon  the  joints  of  the  legs,  and 
especially  by  that  upon  the-breast,  which  serves  as  a  pedestal 
beneath  the  huge  body.  Hardly  less  wonderful,  is  the  adapta- 
tion of  their  broad  cushioned  foot  to  the  arid  sands  and  gravelly 
sod,  which  it  is  their  lot  chiefly  to  traverse. 

The  camel  in  very  many  respects  is  not  unlike  the  sheep. 
They  are  a  siUy  timid  animal,  gregarious,  and  when  alarmed, 
like  sheep  they  run  and  huddle  all  together.  They  are  commonly 
represented  as  patient ;  but  if  so,  it  is  the  patience  of  stupidity. 
They  are  rather  exceedingly  impatient ;  and  utter  loud  cries  of 
indignation  when  receiving  their  loads,  and  not  seldom  on  being 
made  to  kneel  down.  They  are  also  obstinate  and  frequently 
vicious  ;  and  the  attempt  to  urge  them  forward,  is  often  very 
much  like  trying  to  drive  sheep  the  way  they  do  not  choose  to 
go.  The  cry  of  the  camel  resembles  in  a  degree  the  hollow 
bleating  of  the  sheep  ;  sometimes  it  is  like  the  lowing  of  neat 
cattle,  or  the  hoarse  squeal  of  the  swine.  But  the  Arabs  heed 
not  their  cries  ;  nor  does  the  poor  animal  find  much  mercy  at 
their  hands.  Heavy  and  galling  loads  and  meagre  fare  are  his 
appointed  portion ;  and  God  has  hardened  him  to  them.  The 
camels  of  the  Fellahln  appear  to  have  an  easier  lot ;  they  are 
mostly  large,  fat,  and  strong  ;  while  those  of  the  Bedawin  in  the 
deserts  are  comparatively  thin  and  slender. 

The  singular  power  of  the  camel  to  go  without  water,  seems 
also  to  be  of  the  same  nature  as  that  of  the  sheep,  at  least  in  its 

Vol.  II.— 18*  ii.  632-«34 


210 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


manifestation  ;  thongli  in  a  far  greater  degree.  The  dew  and 
the  juice  of  grass  and  herbs,  are  sufficient  for  them  in  ordinary 
cases  ;  though  when  the  pasturage  has  become  dry,  the  Arabs 
water  their  flocks  eveiy  two  days,  and  the  camels  every  three. 
The  longest  trial  to  which  we  subjected  our  camels  in  respect  to 
water,  was  from  Cairo  to  Suez,  four  days  ;  yet  some  of  them  did 
not  drink-  even  then,  although  they  had  only  the  driest  fodder.* 
But  at  all  times  the  camel  eats  and  drinks  httle,  and  secretes 
little  ;  he  is  a  cold-blooded,  heavy,  sullen  animal,  having  little 
feeling  and  little  susceptibility  for  pain.  Thistles  and  briers  and 
thorns  he  crops  and  chews  with  more  avidity  than  the  softest 
green  fodder  ;  nor  does  he  seem  to  feel  pain  from  blows  or 
pricks,  unless  they  are  very  violent. 

There  is  nothing  graceful  or  sprightly  in  any  camel,  old  or 
young  ;  all  is  misshapen,  ungainly,  and  awkward.  The  young 
have  nothing  frisky  or  playful ;  but  in  all  their  movements  are 
as  staid  and  sober  as  their  dams.  In  this  respect,  how  unlike  to 
the  lamb  ! 

As  the  carriers  of  the  east,  the  "  ships  of  the  desert,"  another 
important  quahty  of  the  camel  is  their  sure-footedness.  I  was 
surprised  to  find  them  travelling  with  so  much  ease  and  safety 
up  and  down  the  most  rugged  mountain  passes.  They  do  not 
choose  their  way  with  the  like  sagacity  as  the  mule,  or  even  as 
the  horse  ;  but  they  tread  much  more  surely  and  safely,  and 
never  either  slip  or  stumble.  In  all  our  long  journeys  with 
them,  I  do  not  recollect  a  single  instance  ;  and  yet  no  roads  can 
be  worse,  than  the  passes  in  going  and  returning  between  He- 
bron and  Wady  Miisa. 

The  sounds  by  which  the  Arabs  govern  their  camels,  are  very 
few  and  very  guttural.  The  signal  for  kneeling  is  not  unhke  a 
gentle  snore  ;  and  is  made  by  throwing  the  breath  strongly 
against  the  palate,  but  not  through  the  nose.  That  for  stop- 
ping, is  a  sort  of  guttiiral  clucldng,  which  I  could  never  master. 

In  accordance  with  an  invitation  from  Elias,  we  went  to  dine 
with  him  at  6  o'clock  P.  M.  The  room  in  wliich  he  received  us 
was  a  small  one,  in  the  third  or  main  story  of  the  house  ;  it  was 
his  usual  sitting  room.  We  found  three  other  guests  already 
present,  common  Muhammedans  of  the  place.  The  females  of 
the  family  did  not  make  their  appearance.  Dinner  was  soon 
served.  A  large  napkin  was  spread  upon  the  carpet  of  the 
room  ;  on  this  was  placed  a  coarse  wooden  stool,  supporting  a 
large  tray  of  tinned  copper.  Bread  in  thin  sheets  was  laid  for 
each  person  on  the  napkin  below.  On  the  tray  were  three  dishes 
of  pillaw  without  meat  ;  three  dishes  of  mutton  stewed  with 
onions  ;  three  dishes  of  a  kind  of  sausage,  stuffed  with  rice  and 

'  See  Vol.  I.  p.  45  sq. 

ii.  034.  635 


Jttne  6.] 


THRESHING  FLOOES.  PREPAKATIONS. 


211 


chopped  meat ;  and  a  large  bowl  of  lebben  or  soured  milk.  The 
company  sat  around  as  we  best  could,  six  persons  in  all.  There 
were  no  plates  ;  but  each  had  a  wooden  spoon  and  his  fingers. 
We,  as  strangers,  had  silver  forks,  and  one  silver  spoon  between 
us.  Our  companions  seemed  more  dexterous  with  their  fingers 
than  with  the  spoon  ;  the  latter  was  used  to  lade  a  little  of  the 
lebben  upon  the  rice  in  the  dish,  and  then  to  take  up  a  spoonful 
of  the  rice  thus  moistened.  This  constituted  the  dinner  ;  and 
so  soon  as  each  had  done  eating,  he  drew  back  from  the  table. 
A  single  cup  of  coffee  followed,  and  we  soon  retired.  As  we 
passed  down  stairs,  the  younger  females  of  the  family  were 
standing  near  the  kitchen  in  the  second  story,  and  returned  our 
salutations,  welcoming  us  back. 

The  threshing-floors  near  our  tent,  which  during  our  former 
visit  were  full  of  barley  and  lentiles, '  were  now  just  beginning  to 
be  covered  with  sheaves  of  wheat.  The  crops  were  apparently 
very  good  ;  and  there  was  a  prospect  of  a  prosperous  and  busy 
season,  during  both  wheat  harvest  and  the  vintage.  Indeed, 
the  country  in  general  round  about  Hebron,  exhibited  more  of 
industrious  cultivation  and  actual  productiveness,  than  any 
other  equally  extensive  portion  of  the  mountains  of  Judah, 
which  we  visited. 

J^ednesday,  June  6tJi.  Forenoon.  While  we  were  at  break- 
fast early  this  morning,  Komeh  returned  from  Jerusalem,  bring- 
ing with  him  horses,  money,  and  albo  many  letters  from  Europe 
and  America.  The  breakfast  was  at  once  forgotten  over  the 
letters  ;  and  we  rejoiced  to  hear  of  the  health  and  welfare  of 
distant  friends,  both  in  the  old  world  and  the  new.  AVith  a 
burst  of  grateful  emotion,  we  thanked  God,  and  took  courage. 

Komeh  of  course  had  not  entered  Jerusalem,  but  had  had 
communication  with  Mr  Whiting  at  the  gate.  The  horses  too 
he  had  found  outside  ;  the  owners,  on  the  shutting  up  of  the 
city,  having  sent  them  out  to  remain  in  the  fields  around  the 
walls.  We  were  not  particularly  delighted  thus  to  get  again 
one  of  our  former  Mukarj^s  ;  but  were  easily  disposed  to  make 
the  best  of  it.  We  learned  too  that  Mr  Lanneau  and  our  fellow 
traveller  were  keeping  a  strict  quarantine  under  a  guard  in  their 
own  house,  in  order  to  come  out  and  join  us  in  our  tent  on  our 
return. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning,  Ehas  came  again  with  the 
man  who  was  to  receive  the  money  for  the  camels.  It  was 
agreed  between  them,  that  we  should  pay  the  money  into  the 
hands  of  Elias  ;  and  he  should  immediately  deliver  it  over  to 
the  man.  This  took  place  accordingly.  The  only  reason  for  it 
seemed  to  be,  that  Elias  might  be  able  to  say,  the  papuent  was 

'  See  p.  83. 

u.  635-637 


212 


HEBRON. 


[Sec.  Xn. 


made  through  him  as  the  agent  of  the  Franks.  The  man  paid 
him  back  one  hundred  and  fifty  piastres  in  our  presence  ;  which 
we  understood  to  be  his  commission  on  the  bargain  we  had 
made  with  the  Arabs  ;  being  equal  to  thirty  piastres  on  each 
camel.  It  was  probably  partly  in  order  to  render  this  pill  less 
unpalatable  to  Defa'  Allah,  that  Elias  had  yesterday  given  us 
the  hint  respecting  an  extra  present  to  that  Sheikh.  • 

We  finished  writing  up  our  journals,  and  made  our  pur- 
chases of  provisions  for  the  journey  as  far  as  to  Nabulus  ;  since 
we  could  now  obtain  nothing  at  Jerusalem.  Just  as  we  were 
preparing  to  set  off,  two  English  travellers  came  in  from  Beer- 
sheba.  We  had  found  their  tent  here  yesterday,  and  learned 
that  they  had  gone  on  this  excursion.  As  travellers  under  such 
circumstances  do  not  stand  upon  etiquette,  we  called  at  their 
tent,  and  found  the  Eev.  Dr  Mill  and  Col.  Hezata,  who  in  re- 
turning from  India  by  way  of  Egypt,  had  thus  taken  the  route 
through  Palestine.  Our  present  visit  was  a  short  one  ;  but  we 
afterwards  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  them  again  at  Jerusa- 
lem and  Beirut ;  and  also  of  making  in  company  with  them  the 
voyage  from  Beirut  to  Alexandria  and  Smyrna. 

'  I  have  since  learned,  that  things  went  had  few  friends  in  Hebron,  ho  made  ap- 

on  prosperously  with  our  friend  Elias  for  plication  to  the  American  missionaries  at 

the  next  two  years;  and  he  obtained  the  Jerusalem,  to  intercede  in  his  behalf,  that 

height  of  his  ambition,  in  being  made  tlie  his  case  might  be  transferred  to*the  au- 

agent  of  the  British  consul  at  Jerusalem,  thorities  of  the  Holy  City.    This  they  were 

But  early  in  the  last  year  (1840)  he  was  able  to  effect,  through  the  good  will  of 

seized  and  thrown  into  prison,  on  a  charge  the  Mufti ;  and  Elias  was  still  lying  there 

of  peculation.    Feeling  perhaps  that  he  in  prison  at  midsummer, 

il.  637,  638 


SECTION  XIII. 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH  AND  JERUSALEM. 

Wednesday,  June  6th.  Afternoon.  In  lea\'ing  Hebron  for 
Ramleh,  we  decided  first  to  turn  our  steps  towards  el-Burj,  the 
place  which  we  had  been  formerly  prevented  from  visiting  when 
at  Dawaimeh.  We  heard  many  extravagant  reports  from  the 
Arabs  respecting  it ;  so  that  it  seemed  of  sufficient  importance 
to  be  investigated.  We  were  now  ready  to  set  off ;  but  found 
great  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  guide.  Several  persons  oflFered 
their  services ;  but  as  this  seemed  to  be  in  Hebron  a  new  species 
of  employment,  of  which  the  price  was  not  yet  fijsed  or  in  any 
way  regulated,  they  chose  to  demand  at  least  threefold  wages  ; 
apparently  too  without  being  well  acquainted  with  the  route. 
We  offered  the  double  of  what  we  had  formerly  paid  ;  which 
was  refused.  Knowing  however  tnat  we  should  fall  in  with 
persons  on  the  way,  or  at  least  should  certainly  be  able  to  obtain 
a  guide  at  Dura,  we  cut  the  matter  short  with  the  Hebronites  ; 
and  loading  up  our  animals,  left  the  city  at  1  o'clock  alone. 

Our  way  led  up  the  western  hill,  by  the  same  path  which  we 
had  formerly  descended  in  coming  from  Dhoheriyeh.  On  the 
top,  however,  the  roads  separate  ;  we  took  that  leading  to  Dura, 
lying  more  to  the  right  ■  and  proceeded  on  a  general  course 
about  west  by  south.  We  now  passed  through  a  succession  of 
fine  vineyards  sloping  gently  towards  the  west ;  the  way  being 
everywhere  shut  in  between  their  walls.  Our  new  Mukariyeh 
had  loaded  the  tent  and  other  luggage  so  unskilftilly,  that  in 
passing  along  this  narrow  way,  the  load  was  first  caught  against 
the  walls  and  drawn  from  the  horse  ;  and  again,  soon  after,  it 
slipped  off  in  going  down  a  steep  place.  This  detained  us  half 
an  hour.  At  2.40,  we  came  upon  the  head  of  a  valley  running 
westwards,  on  the  north  of  Dura,  towards  the  plain.  It  soon 
becomes  deep  ;  and  looking  down  through  it,  we  could  perceive 
the  distant  sand-hills  along  the  coast.  Here  on  our  right  were 
the  ruined  foundations  of  a  village  ;  and  five  minutes  further, 
on  the  left,  was  a  beautiful  little  spring  with  a  riU  crossing  our 

iii.  1,  2 


214 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


path.  We  learned  from  a  slieplierd,  that  it  is  called  Nunkur, 
and  gives  its  name  to  the  valley.  The  way  continued  along  the 
high  ground  on  the  south  of  this  Wady  ;  and  at  a  quarter  past 
three,  we  passed  another  i:>lace  of  springs  at  the  head  of  a  small 
branch  of  the  same.  Proceeding  across  some  hills,  we  came 
upon  the  fine  plain  which  extends  for  half  an  hour  on  the  east 
of  Dura.  It  was  now  covered  with  fields  of  wheat,  which  the 
peasants  were  busily  engaged  in  reaping  ;  the  wheat  harvest 
having  just  begun. 

Crossing  this  plain,  we  reached  at  4  o'clock  the  large  vUlage 
of  Dura,  situated  on  the  gradual  eastern  slope  of  a  cultivated 
hill,  with  olive  groves  and  fields  of  grain  all  around.  On  the 
top  of  the  hill,  not  far  off,  is  the  Mukam  or  Wely  of  Neby  Nuh 
(Noah),  which  we  had  formerly  seen  from  Dawaimeh.  The 
village  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  district  of  Hebron,  and  is 
properly  the  chief  place  ;  being  the  residence  of  the  Sheikhs  of 
the  house  of  Ibn  'Omar,  who  are  the  head  of  the  Keisiyeh  of 
the  mountains,  and  formerly  raled  over  the  villages.'  We  found 
here  a  party  of  Egyptian  soldiers  ;  but  saw  no  traces  of  anti- 
quity ;  unless  perhaps  in  a  large  hewn  stone  over  a  doorway, 
with  an  ornamental  figure  cut  upon  it.  Here  too  we  were  able 
to  obtain  no  guide  in  the  village  itself ;  but  having  rode  through 
it,  we  found  one  of  the  principal  Sheikhs  with  a  number  of  the 
inhabitants  sitting  in  an  olive  grove  ;  and  laid  our  request  before 
him.  He  treated  us  with  great  civility  ;  and  politely  in\dted  us 
to  remain  over  night ;  repeating  the  usual  story  of  the  insecuri- 
ty of  the  way  ;  but  on  our  declining,  he  immediately  sent  with 
us  the  servant  of  his  brother,  the  head  Sheikh,  who  was  absent. 
This  man  was  a  Nubian  slave,  jet  black,  of  a  tall  commanding 
figure  ;  he  proved  a  very  intelligent  and  faithful  guide,  and 
was  of  great  service  to  us.  He  told  us,  that  his  master,  the 
chief  Sheikh,  was  the  owner  of  five  male  and  six  female  slaves, 
two  hundred  sheep,  three  hundred  goats,  twenty-one  neat  cattle, 
three  horses,  and  five  camels. 

Dura  had  recently  been  the  seat  of  a  violent  quarrel,  in 
which  the  inhabitants,  although  nominally  disarmed-,  seized 
their  weapons  and  went  to  killing  each  other.  This  of  course  drew 
upon  them  the  notice  of  the  government ;  and  it  was  here  that 
the  three  governors,  whom  we  had  recently  met  in  Hebron,  had 
been  for  some  weeks  occupied  in  compelling  the  people  a  second 
time  to  deliver  up  their  arms.  They  had  in  this  way  collected 
from  the  one  i)arty  about  two  hiuidred  guns,  and  from  the  other 
nearly  a  hundred  more,  which  we  had  seen  brought  into  Hebron 
upon  camels.''    The  origin  of  the  quarrel  was  related  to  us,  as 


'  See  above,  p.  27. 
iii.  2,3 


'  Seo  above,  p.  80.    Comp.  p.  57. 


JnsK  a] 


DUKA,  ADORA. 


215 


follows.  A  family  of  Sheikhs,  not  of  tlie  house  of  Ibn  'Omar, 
was  in  power  ;  and  one  of  them  was  MulesoUim  at  the  time  of 
the  last  conscription  ;  in  which  he  and  hi?  followers  so  managed, 
as  to  take  all  the  men  required  for  s-r-ldiers  from  the  opposite 
party.  In  consequence  of  the  ill  will  which  thus  arose,  he 
caused  also  the  head  of  the  house  of  'Omar.  'Abd  er-Rahman.  to 
be  imprisoned.  Up^n  this,  the  brother  of  the  latter,  the  Sheikh 
•whom  we  saw,  went  to  Damascus  to  Sherif  Pasha,  governor  of 
all  Syria,  and  obtained  from  him  the  relea,^  of  the  prisoner. 
The  chief  himself  now  repaired  to  Damascus  ;  and  returned  as 
MuteseUim  in  place  of  his  enemy.  In  the  broils  which  ensued, 
the  parties  took  arms  ;  and  six  men  were  killed,  all  of  the  party 
now  in  disgrace.  The  people  of  Tutta  also  entered  into  the 
quarrel  The  government  interfered  with  stem  severity  ;  gath- 
ered up  the  arms  of  both  parties  ;  and  the  followers  of  the  de- 
posed Mutesellim  withdrew  to  el-Burj  and  other  places  in  the 
plain.  It  was  probably  for  this  reason,  that  the  Sheikh  repre- 
sented the  way  to  el-Burj  as  insecure.' 

Although  we  saw  no  special  traces  of  antiquity  among  the 
buildings  in  Diira,  yet  the  general  aspect  of  the  village  and  of 
the  adjacent  coimtry  testifies,  that  the  place  is  one  of  long  stand- 
ing. There  is  indeed  httle  reason  to  doubt  of  its  being  the 
A'hraim  of  the  Old  Testament,  enumerated  along  with  Hebron 
and  Maresha  as  one  of  the  cities  fortified  by  Rehoboam."^  Un- 
der the  name  Adora  it  is  mentioned  in  the  Apocrypha,  and  also 
often  by  Josephus  ;  who  usually  connects  the  two  places  Adora 
and  Maressa  as  cities  of  the  later  Idumea.^  At  the  same  time 
with  Maressa,"  it  was  captured  by  Hyrcanus,  and  again  built  up 
by  Gabinius.*  After  Josephus,  there  seems  to  be  no  mention 
of  the  place,  either  by  Eusebius  or  Jerome  or  any  other  writer, 
down  to  the  present  day.  Yet  the  name  is  quite  decisive.  The 
dropping  of  the  first  feeble  letter  is  not  uncommon  ;  and  ap- 
pears also  to  have  been  partially  current  in  this  name,  even  in 
the  days  of  Josephus  ;  in  whose  writings  we  find  it  in  several 
instances  in  the  form  of  Dijra.' 

After  a  delay  of  forty  minutes  we  left  Diira  at  4.40,  proceed- 

•  In  1839.  this  ch=«  '  of  Dura.  'AM  er-  ib.  13.  6.  i.  ib.  13.  9.  1.  ib.  13.  15.  ib. 

Rahman,  rose  in  rebellion  against  the  gor-  1-L  5.  3.    B.  J.  I.  2.  6.  ib.  1.  S.  4. 

eruincr.t ;  and  with  his  follo^.  ers  got  pos-  *  Jos.  Ant  13.  9.  1.  ib.  14.  5.  3.  B. 

session   of  flebrou,   and  held  it  fur   a  J.  1.  S.  4.    Comp.  above,  p.  G7. 

tinie.  Tlie  governor  of  Dama^cia  inarched  ^  iiiu^  Dora,  Aiit.  13.  6.  4  in  all  Mss. 

agaiii-t  him:  aud  compelle i  him  to  abiin-  Ant  14.  5.  3  ia  the  test,    Awpfo'r  Dckus, 

dou  Hebron  and  retire  to  th-?  desert  to-  B.  J.  1.  2.  6,  and  ib.  1.  8.  4  in  the  Mss. 

Traidi 'Ain  Jidy.    Here  he  wa>  surrounded  See  generally  Relnnd  Palsst.  pp.  547,  739. 

by  a  cinle  of  2000  men  upon  the  watch  :  — Josephus  scoffs  .at  Apioii  for  plicing  the 

tiirongh  which  he  at  last  cut  his  way,  and  Dora  (Dor)  of  Phenicia  in  Idamea  :  which 

escapc'i  to  the  country  east  of  the  'Aiabah.  at  lejist  server  to  show  diat  Apion  might 

3  Chron.  11,  9.  have  heard  of  this  nume  there:  c.  Apion 


1  Mace  13,  20.  Joseph.  Ant  8.  10.  L 


ui.  iJ-O 


216 


FBOM  HEBROy  TO  RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


ing  on  a  southwest  course,  passing  around  the  head  of  a  Wady 
■which  runs  off  west  on  the  south  of  Dura,  and  crossing  a  low 
ridge  beyond.  Here  we  had  a  view  of  the  western  sea.  At  5 
o'clock  there  was  a  site  of  foundations  on  our  left  called  Khur- 
sah  ;  and  at  the  same  time  Dhoheriyeh  was  visible,  bearing  S. 
35^  W.  The  hills  aroimd  us  were  now  green  with  bushes,  and 
the  trees  higher  than  we  had  usually  seen.  At  5.35,  we  were 
opposite  to  other  ruined  f  oundations,  called  el-Hadb,  at  the  foot 
of  a  hdl  on  our  left.  At  5J  o'clock,  we  passed  between  two 
higher  hills  on  the  brow  of  the  steep  descent  of  the  mountain, 
into  the  head  of  a  Wady  called  el-Keis,  which  nms  down  near- 
ly west  into  the  lower  region.* 

We  followed  down  Wady  el-Keis,  descending  very  gradually 
on  a  western  course.  The  adjacent  hills  were  decked,  as  before, 
with  bushes  and  large  trees.  This  proved  to  be  the  least  steep 
and  rugged,  and  therefore  the  most  feasible,  of  all  the  passes 
that  we  travelled  up  or  down  the  mountains.  The  path  contin- 
ued aU  the  way  in  the  Wady  ;  which  brought  us  out  at  6.40 
into  the  region  of  lower  hUls,  and  valleys,  intermediate  between  the 
moxmtains  and  the  great  plain,  similar  to  that  which  we  had 
formerly  traversed  further  north.  The  hills,  where  not  tilled, 
were  bushy  and  green,  and  sprinkled  with  numerous  flocks  ;  the 
vaUeys  broad  and  covered  with  a  rich  crop  of  wheat  ;  the  fields 
full  of  reapers  and  gleaners  in  the  midst  of  the  harvest  ;  with 
asses  and  camels  receiving  their  loads  of  sheaves,  and  feeding 
unmuzzled  and  undisturbed  upon  the  ripe  grain.^  These  peas- 
ants were  mostly  from  Dura,  belonging  to  the  party  which  had 
fled,  and  was  now  scattered  at  different  places  in  this  region. 

Our  path  led  us  southwest  across  a  broad  basin  or  plain  ; 
around  which  many  of  the  hills  were  marked  by  ruins,  showing 
that  this  tract  of  country  was  once  thickly  inhabited.  Of  these, 
one  called  Deir  el-'Asal  was  on  our  right  at  6.55  ;  another 
named  Beit  er-Rush,  on  the  left  ten  minutes  beyond  ;  at  7.30 
we  had  Khurbet  en-Nusrany  on  the  same  side  ;  and  at  7.40 
some  foundations  called  Beit  Mirsim  occupied  a  Tell  on  our  left. 

Here  we  ascended  from  the  plain,  and  crossed  a  ridge  run- 
ning north  from  this  Tell.  It  was  now  quite  dark.  In  going 
up  the  ascent  the  guide  suddenly  demanded  a  pistol,  and  run- 
ning forward  fired  at  an  animal,  which  he  supposed  to  be  a  hy- 
aena ;  but  without  effect.  We  now  came  into  another  valley 
running  about  S.  by  W.  and  at  8  o'clock  reached  el-Burj,  situa- 
ted on  a  very  rocky  promontor}-,  or  long  point  of  a  hill  project- 

'  From  the  top  of  the  southern  hill  I  '  Ps.  65,  13,  "The  pastures  are  clothej 

took  the  followiug  bearings  :  Yfitta  S.  70'  with  flcx-ks;  the  valleys  aloo  are  covered 

E.    .Semu'a  S.  36'  E.     Dhoheriyeh  S.  over  with  com;  thoy  shout  for  joy,  they 

23°  W.  also  sing." 
iii.  5,  6 


June  7.] 


EL  BUBJ. 


217 


ing  towards  the  west.  The  ground  was  so  rugged  and  so  strewn 
with  rocks,  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  we  could  find  a  place 
for  our  tent  in  the  dark.  It  was  a  full  hour  before  the  tent 
could  be  made  ready,  or  anything  obtained  from  the  peasants 
who  were  sojourning  here,  but  who  had  not  yet  returned  from 
the  fields.  Here  our  faithful  Nubian  showed  himself  active  and 
useful. 

Thursday,  June  ^tli.  On  examining  the  ruins  of  el-Burj 
tlus  morning,  our  expectations  were  disappointed.  The  Arabs 
had  told  us  much  of  them  ;  but  had  given  an  exceedingly  exag- 
gerated report.  Indeed,  it  is  impossible  to  know,  in  ordinary 
cases,  how  much  credit  is  to  be  attached  to  their  accounts  ;  and 
the  truth  often  turns  out  to  be  as  much  beyond  their  reports,  as 
in  this  instance  it  feU  short  of  them.  The  ruins  here  consist  of 
the  remains  of  a  square  fortress,  about  two  hundred  feet  on  a 
side,  situated  directly  upon  the  surface  of  the  projecting  rocky 
hill  above  described.  On  the  eastern  and  southern  sides  a  trench 
has  been  hewn  out  in  the  rock,  wliich  seems  once  to  have  ex- 
tended quite  around  the  fortress.  The  walls  are  mostly  broken 
down,  and  there  remain  no  arches  ;  nor  indeed  is  there  any  thing 
to  mark  distinctly  its  probable  age,  or  even  the  character  of  its 
architecture.  The  stones  which  compose  the  wall,  are  not 
large  ;  and  were  laid  up  with  small  intervening  stones  to  fiU  out 
the  crevices  ;  or  possibly  these  latter  may  have  been  driven  in 
at  a  later  period. ' 

Yet  the  general  appearance  of  the  ruins  is  decidedly  that  of 
a  Saracenic  structure  ;  and  I  am  disposed  to  regard  it  as  one  of 
the  line  of  strong  Saracenic  or  Turkish  fortresses,  which  appears 
once  to  have  been  drawn  along  the  southern  frontier  of  Palestine. 
Of  these  we  had  now  visited  four,  viz.  at  Kurmul,  Semu'a,  Dho- 
heriyeh,  and  this  at  el-Burj.  When  or  for  what  specific  purpose 
those  fortresses  were  erected,  we  have  no  historical  account. 
They  wovdd  seem,  at  first  view,  not  improbably  to  have  had 
their  origin  perhaps  in  the  centuries  before  the  crusades,  during 
the  long  feuds  and  bloody  wars  between  the  various  parties  of 
the  Muhammedan  empire,  or  between  the  rulers  of  Syria  and 
Egypt.  Yet  I  have  been  able  to  find  no  allusion  to  any  one  of 
them  in  any  writer,  whether  Christian  or  Arabian  ;  and  it  is 
possible  that  they  may  have  been  constructed  even  after  the  Ot- 
toman conquest  in  the  sixteenth  century  ;  when  we  know  that 
the  fortress  at  Beit  Jibrin  was  again  built  up.^ 

We  could  hear  of  no  other  fortress  or  ruins  in  all  these  parts. 
There  was  said  to  have  been  formerly  a  tower  or  castle  at  el- 
Khuweilifeh,  a  place  which  we  could  see  in  the  S.  S.  W.  at  the 


'  Compare  the  similar  walla  at  Teffuh,  '  See  above,  p.  25. 
p.  71,  above. 

Vol.  II.— 19 


iii.  6-8 


218 


FBOM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH. 


[SEcXm. 


distance  of  about  an  hour  or  an  hour  and  a  half,  in  the  edge  of 
the  great  plain  ;  but  the  fortress  is  now  level  with  the  ground, 
and  only  a  few  loose  stones  and  foundations  mark  its  former  ex- 
istence. The  place  is  known,  at  the  present  day,  chiefly  as  a 
well  on  the  road  between  Dhoheriyeh  and  Gaza,  where  the  Ti- 
yahah  Arabs  water  their  flocks.  It  seems  however  to  have  ever 
been  a  watering-place  of  importance  ;  and  as  such  is  mentioned 
in  connection  with  the  movements  of  Saladin's  troops  south  of 
el-Hasy,  near  the  close  of  the  twelfth  century.'  We  would 
gladly  have  gone  thither  ;  but  our  time  did  not  permit  the  ex- 
cursion. 

The  ruins  of  el-Burj  are  situated  very  near  the  border  of  the 
hilly  region  towards  the  western  plain  ;  which  latter  we  coidd 
here  overlook  to  a  great  distance.^  Around  the  castle  are  some 
remains  of  huts,  and  many  caves  in  the  rocks,  which  seem  once 
to  have  been  inhabited  as  a  sort  of  vUlage  ;  and  were  now  usu- 
ally occupied  by  a  few  poor  families  from  Dura,  who  come  hither 
to  pasture  their  flocks  and  raise  tobacco.  At  the  present  time, 
other  families  of  the  defeated  party  in  Dura  had  also  taken  up 
their  quarters  here.  The  men  gathered  about  us  this  morning, 
and  were  friendly  in  their  demeanour. 

Just  as  we  were  setting  off,  however,  a  great  clamour  arose, 
in  consequence  of  the  disappearance  of  one  of  our  pistols.  It 
had  been  yesterday  in  the  care  of  our  servant  Ibrahim,  and  was 
now  missing  ;  and  our  servants  and  muleteers  charged  the  peo- 
ple, and  particularly  one  man,  with  having  stolen  it.  This  was 
not  improbable  ;  for  these  Fellahin  covet  nothing  so  much  as 
arms  ;  and  especially  now,  when  they  had  been  so  recently  again 
disarmed.  The  noise  became  very  great ;  and  ended  at  length 
in  a  determination  on  the  part  of  our  followers,  to  take  the 
Sheikh  and  the  suspected  person  before  a  higher  Sheikh,  at  the 
distance  of  an  hour.  As  however  this  waste  of  time  would  have 
been  a  greater  loss  to  us  than  both  the  pistols  ;  and  there  was 
moreover  no  proof,  that  the  one  in  question  had  not  been  lost  by 
Ibrahim  himself ;  we  interfered  to  stop  the  quarrel,  and  proceed- 
ed on  our  journey.  Our  plan  was  to  keep  among  the  hills  as 
far  as  to  'Ain  Shems,  visiting  on  the  way  Terkumieh  and  Beit 
Nusib. 

Leaving  el-Burj  at  6.40,  we  returned  on  our  road  of  last 
evening,  for  twenty  minutes,  to  the  ridge  connected  with  the 
Tell  of  Beit  Mirsim.  Here  we  diverged  from  the  former  path 
more  to  the  left,  going  N.  N.  E.  through  a  region  of  swelling 
hills  and  open  Wadys  covered  with  grain.    At  7.40  we  reached 

'  Boliacddin  Vita  Salad,  pp.  231,  233.  viz.  el-Khuweilifeh  about  S.  25°  W.  Uin 
Comp.  Vol.  I.  p.  207.  er-Rumamin  about  S.  25^  AV.    Zalc  S. 

'  From  el-Burj  we  got  but  few  bearings,    60°  W.    Beit  Mirsim  N.  15°  E. 

iii.  8,  9 


Jtok  7.] 


HARVEST  SCENE.  IDHNA. 


219 


Um  esli-Shukaf  on  a  broad  cultivated  ridge,  where  there  was 
once  a  village.  Here  were  many  threshing-floors  thickly  covered 
with  grain  ;  but  the  village  itself  is  level  \vith  the  ground.  A 
large  party  of  the  people  from  Diira  were  now  here,  threshing 
out  the  wheat  which  they  had  reaped  in  the  valleys  around ; 
living  without  houses  under  the  open  sky,  or  in  cellar-Hke  caves. 
They  inquired  quite  anxiously,  when  we  (the  Franks)  were  com- 
ing to  take  possession  of  the  country.^ 

After  a  stop  of  twenty  minutes,  we  passed  on  ;  and  seeing 
three  paths  before  us,  we  called  back  to  the  people  to  inquire 
which  was  our  road  to  Idhna.  The  reply  was  "  Doghry, 
Doghry  !  "  that  is.  Straight  ahead  !  although  this  applied  to  all 
the  roads  before  us,  just  as  well  as  to  one,  and  strictly  to  neither 
of  them.  It  was  some  time  before  we  could  get  a  more  definite 
direction.  Indeed,  this  indefiniteness  and  want  of  precision 
seems  interwoven  in  the  very  genius  of  the  eastern  languages 
and  character.  Whenever  we  inquired  the  way,  the  first  answer 
was  always  the  everlasting  Doghry  I  Straight  ahead  !  although 
we  perhaps  might  have  to  turn  at  a  right  angle  five  minutes 
afterwards.  Having  here  found  our  road,  we  went  on,  and  at  8| 
o'clock  passed  among  the  ruins  of  Beit  'Auwa,  covering  low 
hills  on  both  sides  of  the  path,  exhibiting  foundations  of  hewn 
stones,  from  which  all  that  can  be  inferred  is,  that  here  was  once 
an  extensive  town.  At  9.20  there  was  another  site  of  scattered 
foundations  on  the  road,  called  Deir  Samit.  In  going  up  an  as- 
cent soon  afterwards,  the  tent  and  luggage  sHpped  off,  and  de- 
tained us  for  fifteen  minutes.  We  came  at  9.40  to  a  cistern  by 
the  way  side,  on  the  level  top  of  a  broad  ridge.  Close  by  were 
other  scattered  ruins,  marking  the  site  of  el-Morak  ;  here  too 
were  many  threshing-floors  in  fuU  operation.  Fifteen  minutes 
further  on  was  another  similar  site,  after  descending  from  the 
ridge.  At  10.20  we  fell  into  the  road  from  Dawaimeh  to  Idhna  ; 
and  reached  the  latter  place  fifteen  minutes  later. 

Here  we  halted  at  the  door  of  our  old  friend,  the  Sheikh, 
whose  hospitable  breakfast  we  had  formerly  left  in  the  lurch.^ 
He  now  welcomed  us  with  a  smile  ;  and  when  we  asked  for  a 
guide  to  the  next  village,  he  offered  to  go  with  us  himself.  So 
"  he  arose  and  saddled  his  ass  ; "  or  rather,  threw  his  cloak  over 
the  animal ;  and  in  ten  minutes  we  were  again  upon  our  way  ; 
the  Sheikh  intimating  as  he  mounted,  that  he  hoped  we  would 
show  him  "  charity,"  which  means  a  bakhshish.  Setting  ofl'  at 
103  o'clock,  our  way  led  down  the  broad  Wady  Feranj  N.  N.  E. 
until  11.10,  when  we  left  it  running  down  towards  Beit  Jibrm, 

'  From  Um  esh-Shukaf,  Taiyibeh  bore  ^  For  an  account  of  our  former  visit  to 
N.  GO  E.  Idhna  N.  40°  E.  Wely  seen  Idhna  (Jedna),  and  the  hospitality  of  the 
from  Dawaimeh  N.  20°  W.  Sheikh,  see  above,  p.  70. 

Ui.  9-11 


220 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


and  turned  up  a  branch  Wady  towards  Terkumieli  on  a  course 
nearly  east.  In  this  we  came  after  ten  minutes  to  a  well  in  the 
path,  called  Bir  es-Sifala,  ten  or  twelve  feet  deep  with  good 
water,  and  surrounded  by  many  flocks.  At  11.35  our  course 
became  E.  N.  E.  and  just  beyond  the  head  of  the  valley,  we 
came  at  11.50  to  Terkiimieh. 

This  village  lies  near  the  foot  of  the  high  mountain,  on  a  low 
rocky  ridge  or  swell,  extending  from  east  to  west  between  the 
head  of  the  Wady  we  had  ascended  and  another  on  the  north, 
running  down  westerly  to  the  Feranj.  The  usual  road  from 
Gaza  through  Beit  Jibrin  to  Hebron  passes  along  up  this  north- 
ern valley  ;  the  distance  from  Beit  Jibrin  is  reckoned  at  two  and 
a  half  hours.  Taiyibeh  on  the  mountains  bore  S.  40°  E.  We 
could  perceive  here  no  ruins  ;  but  the  stones  of  earher  structures 
have  apparently  been  employed  in  building  the  present  houses. 
The  name  identifies  this  place  with  Tricomias,  an  episcopal  see 
of  the  First  Palestine,  enumerated  in  the  earliest  and  latest 
ecclesiastical  Notitice  ;  but  of  which,  until  the  present  time, 
there  is  no  further  notice  whatever.  Eeland  could  only  conjec- 
ture, and  with  reason,  that  it  was  somewhere  in  the  region  of 
Gaza. ' 

Here  we  made  a  long  halt  for  rest,  as  the  day  was  exceed- 
ingly warm.  We  spread  our  carpets  beneath  the  shade  of  the 
fig  trees,  which  are  here  large  and  fine  ;  and  were  soon  visited 
by  the  Sheikh  and  others  of  the  chief  inhabitants,  who  demeaned 
themselves  kindly  and  courteously.  There  was  a  strong  northwest 
wind,  blowing  directly  from  the  sea,  over  the  great  plain  and 
hills  ;  yet  so  hot  as  to  afford  no  refreshment.  The  thermometer 
at  noon,  sheltered  behind  the  trunk  of  a  large  fig  tree,  the  cool- 
est spot  we  could  find,  stood  at  97°  F.  and  exposed  to  the  wind, 
though  still  in  the  shade,  it  rose  to  103°.  Indeed  the  heat,  as 
reflected  from  the  whitish  rocks  and  stones  around,  was  almost 
insupportable. 

We  set  off  again  at  2.25,  proceeding  about  N.  7°  E.  across 
the  Hebron  road  and  the  Wady  in  which  it  lies  ;  and  after  pass- 
ing another  swell,  came  into  the  head  of  a  broad  cvdtivated  val- 
ley, Wady  es-S<ir,  running  off"  in  a  northerly  direction.  On  the 
rising  ground  on  the  right,  and  not  far  from  the  Wady,  lies  the 
site  of  Beit  Nusib,  with  ruins,  which  we  reached  at  3  o'clock. 
Here  is  a  ruined  tower  about  sixty  feet  square,  solidly  built; 
some  of  the  larger  blocks  are  bevelled,  but  the  crevices  are  cob- 
bled with  small  stones.    The  interior  was  dark,  and  seemed  to 

'  Reland  Patest.  p.  1046.    See  the  ec-  place;  p.  1^  ed.  Par.  Reland  ib  p.  1045. 

clesiast.  Notit,  ib.  pp.  2ir),  224,  22.'>.    Le  Another  Tricomias  is  mentioned  in  the 

Quien  Oricns  Chr.  III.  p.  G78. — Cedrcnus  Notitia  Bignitat.  as  situated  in  Arabia 

speaks  of  a  Tricomis  (Tpf/fu/xij)  in  Pales-  Petra^a  in  the  region  of  Areopolis;  p.  220 

tine,  but  seem')  not  to  have  meant  this  ed.  Pancirol.  Reland  ib.  p.  231. 

iii.  11,  12 


Jtok  7.] 


BEIT  NUSIB. 


221 


have  a  solid  arch  ;  we  attempted  to  enter,  but  were  driven  back 
by  myriads  of  fleas.  Near  by  are  the  foundations  of  a  massive 
building,  apparently  of  greater  antiquity,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  long  by  thirty  broad  ;  its  purpose  we  could  not 
divine.  There  were  also  fragments  of  columns.  Euined  foun- 
dations are  also  seen  further  south  on  another  mound.' 

I  have  already  had  occasion  to  remark  the  identity  of  this 
place,  with  the  Nezih  of  the  plain  of  Judah,  the  Nasib  of  Euse- 
bius  and  Jerome.'^  Eusebius  sets  it  at  nine  Eoman  miles  from 
EleutheropoHs,  and  Jerome  at  seven.  The  latter  seems  to  be 
correct ;  for  its  distance  from  Beit  Jibrin  is  apparently  a  little 
less  than  that  of  Terkumieh,  which  is  reckoned  at  two  and  a 
half  hours. 

Thus  far  to-day,  our  journey  had  been  through  the  region  of 
hills,  between  the  mountains  and  the  plain,  gradually  approach- 
ing the  former.  The  way  had  led  along  valleys  and  over  hills  ; 
the  Wadys  being  everywhere  filled  with  grain  which  the  peasants 
were  reaping,  or  planted  with  millet ;  while  the  hiUs  are  mostly 
given  up  to  pasturage.  It  is  a  rich  and  fertUe  region,  and  once 
teemed  with  an  abundant  population  ;  as  is  shoAvn  by  the 
numerous  former  sites,  now  in  ruins  or  level  with  the  ground. 
We  were  exceedingly  struck  with  the  multitude  of  these  mourn- 
ful tokens  of  ancient  prosperity,  so  strongly  contrasted  with  the 
present  state  of  desertion  and  decay. — At  Terkumieh  and  Beit 
Nusib  we  were  very  near  the  steep  ascent  of  the  mountains  ;  but 
for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  our  road  led  down  the  Wady  es-Sur 
on  a  northerly  course,  which  again  brought  us  gradually  away 
from  the  mountains  and  nearer  to  the  plain. 

We  left  Beit  Nusib  at  3^  o'clock  ;  dismissing  our  friend  the 
old  Sheikh  of  Idhna  with  a  '  charity,'  which,  as  we  were  sorry 
to  perceive,  seemed  to  leave  on  his  mind  no  favourable  impres- 
Bion  as  to  our  charitable  propensities.  We  foUowed  down  the 
vaUey,  which  is  broad  and  arable,  with  swelling  hiUs,  on  a  course 
N.  N.  W.  for  half  an  hour,  and  then  N.  N.  E.  At  3.55,  we 
passed  a  well  called  Bir  el-Kaus  ;  five  minutes  further  -was 
another,  Bir  el-Ghaul ;  and  at  4.5,  we  came  to  a  third,  Bir  es- 
Sur,  giving  name  to  the  Wady.  Opposite  the  first  well,  on  the 
right,  are  ruined  foundations  upon  a  hill.  The  bed  of  the  Wady 
above  these  wells  showed  signs  of  stagnant  water,  with  mud  and 
patches  of  weeds. 

The  name  of  this  well  and  Wady,  (es-Sur,)  led  us  to  search 
on  the  adjacent  hills,  which  just  here  are  very  rocky,  in  order  to 

'  From  Beit  Nusib,  Beit  'Atab  bore  N.  '  Josh.  15,  43.    Onomast.  art.  Neesih. 

21°  E.    Jeba'h  N.  41°  E.    Beit  tjla  N.  We  had  already  heard  of  this  place  seve- 

76°  E.    Terkumieh  S.  7°  W.    Um  Burj  ral  times:  see  above,  pp.  16,  17,  54,  57. 
N.29°W. 

Vol.  n.— 19*  iii.  12-14 


222 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


discover,  whetlier  any  town  or  fortress  miglit  have  once  stood 
here,  bearing  perhaps  the  name  of  Beth-zur  ;  though  the  chief 
fortress  of  that  name,  one  of  the  strongest  of  Judea,  obviously 
lay  upon  the  mountains  not  far  distant  from  Halhul  and  He- 
bron. '  Our  search  here  was  in  vain  ;  we  could  perceive  no  trace 
of  foundations  either  in  the  valley  or  upon  the  hills  ;  except  the 
ruins  of  a  small  well  built  village  on  an  eminence,  about  twenty 
minutes  distant  in  the  E.  S.  E. 

We  left  the  well  at  4.35  ;  and  kept  on  N.  by  E.  down  the 
valley,  which  now  opens  more  towards  the  right,  and  receives 
several  broad  cultivated  tributaries,  coming  from  near  the  moun- 
tains. After  fifteen  minutes  we  got  sight  of  Beit  Nettif,  the 
end  of  our  day's  journey,  bearing  north.  At  5j  o'clock,  we  came 
to  the  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza,  which  here  crosses  the  val- 
ley and  intersects  our  path  ;  the  latter  being  the  usual  road  from 
Hebron  to  Ramleh  and  Yafa.  This  Gaza  road  is  a  branch  of 
the  ancient  way,  which  we  had  formerly  seen  in  coming  from 
Jerusalem  ;  the  other  branch  having  passed  on  towards  Askelon 
down  Wady  el-Musurr.'^  At  some  distance  on  the  right,  a 
ruin  was  visible  on  a  hUl ;  near  which  this  road  was  said  to 
lead. 

Here,  in  the  broad  valley,  at  the  intersection  of  the  roads, 
stands  an  immense  Butm  tree  {Pistacia  Terehintlms),  the 
largest  we  saw  anywhere  in  Palestine,  spreading  its  boughs  far 
and  wide  like  a  noble  oak.  This  species  is  without  doubt  the 
terebinth  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and  under  the  shade  of  such  a 
tree,  Abraham  might  well  have  pitched  his  tent  at  Mamre.' 
The  Butm  is  not  an  evergreen,  as  is  often  represented  ;  but  its 
small  feathered  lancet-shaped  leaves  fall  in  the  autumn,  and  are 
renewed  in  the  spring.  The  flowers  are  small  and  followed  by 
small  oval  berries,  hanging  in  clusters  from  two  to  five  inches 
long,  resembling  much  the  clusters  of  the  vine  when  the  grapes 
are  just  set.  From  incisions  in  the  tnmk  there  is  said  to  flow  a 
sort  of  transparent  balsam,  constitiiting  a  very  pure  and  fine 
species  of  turpentine,  with  an  agreeable  odour  like  citron  or  jes- 
samine and  a  mUd  taste,  and  hardening  gradually  into  a  trans- 


■  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  217,  n. 
Comp.  Joseph.  Ant.  12.  9.  4.  Kelaiid 
Pala'st.  p.  6r)8.— The  Beth-zur  of  the  cm- 
gaders  and  of  the  following  centuries,  was 
at  the  fountain  of  St.  Philip  in  Wady  ol- 
Werd ;  see  Vol.  I.  p.  4G!) ;  also  p.  Gf),  above. 

*  See  above,  pp.  15,  20. 

'  Hob.  nbx  terebinth,  distinguished 
from  V^X  ooi.  Is.  6,  13.  Hos.  4,  13.  In 
the  first  passage  the  Engl,  version  has  tcil 
(linden  ■ ;  and  in  the  second  elm ;  else- 
where usually  oak,  Gen.  35,  4.  Judg.  6, 

iii.  14, 15 


11.  19.  2  Sam.  18,  9.  14.— For  the  iden- 
tity of  the  Butm  of  the  Arabs  with  tlie 
Pistacia  Terebinthus  of  botanists,  see  Cel- 
sii  Hierobot.  I.  pp.  36,  37.  This  is  also 
confirmed  to  me  by  the  distinguished  nat- 
uralist, Prof.  Ehrenberg  of  Berlin,  who 
himself  obseiTed  it  in  the  east.  See  gen- 
erally Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  Edit.  10.  Tom.  II. 
p.  1290.  Willd.  Spec.  Plant.  T.  IV.  ii.  p. 
752.  See  also  a  description  and  drawing 
in  Ilayno's  Beschr.  der  Arzney-Gowiichse 
Bd.  XIU.  19. 


JOSK  8.] 


THE  BUTM.     BEIT  KETTIF. 


223 


parent  gum.'  In  Palestine  nothing  seems  to  be  known  of  this 
product  of  the  Butm.  The  tree  is  found  also  in  Asia  Minor 
(many  of  them  near  Smyrna),  Greece,  Italy,  the  south  of 
France,  Spain,  and  in  the  north  of  Africa  ;  and  is  described  as 
not  usually  rising  to  the  height  of  more  than  twenty  feet.*  It 
often  exceeded  that  size  as  we  saw  it  on  the  mountakis  ;  but 
here  in  the  plains  it  was  very  much  larger. 

We  kept  on  down  Wady  es-Siir,  and  at  5^  o'clock  reached 
the  point  where  it  bends  more  northwest.  "We  now  passed  ob- 
liquely over  the  low  hill  which  here  runs  down  between  it  and 
the  Musurr  ;  crossed  (about  a  quarter  before  five)  the  latter 
Wady,  coming  from  the  east,  with  the  other  branch  of  the  an- 
cient road ;  and  further  on  another  smaller  Wady,  coming  from 
the  northeast  along  under  the  hill  of  Beit  Xettif.  These  three 
unite  and  form  Wady  es-Sumt,  a  fertile  and  beautiful  plain 
already  described.^ 

We  now  ascended  the  steep  and  high  hill  on  which  Beit 
Nettif  Hes,  and  encamped  again  at  6.25  upon  our  olc^  spot,  now 
surrounded  by  threshing-floors  full  of  sheaves  of  wheat.  Our 
former  acquaintances  received  us  with  a  welcome.  We  found 
the  place  hTng  higher  than  we  had  before  supposed  ;  the  weather 
having  then  been  hazy  and  foggy.  The  atmosphere  was  now 
clear,  and  we  enjoyed  a  superb  sunset  ;  the  great  western  plain 
lighted  up  by  the  mellow  beams,  and  the  sim  itself  lingering  to 
disappear  below  the  glittering  waves  of  the  Mediterranean.^ 

Friday,  June  8th.  The  object  of  our  journey  to-day,  was 
to  be  a  visit  to  the  ruins  of  'Ain  Shems  ;  to  search  for  the  long 
lost  Ekron  ;  and  then  reach  Ramleh.  We  rose  early,  and  were 
not  comforted  by  the  prospect  of  a  very  warm  and  oppressive 
day.  The  thermometer  stood  in  our  tent  at  76°  F.  but  rose  to 
83°  in  the  open  air  before  sunrise.  We  had  engaged  over  night 
a  guide  for  'Ain  Shems  and  'Akir  ;  but  although  we  were  ready 
at  half  past  4  o'clock,  yet  the  guide  did  not  make  his  ap- 
pearance ;  and  it  was  therefore  4.55  when  we  at  length  set  off. 
The  sun  was  rising  gloriously  ;  and  the  numerous  herds  and 
flocks  of  the  village,  wending  their  way  to  their  pastures  among 
the  hills,  presented  an  animating  and  pleasing  view. 

From  Beit  Nettif,  'Ain  Shems  bears  X.  12°  W.  and  our  way 
led  in  that  direction  down  the  hiU  ;  and  then  wound  along  and 
across  several  small  Wadys  all  running  towards  the  left,  and 
over  the  low  ridges  between.  Yarmuk,  Neby  Bulus,  and  Beit 
el-Jem  al,  aU  ruins,  lay  at  our  left  on  or  among  the  hills.  At 

'  Terebinthia  Cypria,  sen  pistacia,  sen    north  coast  of  Africa  and  also  around 
de  Chio. — This  is  usually  adnlterited,  and    Mount  Lebanon, 
is  now  seldom  found  in  the  shops.  '  See  above,  p.  20. 

'  Hayiie  L  c.  Ehrenberg,  in  the  course  '  For  our  former  visit  to  Beit  Nettif^  sea 
of  his  travels,  found  the  Butm  on  the    above,  pp.  15-20. 

iii.  15-17 


224 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm 


length  we  came  into  a  broader  Wady,  coming  from  the  left  and 
nmning  north,  which  apparently  receives  higher  up  the  smaller 
ones  we  had  crossed.  In  this  vaUey  was  a  half  stagnant  muddy 
brook,  and  a  well  called  Bir  en-Nahl,  in  which  the  turbid  water 
was  even  with  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Here  at  6.10  we 
stopped^  half  an  hour  for  breakfast  ;  the  site  of  'Ain  Shems 
being  within  view,  only  fifteen  minutes  distant,  bearing  N. 
30°  E.  We  reached  it  at  length  at  6.55,  in  an  hour  and  a  half 
from  Beit  Xettif. 

The  name  'Ain  Shems  imphes  a  fountain  ;  but  there  is  now 
here  no  water  of  any  kind,  thus  called.  The  place  to  which  the 
Arabs  give  this  name,  consists  of  the  ruins  of  a  modem  Arab 
village  of  moderate  size,  with  a  Wely,  all  evidently  built  up 
with  ancient  materials.  But  just  on  the  west  of  this  village, 
upon  and  around  the  plateau  of  a  low  swell  or  mound  between 
the  Surar  on  the  north  and  a  smaller  Wady  on  the  south,  are 
the  manifest  traces  of  an  ancient  site.  Here  are  the  vestiges  of 
a  former  extensive  city,  consisting  of  many  foundations  and  the 
remains  of  ancient  walls  of  hewn  stone.  The  materials  have 
indeed  been  chiefly  swallowed  up,  in  the  probably  repeated  con- 
structions of  the  modem  village  ;  but  enough  yet  remains  to 
make  it  one  of  the  largest  and  most  marked  sites,  which  we  had 
anywhere  seen.  On  the  north,  the  great  Wady  es-Surar,  itself 
a  plain,  runs  off  first  west  and  then  northwest  into  the  great 
plain  ;  while  on  the  south,  the  smaller  Wady  comes  down  from 
the  southeast,  and  uniting  with  the  one  down  which  we  had  trav- 
elled, they  enter  the  Surar  below  the  ruins.  Beyond  this  latter 
valley,  on  a  high  point  of  the  northern  ridge,  is  seen  a  Wely 
bearing  N.  20°  E.  marking  the  site  of  Sur'ah,  the  ruins  of  which 
lie  just  on  the  other  side  below  the  brow.' 

Both  the  name  and  the  position  of  this  spot,  seem  to  indi- 
cate the  site  of  the  ancient  Beth-shemesh  of  the  Old  Testament. 
That  city  is  described  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  as  seen  from  the 
road  leading  from  Eleutheropolis  to  Kicopolis  (Amwas),  at  ten 
Roman  miles  from  the  former  city  ;  and  as  they  assign  nearly 
the  same  distances  from  EleutheropoHs  to  Zorah,  Zanoah,  and 
Jarmuth,  it  is  obxious  that  Beth-shemesh  lay  in  the  \"icinity  of 
these  places.  And  so  we  had  already  foimd  it,  surrounded  by 
Zanii'a  in  the  east,  Sur'ah  in  the  N.  N.  E.  and  Yarmuk  in  the 
southwest.  Indeed,  from  the  existence  of  these  names,  and 
their  coincidence  with  the  accounts  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  we  • 
had  been  able  chiefly  to  trace  out  and  fix  the  site  of  Eleuthero- 
polis at  Beit  Jibrin.*    The  words  Beit  (Beth)  and  'Ain  are  so 

'  Other  bearings  from  'Ain  Shems  were  :       '  See  the  details  as  given  above,  pp 
B&tasheh  N.  4.5  W.    Urn  Jina  S.  82'  W.    20,  58. 
Kheishum  S.  50  W.  Beit  el-JcmiJ  S.  8'  W. 

iii.  17,  18 


JCNE  8.] 


'ain  shems,  beth-shemesh. 


225 


very  common  in  the  Arabic  names  of  Palestine,  that  it  can 
excite  no  wonder  should  there  be  an  exchange,  even  without  any 
ob\'ious  ground.  In  the  same  manner,  the  ancient  Beth-shemesh 
(Heliopolis)  of  Egypt,  is  known  in  Arabian  writers  as  'Ain 
Shems  ;  although  at  present  the  name  is  applied  specifically, 
only  to  a  well  at  some  distance  from  its  site.' 

Beth-shemesh  lay  on  the  border  of  Judah,  and  belonged  to 
that  tribe  ;  although  it  is  not  enumerated  in  the  list  of  its 
cities,  except  as  having  been  assigned  from  it  to  the  priests.' 
In  the  days  of  Samuel,  it  became  celebrated  for  the  return  of 
the  ark  from  the  Philistines,  and  the  trespass  of  the  inhabitants 
against  the  same  ;  for  which  they  were  smitten  of  the  Lord.' 
In  later  times  it  was  the  residence  of  one  of  Solomon's  twelve 
purveyors,  and  became  the  scene  of  the  defeat  of  Amaziah  king 
of  Judah  by  Jehoash  king  of  Israel  ;  it  was  also  conquered  by 
the  Philistines  from  king  Ahaz  with  other  cities  of  the  plain/ 
We  hear  no  more  of  Beth-shemesh  until  the  time  of  Eusebius 
and  Jerome,  who  incorrectly  assign  it  to  the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min f  and  from  their  age  onward,  it  appears  to  have  remained 
unknown  or  forgotten  until  the  present  day.' 

The  Ir-shemesh  once  mentioned  on  the  border  of  Dan  and 
Judah,  seems  without  much  question  to  have  been  the  same 
with  Beth-shemesh.^  Of  Eshtaol,  which  also  lay  in  the  vicini- 
ty, we  could  find  no  trace.' 

"  Jer.  43,  13.    See  VoL  I.  p.  25. 

'  Josh.  15,  10.  21,  16.  1  Chr.  6,  59. 
Not  mentioned  in  the  valley,  with  Eshtaol 
and  Zorah  and  other  cities  which  lay 
around  it.  Josh.  15,  33-35. 

'  1  Sam.  6,  9-20.  Joseph.  Ant.  6.  1. 
3.  Josephus  does  not  elsewhere  mention 
Beth-shemesh. 

•  1  K.  4,  9.-2  K.  14,  11.  12.  2  Chr. 
25,  21.— 2  Chr.  28,  18. 

'  Onomast.  art.  Bethsamis. 

"  Brocardus  indeed  mentions  it ;  but  in 
a  manner  so  confused,  as  to  show  that  he 
is  writing  from  no  personal  knowledge,  and 
only  from  theory ;  c.  10.  p.  186.  He  pla- 
ces Gath  four  leagues  south  of  Joppa  (near 
Jabneh),  and  Beth-shemesh  two  leagues 
south  of  Gath,  which  of  course  brings  it 
near  the  sea.  Then  he  makes  Accaron 
(Ekron)  four  leagues  west  of  Beth-shemesh. 
The  absurdity  is  so  glaring,  that  one  must 
suspect  a  corraption  in  the  text. 

'  Josh.  19,  41  —In  Josh.  15,  10  we  find 
the  northern  border  of  Judah  running  by 
Beth-shemesh,  Timnah,  Ekron,  and  Baalah, 
to  the  sea ;  and  of  these  places  Beth-she- 
mesh and  Ekron  are  e.x'pressly  assigned  to 
Judah  ;  vs.  4.5.  46.  21,16.  In  Josh.  19, 
41-44  we  have  the  like  places  along  '  the 
coast'  of  Dan;  Ir-shemesh,  Thimnathah, 

ui. 


Ekron,  Baalath.  Of  course  Ir-shemesh 
(Beth-shemesh)  and  Ekron  can  only  be 
here  mentioned  as  marking  the  border; 
and  jot  as  originally  cities  of  Dan,  though 
afterwards  assigned  to  that  tribe.  Further, 
in  the  same  passage,  we  find  Ir-shemesh, 
Shaalabin,  and  Ajalon  (^lb"'S<)  placed  to- 
gether; and  In  1  Kings  4,  9  we  have 
also  Shaalbim,  Beth-shemesh,  and  Ajalon 
These  coincidences  seem  most 
decisively  to  identify  Ir-shemesh  and  Beth- 
shemesh. — This  identity  is  rejected  by  Re- 
land,  on  the  ground  of  a  remark  of  Jerome, 
Comm.  in  Ezek.  48,  21. 22  ;  where  in  speak- 
ing of  the  territory  of  Dan  he  enumerates 
"  Ailon  et  Selebi  et  Emmaus,  quae  nunc 
appellatur  Nieopolis  ;  "  as  if  for  Ajalon, 
Shaalbim,  and  Beth-shemesh,  as  above. 
But  there  is  here  no  evidence  that  Jerome 
was  even  thinking  of  Beth-shemesh  at  all ; 
and  if  he  did  thus  actually  confound  it 
with  Emmaus,  it  probably  arose  from  the 
form  given  to  it  by  the  Seventy,  viz.  ir6\is 
'Xaniiavi  (^afits,  Shemesh),  Josh.  19,  41 ; 
which  he  took  for  'A/xixaovs  or  'Efinaovs. 
See  Reland  Falsest,  pp.  168,  656.  Miinchner 
Gel.  Anzeigen  1836.  No.  245.  pp.  926,  927. 

"  Josh.  15,  33.  19,  41.  Judg.  14,  31. 
Onomast.  art.  Est  haul. 


226 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH. 


[Sue.  XIII, 


We  left  tlie  site  of  'Ain  Shems  at  7.10,  and  crossing  ob- 
liquely the  plain  of  the  SQrfir  N.  N.  W.  reached  in  ten  minutes 
its  water-bed  near  the  northern  hills.  Here  is  a  well,  about 
fifteen  feet  deep  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  called  not  Bir 
Shems  nor  'Ain  Shems,  as  one  might  expect,  but  Bir  eth- 
Themed.  The  path  now  ascends  gradually  and  obliquely  the  hill 
of  Sur'ah  in  the  same  direction,  which  here  declines  gently 
towards  the  west ;  it  is  the  same  spur  of  the  mountains,  which 
I  have  already  described,  as  running  out  along  the  Surar  to  the 
plain.* 

Near  the  top,  at  7f  o'clock,  we  had  on  our  right  the  wide- 
spread ruins  of  Rafat.  Here  we  could  see  the  Surar  running 
off  northwest  and  then  N.  N.  W.  through  the  plain,  a  broad 
low  tract  of  exceedingly  fertile  land,  skirted  by  low  hills  and 
gentle  swells.  But  I  do  not  remember  that  we  saw  any  appear- 
ance of  another  like  valley  coming  into  it  from  the  south  ;  as 
would  probably  have  been  the  case,  did  Wady  es-Sumt  actually 
thus  form  a  junction  with  it,  as  supposed. We  now  descended 
into  a  valley  among  hills  ;  where  at  8  o'clock  we  stopped  a  mo- 
ment at  a  small  spring  of  running  water. 

We  very  soon  came  out  into  the  great  plain,  properly  so 
called  ;  although  it  is  here  more  undulating  than  we  had  seen  it 
further  south  towards  Gaza,  and  might  even  be  called  hilly. 
We  still  kept  on  N.  N.  W.  At  some  distance  on  our  right,  a 
long  line  of  rocky  hills,  a  spur  from  the  mountains,  extended 
out  westwards  into  the  plain.  The  country  was  mostly  tilled, 
though  not  fully.  At  half  past  eight,  we  passed  the  ruins  of  a 
village  called  Beit  Far  ;  and  at  9  o'clock  had  the  large  village 
of  Khulda  on  a  hill  ten  minutes  distant  on  our  right,  apparently 
connected  with  the  spur  just  described.  Fifteen  minutes  later 
we  came  to  a  large  well  in  a  valley  among  the  swells,  fitted  up 
with  troughs  and  reservoirs,  with  flocks  waiting  around.  Here 
two  men  were  drawing  water  "  with  the  foot,"  by  means  of  a 
large  reel,  as  already  described,  pulling  the  upper  part  towards 
them  with  their  hands,  and  pushing  with  their  feet  upon  the 
lower  part.'  We  stopped  here  ten  minutes  for  our  animals  to 
drink.  At  a  short  distance  on  the  northeast,  perhaps  eight  or 
ten  minutes,  was  the  large  village  of  Saidon. 

Setting  off  again  at  9.25,  we  soon  left  the  Ramleh  road, 
which  keeps  on  in  the  same  course,  and  turned  more  to  the  left, 
about  N.  W.  by  W.  towards  the  village  of  'Akir.  After  a  few 
minutes,  we  had  a  distinct  view  of  Ramleh.  At  10  o'clock  there 
was  a  spring  in  a  valley  on  our  path  ;  and  ten  minutes  beyond 
it  a  miserable  little  village  on  the  left,  called  el-Mansurah.  We 

'  See  above,  p.  6.  '  See  above,  p.  22 ;  and  Note  II,  end 

'  Ibii  of  Vol.  I. 


iiL20  21 


Jxnrz  8.] 


'akir,  EKRON". 


227 


now  travelled  across  a  wide  tract  of  low  flat  land,  the  level  bed 
of  a  broad  Wady  coming  from  the  northeast  and  passing  on  to 
join  the  Surar,  as  it  crosses  the  plain  and  obUquely  approaches 
the  sea.  Before  us,  at  the  distance  of  an  hour  or  more,  was  a 
short  line  of  hills  running  nearly  parallel  with  the"  coast,  which 
shut  out  the  region  of  Yebna  from  our  view.  The  Surar  passes 
behind  these  hills,  being  first  joined  on  their  left  by  the  Wady  in 
which  we  now  were  ;  and  there  takes  the  name  of  Wady  Rubin. 
'Akir  lies  on  the  rise  of  land  on  the  northwestern  side  of  the 
Wady  we  were  crossing  ;  and  as  we  drew  near,  the  path  led 
through  well  tUled  gardens  and  fields  of  the  richest  soil,  all  upon 
the  low  tract,  covered  with  vegetables  and  fruits  of  great  variety 
and  high  perfection.    We  reached  'Akir  at  11  o'clock. 

Here  we  made  a  mid-day  halt  of  several  hours,  beneath  some 
trees  fully  exposed  to  the  wind,  on  the  north  of  the  village.  Our 
fears  of  a  day  of  oppressive  heat  were  more  than  verified.  There 
was  a  slight  haze  before  the  sun;  and  the  wind  was  blowing 
strongly  from  the  northwest  directly  from  the  adjacent  sea  ;  yet 
it  seemed  charged  with  a  glow,  as  if  it  came  from  a  scorched 
desert.  The  thermometer  sheltered  behind  the  trunk  of  a  tree 
stood  at  noon  at  105°  F.  and  held  in  the  sun  rose  only  to  108°. 
The  shade  of  the  scattered  olive  trees  was  so  small  and  slight, 
that  it  availed  us  little  as  a  protection  against  the  sun's  rays. 

'Akir  lies  not  far  from  the  line  of  hills  above  described,  which 
here  bound  the  plain  on  the  west,  and  behind  which  the  Surar 
passes  on  obliquely  to  the  sea.'  It  is  of  considerable  size  ;  but 
in  the  village  itself  we  could  perceive  nothing  to  distinguish  it 
from  other  modern  villages  of  the  plain.  Like  them  it  is  built  of 
unburnt  bricks  or  mud  ;  and  exhibits  to  the  eye  of  the  traveller, 
no  marks  of  antiquity.  We  were  unable  to  fix  the  direction  of 
Yebna  ;  and  Ramleh  was  hidden  by  the  intervening  swells.^ 

There  seems  no  reason  for  doubt,  that  'Aldr  answers  to  the 
ancient  Ekron.  The  radical  letters  of  the  Arabic  name  are  the 
same  as  those  of  the  Hebrew  ;  and  the  position  too  corresponds 


•  Other  places  bore  from  'Akir  as  fol- 
lows :  Sur'ah  S.  50 '  E.  El-MansCrah  S. 
45°  E.  Kheishum  S.  33°  E.  Tell  Zakari- 
ya  S.  25°  E.  Tell  es-S"ifieh  S.  1 '  W.  Kut- 
rah  S.  50^  W.   MughAr  S.  65'  W. 

*  Yebna  is  situated  on  a  small  eminence 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Wady  Riibin,  an 
honr  or  more  distant  from  the  sea  ;  Irby 
and  Mangles  p.  182.  [57.]  Corresp.  d'Ori- 
ent,  V.  pp.  373,  374.  According  to  Scholz, 
there  are  here  the  ruins  of  a  former  church, 
afterwards  a  mosk ;  Reisp,  p.  14f).  Be- 
tween it  and  the  sea  are  the  ruins  of  a  Ro- 
man bridge  over  the  water  of  Wady  Rubin, 
with  high  arches,  built  of  very  large  stones; 


Irby  and  Mangles  ibid.  Scholz  p.  147.  On 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Wady,  on  a  small 
eminence,  is  the  tomb  or  \Vely  of  Rubin 
(Reuben)  the  son  of  Jacob,  from  which 
the  Wady  here  takes  its  name  ;  it  is  men- 
tioned by  Mejr  ed-Din  (in  1495)  as  having 
been  formerly  a  great  place  of  pilgrimage 
for  the  Muhaminedans,  and  it  still  remains 
so  in  a  degree ;  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  138. 
Irby  and  Mangles  p.  183. — For  the  an- 
cient J.ibneh,  see  Reland  Pal.  p.  822.  Le 
Quien  Oriens  Chr.  III.  p.  587.  The  cru- 
saders built  here  the  fortress  Ibelin  ;  see 
above,  p.  C6,  n.  5. 

iii.  21-23 


228 


FROM  HEBRON  TO  EAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xni. 


to  all  we  know  of  Ekron.  That  city  was  the  northernmost  of  the 
five  cities  of  the  lords  of  the  Philistines  ;  and  was  situated  upon 
the  northern  border  of  Judah ;  while  the  other  four  cities  lay  within 
the  territory  of  that  tribe.'  Eusebius  and  Jerome  describe  it  as 
a  village  of  Jfews  between  Azotus  ( Ashdod)  and  Jamnia,  towards 
the  east ;  that  is  to  say,  to  the  eastward  of  a  right  line  between 
those  places  ;  and  such  is  the  actual  position  of  'Akir  relative 
to  Esdud  and  Yebna  at  the  present  day.* 

The  ancient  Ekron  was  at  first  assigned  to  Judah  as  upon 
its  border  ;  but  was  afterwards  apparently  given  to  Dan,  though 
conquered  by  Judah.  ^  It  afterwards  became  remarkable  in  con- 
nection with  the  capture  of  the  ark  by  the  Philistines,  which, 
was  sent  back  from  Ekron  upon  a  new  cart  drawn  by  two  milch^ 
Mne  ;  and  these  being  left  to  their  own  course  took  the  "  straight 
way"  to  Beth-shemesh,  the  nearest  point  of  entrance  to  the 
mountains  of  Judah.^  In  coming  therefore  from  'Ain  Shems  to 
'Akir  we  might  almost  be  said  to  have  foUowed  the  track  of  the 
cart,  on  which  the  ark  was  thus  sent  back.  After  David's  vic- 
tory over  Goliath  in  Wady  es-Sumt,  the  Philistines  were  pur- 
sued to  Ekron ;  and  at  a  later  day  the  prophets  utter  denuncia- 
tions against  it  along  with  the  other  cities  of  the  Philistines.' 
But  from  that  time  onward,  except  the  slight  notice  of  Eusebius 
and  Jerome  above  cited,  no  further  mention  of  Ekron  appears 
until  the  time  of  the  crusades.  This  great  plain  and  the  cities 
of  the  adjacent  coast,  were  the  scenes  of  many  of  the  exploits 
of  the  warriors  of  the  cross  ;  and  in  the  writings  of  that  age 
the  name  of  Accaron  (Ekron)  is  spoken  of,  as  still  extant  in  the 
region  where  we  now  find  'Akir.* 

Since  that  time  until  the  present  day,  Ekron  has  again  been 
utterly  overlooked  by  all  Frank  travellers  ;  although  several 
must  have  passed  veiy  near  to  it  on  their  way  between  EsdM  and 
Eamleh.'  Yet  the  ^Christians  of  both  Gaza  and  Ramleh  have 
the  tradition,  that  'Akir  is  the  ancient  Ekron  ;  and  the  Muslim 
Sheikh  of  the  village  itself,  told  us  of  his  own  accord  that  such 
was  the  belief  among  the  inhabitants.  The  absence  of  all  re- 
mains of  antiquity  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  circumstance, 

'  Josh.  13,  3.    15,  11.  47.  mus;"  Fulch.  Carnot.  23,  in  Gest.  Dei  p. 

'  Onoinast.  art.  Accaron.  404.    Brocardus  also  says  the  name  was 

"Josh.  15,11.  45.    19,43.    Judg.  1,  still  extant  at  a  place  four  leagues  west  of 

18.    Joseph.  Ant.  5.  1.  22.  ib.  5.  2.  4.  Beth-shemesh;  c.  10.  p.  18G.    Marin.  Sa- 

♦  1  Sam.  5,  10.    6,  1-18.  nut.  p.  165.   R.  Parchi  also  mentions  Ek- 

'  1  Sam.  17,52. — Jer.  25,20.  Am.  1,  ron  as  east  of  Jabneh ;  see  Zunz  in  Asher's 

8.    Zeph.  2,  4.    Zcch.  9,  5.  7.    Comp.  Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  441. 
above,  p  66  and  n.  4.  '  So  Von  Troilo  in  A.  D.  1066,  p.  349. 

'King  Baldwin  marched  in  A.  D.  1 100  Volney,  Voyage  II.  p.  310.    Riihiirdson  in 

from  Jerusalem  to  A.skelon,  through  Azo-  1818,  Travels  II.  p.  207.    Irby  and  Man- 

tus  (Esdud),   "  inter  quani  ct  Jamiiiiim  gles  in  the  same  year  passed  more  to  the 

quae  super  mare  sita  est,  Accaron  dhnisi-  left,  by  Yebna;  Travels  p.  182.  [5G,  57.J 
iii.  23.24 


JmiK  8.] 


EKRON  RAMLEH. 


229 


that  probably  the  ancient  town,  like  the  modem  villages  cf  the 
plain,  and  like  much  of  the  present  Gaza,  was  built  only  of  un- 
burnt  bricks.  EsdM,  as  to  the  identity  of  which  with  Ashdod, 
no  one  doubts,  has  in  hke  manner  no  remains  of  antiquity  ;  and 
ancient  Gath,  for  aught  we  know,  is  swept  from  the  face  of  the 
earth.'  The  same  Sheikh,  however,  an  intelligent  man,  informed 
us,  that  here  at  'Akir,  and  in  the  adjacent  fields,  they  often  dis- 
cover cisterns,  the  stones  of  hand-niills,  and  other  relics  of  the 
former  place. 

The  great  plain,  in  the  region  where  we  had  now  crossed  it, 
like  the  same  in  the  direction  of  Gaza,  is  entirely  given  up  to 
the  cultivation  of  grain,  chiefly  wheat  and  barley  ;  and  the  crops 
were  very  fine.  Many  fields  of  millet  were  also  interspersed, 
with  their  beautiftil  green  ;  and  we  noticed  also  sesame  in  many 
places.  The  peasants  were  now  in  the  midst  of  the  wheat-har- 
vest, or  rather  were  near  its  close  ;  the  reapers  were  yet  busy  in 
the  fields,  followed  as  usual  by  female  gleaners  almost  as  numer- 
ous. We  saw  also  many  women  reaping.  In  some  places  the 
poorer  peasants,  for  want  of  neat  cattle,  w^ere  treading  out  their 
grain  wdth  donkeys  ;  and  we  often  saw  the  women  beating  out 
with  a  stick  the  handfuls  they  had  gleaned.*  In  one  instance  a 
poor  woman  was  pounding  out  her  gleanings  with  a  stone. 

We  left  'Akir  at  2.50  for  Kamleh,  on  a  course  about  N.  E.^ 
N.  Between  these  places,  the  plain  is  less  fertile,  and  is  com- 
paratively little  cultivated.  The  approach  to  Eamleh  is  over  a 
tract  of  heavy  sand,  which  continues  even  among  the  olive 
groves  and  gardens  lying  around  the  town  upon  this  side.  We 
reached  Ramleh  at  twenty  minutes  before  5  o'clock. 

With  some  difficulty  we  found  our  way  to  the  house  of 
'Abud  Murkus  (Marcus)  the  American  consular  agent,  an 
upright  wealthy  Arab  of  the  Greek  church,  whose  acquaintance 
we  had  already  made  at  Jerusalem.  He  and  his  eldest  son  were 
absent  at  Yafa  ;  but  we  were  received  with  great  kindness  by 
the  famUy.  The  second  son,  a  young  man  of  eighteen  or  twenty 
years,  did  the  honours  of  the  house  ;  and  conducted  us  to  an 
"  upper  room,"  a  large  airy  hall,  forming  a  sort  of  third  story 
upon  the  flat  roof  of  the  house.  As  we  entered,  the  mistress  of 
the  family  came  out  of  her  apartment  and  welcomed  us  ;  but 
we  saw  no  more  of  her  afterwards.  In  our  large  room,  we  had 
opportunity  to  arrange  our  toilette  a  little,  for  the  first  time, 
after  three  weeks  of  dwelling  in  a  tent  and  travelling  mostly  in 
deserts.  Sherbet  was  brought,  which  in  this  instance  was  lemon- 
ade ;  and  then  coffee.  Our  youthful  host  now  proposed,  in  the 
genuine  style  of  ancient  oriental  hospitality,  that  a  servant 

'  See  above,  p.  33,  u,  2.    Ibid.  pp.       «  See  above,  p.  45.    Ruth  2,  17. 
66,  67. 

Vol.  II.— 20  iii,  24-26 


230 


ER-KAMLEH. 


[Seo.  xnL 


should  wasli  our  feet.  This  took  me  by  surprise  ;  for  I  was  not 
aware  that  the  custom  still  existed  here.  Nor  does  it,  indeed, 
towards  foreigners  ;  though  it  is  quite  common  among  the  natives. 
"We  gladly  accepted  the  proposal,  both  for  the  sake  of  the  re- 
freshment and  of  the  scriptural  illustration.  A  female  Nubian 
slave  accordingly  brought  water,  which  she  poured  upon  our  feet 
over  a  large  shallow  basin  of  tinned  copper  ;  kneeling  before  us, 
and  rubbing  our  feet  with  her  hands,  and  wiping  them  with  a 
napldn.  It  was  one  of  the  most  gratifying  minor  incidents  of 
our  whole  journey.' 

While  dinner  was  preparing,  we  had  time  to  walk  out  and 
take  a  view  of  the  town  ;  and  also  to  ascend  the  lofty  tower 
which  is  seen  far  and  wide,  as  the  traveller  approaches  Eanileh. 
Our  host  accompanied  us,  and  also  a  younger  brother,  a  lad  of 
twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age.  The  town  lies  upon  the  eastern 
side  of  a  broad  low  swell  in  the  sandy  though  fertile  plain  ;  and 
the  streets  have  therefore  a  slight  declivity  towards  the  east. 
Like  Gaza  and  Yafa,  it  is  surrounded  by  olive  groves,  and  gar- 
dens of  vegetables  and  delicious  fruits  ;  the  latter  enclosed  by 
impenetrable  hedges  of  prickly  pear.  Occasional  palm  trees  are 
also  seen,  as  well  as  the  Khanib  and  the  sycamore.  The  streets 
are  few  ;  the  houses  are  of  stone,  many  of  them  large  and  well- 
built.  There  are  several  mosks,  one  or  more  of  which  are  said 
to  have  once  been  churches  ;  and  there  is  here  one  of  the  largest 
Latin  convents  in  Palestine,  which  however  we  did  not  visit." 
The  vaulted  cisterns  on  the  north  of  the  town,  we  also  did  not 
see.^  The  place  is  supposed  to  contain  about  three  thousand  in- 
habitants ;  of  whom  nearly  one  third  part  are  Christians,  chiefly 
of  the  Greek  rite,  and  a  few  Armenians.  The  great  caravan 
road  between  Egypt  and  Damascus  passes  through  Ramleh. 

The  chief  object  of  our  attention  was  the  tower  above  men- 
tioned, which  is  situated  some  ten  minutes  west  of  the  town,  on 
the  highest  part  of  the  swell  of  land.  It  stands  in  the  midst 
of  the  ruins  of  a  large  quadrangular  enclosure,  which  has  much 


'  Gen.  18,  4  "Let  a  little  water,  I  pray 
you,  be  brought,  and  wash  your  feet." 
19,  2.  Luke  7,  44.  Comp.  "l  Sam.  25, 
41.   John  13,  .5. 

-  Most  Frank  travellers  stop  at  this  con- 
vent. As  such,  it  is  not  older  than  tlie 
18th  century.  Before  that  time  th^re  was 
here  only  a  liospitium  or  Khan  for  pilgrims, 
purchased  or  built  by  Philip  the  Good, 
duke  of  Burgundy  after  A.  D.  1420,  and 
served  by  the  monks  of  tlie  Latin  convent 
at  Jerusalem  ;  though  it  was  often  lel't  un- 
tenanted. So  Gumpenbcrg,  Tucher,  Brey- 
denbach,  and  Kabri,  Rcissb.  pp.  442,  057, 
104,  240.    Quaresmius  IL  pp.  7,  8.  Co- 

iii.  26.  27 


tovic.  p.  142.  B.  de  Salignaco  found  it  de- 
serted in  1522  ;  and  also  Sandys  in  ICIO; 
de  Salign.  Tom.  VL  c.  3.  Sandys  p.  118. 
So  late  as  1G97,  Morison  describes  it  as 
"  un  hospice  passablement  bien  bati  et 
commode ;  "  p.  543.  According  to  Korte, 
the  present  building  was  erected  not  long 
before  his  day,  i.  e.  in  the  early  part  of  the 
18th  century;  Reifc  pp.  47,  48.  Comp. 
Yon  Egmond  u  Hcynian  I.  p.  310. — The 
monks  make  their  convent  occupy  the  site 
of  the  house  of  Nicodenius.  Quaresmius  L 
c.  etc.  etc. 

'  Pococke  U.  i.  p.  4.  Prokssch  p.  88. 


June  8.] 


THE  TOWED. 


231 


the  appearance  of  having  been  once  a  splendid  Khttn  ;  indeed 
the  arches  on  the  southern  and  eastern  sides  are  still  standing. 
Under  the  middle  of  the  area,  or  perhaps  nearer  the  southern 
side,  are  extensive  subterranean  vaults,  resting  on  arches  of  solid 
masonry,  and  lighted  from  above.  These  are  of  good  workman- 
ship, and  perfectly  dry  and  clean  ;  and  have  very  much  the 
aspect  of  storehouses  or  magazines  for  the  deposit  of  the  mer- 
chandise, which  might  once  have  passed  through  the  Khan. 

The  tower  is  towards  the  northwest  part  of  the  enclosure  ; 
and  is  at  present  wholly  isolated,  whatever  may  have  been  its 
original  construction.  It  is  of  Saracenic  architecture,  square, 
and  built  of  well  hewn  stone  ;  its  windows  are  of  various  forms, 
but  all  with  pointed  arches.  The  corners  of  the  tower  are  support- 
ed by  tall  slender  buttresses  ;  while  the  sides  taper  upwards  by 
several  stories  to  the  top.  The  exterior  reminded  me  not  a  little 
of  the  ancient  Eed  tower  in  Halle  ;  though  this  of  Ramleh  is 
more  slender  and  graceful,  and  also  more  ornamented.  It  is 
built  of  sohd  mason-work,  except  a  narrow  staircase  within, 
winding  up  to  the  external  gallery.  This  latter  is  also  of  stone, 
and  is  carried  quite  around  the  tower  a  few  feet  below  the  top. 
We  judged  the  altitude  of  the  whole  tower  to  be  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  feet.' 

From  the  top  of  this  tower  there  is  a  vdde  view  on  every  side, 
presenting  a  prospect  rarely  surpassed  in  richness  and  beauty. 
I  could  hken  it  to  nothing  but  the  great  plain  of  the  Rhine  by 
Heidelberg  ;  or  better  still,  to  the  vast  plains  of  Lombardy,  as 
seen  from  the  cathedral  of  Milan  and  elsewhere.  In  the  east, 
the  frowning  mountains  of  Judah  rose  abruptly  from  the  tract 
of  hills  at  their  foot  ;  while  on  the  west,  in  fine  contrast,  the 
glittering  waves  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  associated  our  thoughts 
with  Europe  and  distant  friends.  Towards  the  north  and  south, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  beautiful  plain  was  spread  out 
like  a  carpet  at  our  feet,  variegated  with  tracts  of  brown  from 
which  the  crops  had  just  been  taken,  and  with  fields  still  rich 
with  the  yellow  of  the  ripe  corn,  or  green  with  the  springing 
millet.  Immediately  below  us,  the  eye  rested  on  the  immense 
olive  groves  of  Ramleh  and  Lydda,  and  the  picturesque  towers  and 
minarets  and  domes  of  these  large  villages.  In  the  plain  itself 
were  not  many  villages  ;  but  the  tract  of  hills  and  the  mountain 
side  beyond,  especially  in  the  northeast,  appeared  as  if  studded 
with  them  ;  and  as  now  seen  in  the  reflected  beams  of  the  setting 
sun,  they  seemed  hke  white  villas  and  hamlets  among  the  dark 

'  Prokesch  says,  there  are  128  steps  of    to  each  step  cannot  he  relied  on  as  exact, 
nine  inches  each ;  which  together  with  the    Raise,  p  39.    Scholz  gives  the  number  of 
basement  and  the  part  above  the  gallery,    steps  at  125  ;  Reise  p.  148.    Von  Egmond 
would  not  differ  materially  from  our  esti     and  Heyman  at  122  ;  Reizen  I.  p.  312. 
mate.    But  the  specification  of  nine  inches 

iii.  27-29 


232 


ER-RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


hills  ;  presenting  an  appearance  of  thriftiness  and  beauty,  wldch 
certainly  would  not  stand  a  closer  examination. 

We  here  obtained  a  large  number  of  bearings,  and  might 
have  taken  many  more.  Our  young  host  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  region  around  ;  but  he  was  now  so  taken  up  with  ex- 
amining distant  objects  through  our  telescopes,  that  he  did  not 
always  stop  to  look  at  a  place  before  he  told  its  name.  For  this 
reason,  there  may  be  doubt  as  to  the  accuracy  of  some  of  the 
names  of  places  which  we  wrote  down,  especially  of  the  minor 
and  remoter  ones  ;  though  in  general  they  are  correct.  We 
wished  much  to  find  the  direction  of  Yafa  ;  which  lies  three 
hours  distant,  somewhere  towards  the  N.  N.  W.  But  we  were 
not  able  to  arrive  at  any  certainty  respecting  it ;  as  nothing  was 
here  visible  to  mark  its  site.  Through  one  of  the  gaps,  between 
the  peaks  of  the  eastern  mountains,  we  could  distinguish  what 
we  held  to  be  the  high  point  and  mosk  of  Neby  Samwil,  with 
which  we  were  already  well  acquainted  ;  and  in  the  south 
several  known  places  were  visible,  serving  to  connect  our  former 
routes  with  Kamleh.* 

Of  the  places  recorded  in  the  note,  Beit  Dejan  and  el- 
Mejdel  are  at  least  ancient  names  f  and  Beit  Nebala  is  perhaps 
a  scriptural  one.'  Besides  these,  Jimzu  and  Yalo  are  likewise 
ancient  ;  and  we  saw  them  more  fully  on  our  way  to  Jerusalem. 
Kubab,  or  as  it  is  likewise  called,  Beit  Kubab,  and  also  Latron,* 
are  on  the  direct  road  to  the  latter  city  ;  the  former  on  one  of 
the  first  hills  two  hours  from  Kamleh  ;  and  the  latter  an  hour 
beyond  at  the  foot  of  Wady  'Aly,  through  which  the  road  as- 
cends, though  still  an  hour  from  the  "  Gate  of  the  valley,"  as  it 
is  called.  'Amwas,  the  ancient  Emmaus  or  Nicopolis,  we  coidd 
not  make  out  ;  it  was  said  to  be  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  north  of 
Latron  towards  Yalo.' 

We  lingered  upon  the  tower  until  near  sunset,  enjoying  the 

'  The  following  are  the  bearings  from  Judah  further  south,  Josh.  15,  41 ;  and  an- 

the  tower  of  Ramleh,  beginning  in  the  N.  other  in  the  tribe  of  Asher,  Josh.  19,  27. 

W.  and  proceeding  towards  the  right :  Beit  Ensebins  and  Jerome  however  place  a  large 

Dejan  H  hour  distant  N.  5°  W.    Safiriyeh  village  called  Caphar  Dagon  (Arabic  Kefr 

N.  11"  E.    el-Mejdel  N.  35°  E.    el-Mu-  Dejan)  in  the  region  between  Diospolis  and 

zeiri'ah  N.  40' E.    Kuleh  N.  46°  E.    Deir  Jamnia;  of  which  perhaps  this  name  and 

Tureif  N.  53°  E.    Ludd  N.  57°  E.    Beit  place  are  the   remains.     Ononiast.  art. 

Nebala  N.  64°  E.    Deir  Abu  Mesh'al  N.  Beth  Da^'in. — The  form  el-Mejdel  is  the 

68"  E.    Na'lin  N.  76°  E.    Budrus  N.  80°  Heb.  Migdol,  Greek  Magdala ;  but  Scrip- 

E.    Daniyal  E.    Ras  Kerker  S.  86°  E.  ture  mentions  no  place  of  that  name  in 

Jhnzu  S.  82°  E.    Neby  Samwil  S.  66°  E.  these  parts. 

'Anabeh  S.  65°  E.    Yalo  S.  55°  E.    el-  '  Is  this  perhaps  the  Neballat  of  Neh. 

Kubab  S.  54°  E.   LStron  S.  46'  E.   Kliei-  11,  34,  mentioned  along  with  Lod  or  Lydda? 

shum  S.  15°  E.    Tell  Zakariya  S.  9°  E.  *  For  Latron  see  in  Vol.  III.  Sect.  Ill, 

'  The  form  Beit  Dejan  is  obviously  the  under  April  27th,  1852. 

Hebrew  Beth-Dagon ;  but  no  place  of  that  '  For  'Amwas,  see  the  reference  in  the 

name  occurs  in  Scripture  in  this  region,  preceding  note. 
There  was  a  Both-Dagon  in  the  plain  of 
iiL  29-31 


THE  TOWER.  HOSPITALITY. 


233 


surpassing  beauty,  in  which  the  mountains  of  Judah  and  the 
plain  of  Sharon  revealed  themselves  before  us.  Returning  to 
the  house  of  our  friends,  we  found  their  hospitality  meantime 
had  not  been  dormant ;  a  dinner  of  many  dishes  was  awaiting 
us,  the  most  abundant  indeed  which  we  anywhere  met  with  in 
Palestine.  'Abild  Murkus  himself  returned  about  9  o'clock  ; 
bringing  word  that  the  plague  had  now  disappeared  in  Yafa, 
and  that  the  town  (which  like  Jerusalem  had  been  long  shut 
up)  was  to  be  open  on  Sunday. '  Several  neighbours  came  in  to 
learn  the  news  ;  and  carpets  and  mats  were  spread  for  the  com- 
pany in  the  open  air  on  the  flat  roof,  adjacent  to  the  room  we 
occupied.  Here  we  revelled  in  the  delightful  coolness  of  the 
evening,  after  the  sultry  heat  of  the  day. 

The  household  establishment  of  our  host  was  large,  and  very 
respectable  in  its  appointments.  Of  the  many  females  it  con- 
tained, we  saw  none  except  the  mother  of  the  family,  who 
welcomed  us  at  our  entrance,  and  the  Nubian  slave  who  washed 
our  feet.  Indeed,  although  Christians,  the  customs  of  oriental 
life  seemed  to  prevail  here  in  some  force,  and  the  females  were 
sedulously  kept  out  of  view.  Whenever  we  passed  down  stairs 
from  our  upper  room,  word  was  given  below,  in  order  that  they 
might  get  out  of  the  way.  The  eldest  son  was  married,  and  his 
wife  lived  as  a  daughter  in  the  family.  This  indeed  is  the  usual 
custom,  the  remains  of  ancient  patriarchal  usage  ;  and  it  is  not 
unfrequent,  that  parents  thus  see  several  children  and  many 
grandchildren  clustering  around  them,  and  their  household  in- 
creasing so  as  to  include  what,  in  other  circumstances,  would 
form  six  or  eight  families.  For  this  reason,  any  estimate  of  the 
population  of  a  place  in  Palestine  from  the  number  of  house- 
holds, must  rest  upon  no  solid  foundation. 

It  was  near  11  o'clock  before  the  company  separated,  so  that 
we  could  lay  ourselves  down  to  rest  ;  although  we  were  exces- 
sively fatigued  from  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day.  During 
the  evening,  we  sent  off  Komeh  and  one  Mukary  with  the  tent 
and  luggage  to  Jerusalem,  by  the  direct  road  over  Kuryet  el- 
'Enab  ;  in  order  that  the  tent  might  be  ready  to  receive  Mr 
Lanneau  and  our  companion,  whose  quarantine  would  expire  in 
the  morning.  We  ourselves  concluded  to  take  the  great  ancient 
road  over  Lydda  and  Beth-horon  ;  intending  also  to  set  off  very 
early,  as  there  was  a  prospect  of  another  sultry  day.  Our  ser- 
vants, as  being  Muhammedans,  were  not  permitted  to  enter  the 
house,  except  at  our  express  call ;  and  it  was  with  some  difficul- 

•  We  learned  nothing  more  of  Yafa,  ex-  Greeks,  Greek  Catholics,  Armenians,  and 

cept  what  Mas  often  been  told.    The  pop-  a  few  Latins.     The  mean  geographical 

ulation,  as  we  heard  from  several  quarters,  position  of  Yafa  is  Lat.  32°  03'  06"  N.  and 

is  estimated  at  ahout  7000  souls ;  of  whom  Long.  34°  44'  24"  E.  from  Greemvich.  See 

nearly  one  half  are  Christians,  including  Berghaus'  Memoir  p.  26. 

Vol.  II.— 20*  ui.  31.  32 


234 


ER-RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xin. 


ty,  that  we  obtained  permission  for  Ibraliim  to  sleep  before  our 
door,  in  order  that  he  might  be  at  hand  in  the  morning. 

We  would  gladly  ourselves  have  slept  upon  the  roof  beneath 
the  open  sky,  in  preference  to  the  close  air  of  any  room  ;  but 
this  privileged  spot  was  already  in  the  possession  of  others. 
Beds  were  spread  for  us  in  our  upper  room,  consisting  of  thick 
quilts  underneath,  and  another  quilt  of  silk  in  which  to  wrap 
ourselves.  But  the  night  beneath  a  roof  was  hot ;  and  the  house 
like  all  others  in  Palestine  not  free  from  fleas  ;  so  that  I  did 
nothing  but  toss  about  in  feverish  half  slumber  aU  night.  Here 
my  companion's  long  experience  in  similar  oriental  annoyances, 
gave  him  the  advantage  ;  and  his  rest  was  more  tranquil  than 
mine.  I  several  times  rose  and  looked  out  through  the  lattices, 
as  the  bright  moonlight  fell  upon  the  group  of  sleepers  on  the 
roof,  and  envied  their  lot. 


Let  us  now  look  out  for  a  moment  at  the  historical  questions 
connected  with  er-Kamleh. 

The  name  er-Ramleh'  signifies  "  the  Sand  ; "  and  the  place 
is  first  mentioned  under  this  name  by  the  monk  Bernard,  about 
A.  D.  870.'^  Adamnanus,  about  A.  D.  697,  makes  no  allusion 
to  it ;  although  he  speaks  of  the  memorials  of  St.  George  at 
Lydda.'  All  this  tallies  well  with  the  account  of  Abulfeda, 
drawn  from  earlier  Arabian  writers,  that  Eamleh  is  not  an  an- 
cient city,  but  was  founded  by  Suleiman,  son  of  the  Khalif  'Abd 
el-Melek,  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighth  century,  after  he  had 
destroyed  Ludd.  A  palace  of  'Abd  el-Melek  had  already  occu- 
pied the  spot.*  "William  of  Tyre  and  Marinus  Sanutus  give 
the  same  testimony.^  The  place  soon  became  flourishing,  and  is 
celebrated  by  Araloian  writers.*  Edrisi  about  A.  D.  1150,  calls 
Eamleh  and  Jerusalem  the  two  principal  cities  of  Palestine  ; 
and  describes  the  former  as  pleasant  and  well  peopled,  with 
markets  and  commerce  and  revenue.''  Before  the  time  of  the 
crusades,  it  was  surrounded  by  a  waU  with  a  castle  and  twelve 

*  We  adopt  the  form  er-Ramleh  as  being  la  civitas — quam  post  tempora  seductoris 
already  common.  Written  strictly  accord-  Mahumeth,  ejus  successores  Arabum  princi- 
ing  to  our  system  of  orthography,  it  would  pes,  veteres  tradunt  historiae,  fnndasse." 
he  er-tiu7nleh.  Marin.  Sanut.  p.  152,  "Hanc  civitatem 

'  Beniardus  de  Loc.  Sanct.  10,  "  Dein-  xdificaverunt  Arabes  prope  Lyddam,  quum 

de  veneraut  Alarixa  (el-'Arish) ;  de  Ala-  percgriui  prinio  iverunt  ad  partes  illas  post 

rixa  in  lianiula,  juxta  quam  est  monaste-  tempora  Mahumeti." 

rium  bcati  Goorgii  Martyris."  "  Some  place  here  the  tomb  of  Lokmao 

'  Ad;imnaims     4.  p.  521.  ed.  Mabillon.  the  Wise;  see  d'Hcrbelot  Bihlioth.  Ori- 

*  Abulfeda;  Tab.  Syr.  cd.  Kiihler  p.  79.  ent.  art.  Ramlah. 

'Abd  cl-Melek  and  bis  two  sons  cl-VVclid  '  Edrisi  par  Jaubert,  p.  339.  Abulfeda 

and  Suleiinan,  held  the  throne  i'rom  A.  D.  1.  c.   Mejr  ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Orients 

705  to  720.  II.  p.  135. 
'  Will.  Tyr.  lO.  17,  "Est  autem  Uamu- 

iii.  o2-34 


Junk  8.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


235 


gates  ;  and  with  each  of  the  four  princij)al  gates,  towards  Ydfa, 
Askelon,  Jerusalem,  and  Nabulus,  there  were  connected  markets 
and  a  mosL' 

The  crusaders  in  A.  D.  1099,  on  their  march  from  Antioch 
to  Jerusalem,  having  celebrated  the  day  of  Pentecost  at  Cfesarea, 
directed  their  course  to  Lydda,  where  they  found  the  splendid 
tomb  and  church  of  St.  George.  Count  Robert  of  Flanders, 
with  five  hundred  knights,  was  sent  forward  to  reconnoitre  the 
neighbouring  Ramleh  ;  and  foxmd  the  gates  open  and  the  city 
deserted  of  inhabitants.  The  host  of  crusaders  followed,  and 
took  up  their  quarters  in  Ramleh  for  three  days,  recruiting 
themselves  with  the  abundance  of  provisions,  which  the  inhabi- 
tants had  left  beliind  in  their  flight,  flere  they  celebrated  a  fes- 
tival to  St.  George,  who  had  already  aided  them  in  the  battle 
near  Antioch  ;  and  with  due  formality  installed  him  as  their 
patron  saint.  His  tomb  at  Lydda  was  made  the  seat  of  the 
first  Latin  bishopric  in  Palestine  ;  and  Robert,  a  priest  from 
Rouen  in  Normandy,  was  on  the  spot  appointed  bishop,  and 
received  tithes  from  the  pilgrims.  The  new  see  was  endowed 
with  the  cities  of  Ramleh  and  Lydda,  and  the  lands  belonging  to 
them.  On  the  fourth  day  the  army  proceeded  towards  Jerusalem.* 

From  its  position  between  Jerusalem  and  the  coast,  Ramleh 
formed  an  important  post  for  the  crusaders  ;  and  continued  gen- 
erally in  their  hands  while  they  held  possession  of  the  Holy  City, 
and  long  afterwards.  About  A.  D.  1177  the  place  was  burned 
by  the  renegade  Ivelin.^  In  A.  D.  1178  Saladin  was  totally 
defeated  in  the  vicinity  by  the  Chiistians  under  king  Baldwin 
IV ;  but  in  1187,  after  the  decisive  battle  of  Hattin,  the  whole 
plain,  with  Yafa,  Askelon,  and  also  Jerusalem,  fell  into  his 
hands.*  On  the  approach  of  Richard  of  England  in  A.  D.  1191, 
Saladin  caused  the  fortifications  of  Askelon  to  be  dismantled  ; 
and  the  fortress  of  Ramleh  and  the  church  of  Lydda,  as  well  as 
other  castles  in  the  plain,  to  be  razed.''  In  the  truce  made  be- 
tween Richard  and  Saladin  in  the  following  year,  it  was  stipu- 


'  Mejr  ed-Din  1.  c.  p.  136. 

'  See  in  the  Gesta  Dei :  Rob.  Monach.  p. 
73.  Baldric,  p.  130.  Raimund  de  Ag.  p. 
173.  Fulch.  Cam.  p.  8!)6.  Will.  Tyr. 
7.  22.  Also  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  I.  p. 
268. — The  homage  paid  to  St.  George  by 
the  crusaders,  probably  led  to  his  greater 
renown  in  Europe,  where  he  was  adopted 
as  the  patron  saint  of  England  and  several 
other  countries.  In  consequence  of  the 
vicinity  of  Ramleh  and  Lydda,  the  two 
have  been  sometimes  confounded  ;  and  the 
church  and  story  of  St.  George  placed  at 
the  former  ;  so  Phocas  de  Loc.  Sanct.  29. 
Anna  Comnena  in  Alexiade  hb.  XI.  p.  328. 


Willebr.  ab  Oldenb.  in  L.  Allat.  Symmikta, 
Col.  Agr.  1653.  p.  145.  Acta  Sanctor.  Apr. 
Tom.  III.  p.  142.  Schweigger  in  Reissb. 
II.  p.  113.  Comp.  Reland  Patest.  p.  960. 
'  Will.  Tvr.  21.  21. 

*  Will.  Tyr.  21.  23,  24.  Bohaedd. 
Vit.  Salad,  p.  46.  Abnlfed.  Annal.  A.  H. 
573.  Wilken  1.  c.  III.  ii.  p.  186.— Bo- 
haedd. 1.  c.  p.  72.    Abulfed.  1.  c.  A.  H. 

583. 

Bohaedd.  p.  202.  Abulfed.  Ann.  A. 
H.  587.  Reinaud  Extraits  p.  331.  Mejr 
ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  136. 
Gaufr.  Vinisauf  p.  362.  Wilken  Gesch. 
der  Kreuzz.  IV.  p.  426. 

iii.  34.  35 


236 


ER-RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


lated,  that  the  plain  and  coast  from  Tyre  to  Yafa,  including  the 
half  of  Eamleh  and  Lydda,  should  remain  in  the  hands  of  the 
Christians.'  In  A.  D.  1204  Eamleh  was  wholly  given  up  to 
them,  and  appears  to  have  continued  chiefly  in  their  posses- 
sion until  A.  D.  1266,  when  it  was  finally  taken  from  them  by 
the  Sultan  Bibars.*  In  the  subsequent  centuries,  it  is  often 
mentioned  as  the  resting  place  of  pilgrims  and  travellers,  on 
their  way  between  Yafa  and  Jerusalem.'  About  1547  Belon 
found  it  almost  deserted  ;  scarcely  twelve  houses  being  inhabited, 
and  the  fields  mostly  untilled.'' 

With  the  history  of  Muhammedan  Eamleh,  the  tower  above 
described  on  the  west  of  the  town,  stands  in  close  connection. 
This  structure  has  long  been  a  stone  of  stumbling  to  travellers  ; 
who  have  mostly  been  content  to  follow,  in  this  case,  as  in  so 
many  others,  an  indefinite  monastic  tradition.  In  aU  Frank 
writers,  down  to  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  I  find  no 
allusion  to  the  spot.  At  that  time,  about  A.  D.  1555,  Bonifa- 
cius  of  Eagusa  speaks  of  it  as  the  site  of  a  former  Christian 
church,  dedicated  to  the  Forty  Martyrs  of  Sebaste  in  Armenia  ; 
this  is  repeated  by  Zuallart  and  Cotovicus,  cited  with  approba- 
tion by  Quaresmius,  and  followed  by  most  other  travellers.^  In 
the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  we  begin  to  find  it 
regarded  as  one  of  Helena's  churches."  In  the  present  century, 
it  has  become  fashionable  to  refer  these  ruins  to  the  time  of  the 
crusades,  as  having  been  a  convent  and  church  erected  by  the 
knights  Templars,  and  dedicated  to  the  Forty  Martyrs.^  The 
tower  in  question  has  usually  been  held  to  have  belonged,  as  a 
belfry,  to  the  ancient  church.' 

'  Bohaedd.  pp.  258,  259.    Reinand.  Ex-  building ;  p.  39.  Scholz  ascribes  only  d»- 

traits  p.  356.     Ganfr.  Vinisanf  p.  422.  terns  to  Helena ;  p.  148. 

Abulfed.  Annal.  A.  H.  588.  Wilken  FV'.  p.  '  This  report,  current  apparently  among 

569.  the  monks,  seems  to  be  first  mentioned  in 

^  Abulledre  Ann.  A.  H.  601.    Reinaud  Turner's  Tour  in  the  Levant,  1815,  Tom. 

Extraits  p.  498.    Wilken  VII.  p.  493.  II.  p.  282.    Scholz  gives  the  same  account 

'  See  for  the  hospitium  and  convent,  p.  quite  circumstantially,  p.  148 ;  and  is  fol- 

230,  n.  2,  above.  lowed  by  Prokesch,  p.  39  ;  Monro,  I.  p. 

*  Observat.  p.  140.    Panlus  Samml.  I.  94  ;  Salzbacher,  II.  p.  24.  The  latter  tra- 

p.  256.  veller  has  the  merit  of  uniting  the  two 

'  Bonif.  de  perenn.  Cultu  Terras  Saiict.  conjectural  traditions ;  making  Helena  first 

lib.  II.    Quaresmius  II.  p.  7,  8.    Zuallart  build  tlie  church,  and  the  Templars  repair 

p.  112.    Cotovicus  p.  141.    So  Monconys  it. — According  to  Michaud,  the  remains 

I.  p.  293.    Doubdan  p.  488.    Pococke  II.  of  several  tombs  of  Christian  knights  are 

i.  p.  4.    Chateaubriand  I.  p.  419.  Par.  found  here  ;  but  I  cannot  learn  that  this 

1837,  etc.  etc.  account  rests  on  any  better  authority  than 

"  This  is  probably  a  mere  hypothesis  of  Surius  in  1645,  who  affirms  the  same  thing, 
the  monks  ;  I  find  it  first  mentioned  by  No  other  traveller  .speaks  of  any  such  re- 
Van  Egmond  and  Heyman,  I.  p.  311  ;  and  mains,  nor  did  we  see  or  hearof  any.  Surius 
then  again  only  very  recently  by  Salz-  Pelerin  p.  358.  Corr.  d'Orieut  IV.  p.  1 76. 
bacher  in  1 838  ;  II.  p.  24.  Prokesch  in-  »  Monconys  I.  p.  299.  Von  Troilo 
deed  speaks  of  a  church  of  Helena  in  Reisebeschr.  p.  85.  Morison,  p.  544.  Cha- 
Ramleh,  but  ."erms  to  mean  some  other  teaub.  Itin.  I.  p.  419. 

iii.  35-37 


JniK  8.] 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWER. 


237 


That  Christian  churches  existed  at  Ramleh  before  the  age 
of  the  crusades,  we  know  from  the  testimony  of  Eutychius, 
patriarch  of  Alexandria.  He  relates,  that  during  the  reign  of 
the  Egyptian  Khalif  el-Muktadir,  early  in  the  tenth  centurj-,  the 
Muslims  rose  in  tumult  and  destroyed  the  churches  of  St.  Cos- 
mas  and  St.  Cyriacus  in  Eamleh,  and  others  in  Askelon  and  Csesa- 
rea ;  which,  on  complaint  to  the  Khalif,  he  ordered  to  be 
rebuilt  '  That  during  the  long  possession  of  the  city  by  the 
Frank  Christians,  other  churches  and  also  convents  were  erected, 
is  highly  probable  ;  though  I  have  been  able  to  find  no  histori- 
cal trace  of  it  whatever.  The  first  Christian  notice  of  the  tower 
and  surrounding  quadrangle,  as  we  have  above  seen,  is  from  the 
sixteenth  centur}-  ;  and  the  first  reference  of  it  to  the  Templars 
occurs  in  the  nineteenth.  Yet  there  seems  to  be  no  evidence, 
that  the  Templars  ever  had  an  establishment  at  Eamlch  ;  it  is 
found  in  no  list  of  their  possessions  ;  although  their  houses  at 
Yafa  and  G-aza  and  elsewhere  in  the  vicinity,  are  enumerated  ; 
and  an  establishment  so  large  as  this  obviously  once  was,  could 
not  well  have  been  passed  over,  had  it  made  part  of  their  pos- 
sessions.^ Thus  there  is  no  historical  evidence,  that  the  spot  in 
question  was  ever  occupied  by  a  Christian  church  at  all ;  and 
also  no  traditional  evidence,  reaching  further  back  than  the  six- 
teenth century. 

On  the  other  hand  there  is  decisive  evidence,  both  historical 
and  architectural,  of  the  Muhammedan  origin  of  the  whole 
structure,  as  it  at  present  exists.  The  remaining  arches  of  the 
quadrangle  are  obviously  Saracenic  ;  and  the  tower  itself  was  no 
less  obviously  erected  as  a  minaret  ;  although  the  form  and  style 
are  peculiar.  It  is  solid  within,  except  the  staircase  ;  has  the 
usual  external  gallery  above  ;  and  has  neither  place  for  a  bell, 
nor  any  thing  else  in  common  with  the  tower  of  a  church. 
Further,  an  Arabic  inscription  over  the  door,  which  we  read, 
bears  the  date  of  A.  H.  710,  corresponding  to  A.  D.  1310 ; 
showing  the  time  when  the  tower  was  commenced.  This  is 
further  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  Mejr  ed-Din,  the  author 
of  a  valuable  Arabic  history  of  Jerusalem  and  several  other 
towns,  written  in  A.  D.  1495.  He  relates,  that  the  Khalif 
Na.sir  Muhammed  Ibn  Kalawun,  (who  was  restored  to  the 
throne  of  Egypt  in  A.  D.  1310,)  built  here  a  miaaret,  unique 
for  its  loftiness  and  elegance,  which  was  finished  in  A.  H.  718. 
This  allows  eight  years  for  the  completion  of  the  work.^ 

'  Entyohii  .Uinales  IL  pp.  512,  513.  '  Mejr  ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Orients 

Oxon,  lf;.58.  n.  p.  1.36. — Volney  mentions  the  inscrip- 

'  See  a  list  of  the  establishnients  of  the  tion  over  the  door,  as  recording  that  this 

Templars  in  the  province  of  Jemsalem,  in  tower  was  built  by  Self  ed-D^n  ;  Voyage 

MOnter'sStatutenbucb  des  Orrlensder  Tern-  IL  p.  308.    If  this  name  actually  stands 

pelherrn,  I.  pp.  418,  41'J.    Berl.  1794.  in  the  inscription,  it  is  probably  in  con- 

iii.  i'7j  38 


238 


ER-RAMLEH, 


[Sec.  Xm. 


The  same  writer  informs  us,  that  the  ancient  mosk,  with 
which  this  minaret  was  connected,  was  situated  outside  of  the 
town,  and  surrounded  by  many  tombs.  In  his  day  it  was  known 
as  the  White  mosk  ;  though  little  of  the  ancient  structure  re- 
mained. It  had  been  built  originally  by  Suleiman,  son  of  'Abd 
el-Melek,  the  founder  of  Ramleh,  on  liis  accession  to  the  Khali- 
fate  in  A.  D.  717  ;  and  was  renewed  during  the  reign  of  Saladin 
by  a  person  of  his  court  in  A.  D.  1190,  a  year  before  the  dis- 
mantling of  Ramleh  by  that  Sultan.'  Another  Arabian  writer, 
el-KhCilil  Ibn  Shahin  edh-Dhaliiry,  about  A.  D.  1450,  speaks  of 
the  same  White  mosk  at  Ramleh  as  particularly  worthy  of 
admiration  ;  and  mentions  also  its  subterranean  crypts,  in  which 
forty  companions  of  the  prophet  were  said  to  be  interred.* 
There  is  probably  some  connection  between  this  legend  and  that 
of  the  forty  Christian  martyrs,  whom  the  Latins  hold  to  be 
buried  here  ;  but  which  of  the  two  is  the  original,  it  may  be 
difficult  to  determine. 

I  have  above  remarked,  that  the  remains  of  the  quadrangle 
have  much  the  appearance  of  a  large  and  splendid  Khan,  while 
the  crypts  resemble  subterranean  magazines  ;  and  such  a  Khan 
would  here  be  entirely  in  its  place,  on  the  great  caravan  road 
between  Egypt  and  Damascus.  Yet  we  have  no  historical  or  tra- 
ditional evidence  to  any  such  fact.  If  then,  as  Arabian  writers 
seem  to  represent,  the  whole  was  once  a  mosk,  this  quadrangle 
probably  formed  an  enclosure,  similar  to  that  of  the  Haram  esh- 
Sherif  at  Jerusalem,  surrounding  a  court  in  which  the  mosk  or 
mosks  were  erected.  The  chambers  along  the  walls  of  the  quad- 
rangle, may  then  have  served  for  the  attendants  of  the  mosks, 
and  for  Derwishes,  as  is  stiU  the  case  at  J erusalem.  The  mosks 
themselves  have  disappeared  ;  perhaps  the  materials  have  been 
employed  for  the  erection  of  other  buildings  in  the  town  itself 
Scholz  relates,  that  there  are  inscriptions,  importing  that  the 
Muslims  after  the  crusades  bmlt  three  mosks  within  this  quad- 
rangle ;  a  large  one  on  the  north,  and  two  smaller  ones  on  the 
southern  side,  with  two  saint's  chapels  in  the  middle.  This 
would  be  much  like  the  present  arrangement  of  the  Haram  at 
Jerusalem  ;  but  our  attention  was  not  called  to  the  subject  at 
the  time  ;  and  I  regret  that  tliese  inscriptions  escaped  our 
notice.^  IVIejr  ed-Din  certifies  also  to  the  building  of  mosks  at 
Ramleh,  in  the  time  of  the  Khalif  Nasir  Muhammed  above 

nection  with  the  mention  of  Kalawun,  the  '  See  Extracts  from   cdh-Dhahiry  in 

father  of  NJsir,  who  bore  that  appellation,  Rosenmiillcr's  Analecta  Arabioa,  Pars  III. 

and  died  A.  II.  (!89,  twenty  years  before  p.  18  of  the  Arabic;  pp.  ^7,  38,  Lat. 

the  building  of  the  tower. — For  the  views  '  Scholz  Kcise  etc.  p.  148.    There  may 

of  some  later  travellers,  see  Ritter  Erdk.  perhaps  he  some  doubt  as  to  the  int«rpre- 

XVI.  p.  ")8.'>  sq.                         ■  tation,  if  not  as  to  the  existence  of  these 

'  Mejr  ed-I)in.  1.  c.  pp.  136,  137.  inscriptions. 

iii.  38-40 


Jose  8.] 


NOT  RAMAH. 


239 


mentioned  ;  which,  in  the  writer's  day,  like  the  rest  of  the  place, 
were  in  ruins.' 

We  may  now  inquire,  whether  there  is  any  evidence  to  con- 
nect the  present  Ramleh  v/ith  an  ancient  Ramah  ;  either  the 
Eamathaim-Zophim  of  Samuel,  or  the  Arimathea  of  the  New 
Testament  ?  Since  the  time  of  the  crusades,  such  a  connection 
has  heen  generally  assumed,  chiefly  upon  the  strength  of  a  sup- 
posed identity  or  resemblance  of  the  two  names,  supported  by 
the  ancient  mention  of  a  Ramah  or  Ramathem  in  the  vicinity. 

That  a  place  palled  Ramathem  or  Ramatha  did  anciently 
exist  in  this  region,  somewhere  not  far  distant  from  Lydda, 
admits  of  little  question.  In  the  letter  of  Demetrius  Nicator  to 
Lasthenes,  preserved  in  the  first  book  of  Maccabees  and  by  Jose- 
phus,  he  speaks  expressly  of  three  distiicts,  Apherima,  Lydd^ 
and  Ramathem,  which  had  been  annexed  to  Judea  from  Sama- 
ria.'^ Further,  both  Eusebius  and  Jerome  mentiqp  an  Armatha 
Sophim  in  the  Tamnitic  region  near  to  Lydda,  and  regard  it  as 
the  city  of  Samuel  and  the  Arimathea  of  the  New  Testament.' 
This  testimony  is  decisive,  as  to  the  existence  of  a  place  and 
district  called  Ramathem,^  not  far  from  Lydda,  and  within  the 
region  or  toparchy  of  Thamna. 

But  does  this  evidence  go  to  show  any  connection  between 
this  Ramathem  and  the  modern  Ramleh  In  itself  it  certainly 
does  not ;  and  after  having  had  the  subject  long  before  my  mind, 
I  am  constrained  to  admit,  that  the  balance  of  probabilities 
seems  to  be  against  the  identity  of  the  two. 

First,  the  two  names  Ramah  (Ramathem)  and  Ramleh, 
instead  of  being  identical  or  even  kindred,  are  totally  diverse 
both  in  etymology  and  meaning.  Ramleh  signifies  "  sand,"  and 
is  thus  appropriately  applied  to  the  town  as  situated  in  a  sandy 
plain  while  Ramah  is  "  a  height,  hill,"  and  is  therefore  here 
wholly  inapplicable.    The  names  too  come  from  different  roots, 

'  Fundgr.  de!5  Or.  II.  p.  136.  sepelivit ;  et  Nobe  urbem  quondam  sacer- 

"  Kal  Toiis  Tpcij  v6}ioui,  'A<pdp€iJia  /col  dotum,  nunc  tumulum  occisorum  ;  Joppen 

AiSSav  Kat  'Pafia^efi,  aiTives  irpoffeTf^crav  quoque,"  etc. — The  Ramah  which  Jerome 

rfi  'louSoi'a  arh  rris  SouopeiViSos,  1  Mace,  once  couples  with  Beth-horon,  refers  un- 

11,  34,  and  Joseph.  Ant.  13.  4.  9.    These  questionably  to  er-Ram  north  of  Jerusalem, 

three  districts  are  elsewhere  several  times  the  Ramah  of  Benjamin ;  see  Vol.  I.  pp. 

alluded  to,  without  naming  them ;  e.  g.  1  576-578.     Yet  Dr  Clarke   refers  it  to 

Mac  10,  30.  38.    Jos.  Aut.  13.  2.  3     ib  Ramleh  !    Travels  II.  i.  p.  634.  4to. 
13.  4.  9.    See  Reland's  comments.  Falsest.       '  The  name  Ramathem  ('Pa^^a»ff^)  is 

pp.  178,  179.  simply  the   Greek   form   for  the  Heb. 

^  Onomast.  "  Armatha  Sophim,  civitas  ^"'^'r"^   Rarruiihaim.      With   the  article 

ElchansE  et  Samuelis  in  regione  Tamnitica  (cTr-i.-!  |  this  would  readily  pass  over 

j^ixta  I)io.spolim  unde  fuit  Joseph  qui  in  into 'the  Greek  'Ap.^o&afa  Ari,naihm,  of 

Evangeliis  ab  Anmathia  esse  scnbifur."  the  New  Testament. 

So  too  Jerome     Ep-  86  ad  Eustoch.  Epi-       <.  ^    ^[^^  sometimes  applied  to  a  sandy 

taph.  Paulae,  p.  673,  '  Et  Lyddam  versam  plain  itself;  e.  g.  to  the  great  tract  of  sand 

in  Diospohm  (v,dit  --haud.procul  ab  ea  south  of  Jebel  et-Tih  towards  Sinai.  See 

Aninathiam  viculum  Joseph  qui  Dommum  Vol.  I.  p  77 

iii.  40.  41 


240 


ER-RAMLEH. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


and  have  no  more  etymological  affinity  than  Ramah  and  Bra- 
mah,  or  Poland  and  Portland.  The  Arabian  history  of  the 
founding  of  Ramleh  affords  an  easy  explanation,  why  the  name 
should  liave  been  adopted  ;  while  as  to  Ramah,  the  supposition 
would  be  far  more  probable,  that  it  was  situated  upon  one  of  the 
hi!ls  not  far  distant  from  Lydda  towards  the  northeast. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  too,  if  this  ancient  Ramah  occu- 
pied the  site  of  Ramlch,  so  near  to  Lydda  and  in  full  view  from 
that  place,  that  none  of  the  early  pilgrims  should  allude  to  it. 
Both  the  Bourdeaux  pilgrim  in  A.  D.  333,  and  St.  Wilhbald 
abotit  A.  D.  765,  mention  Lydda  and  Emfnaus  (Nicopohs) ; 
and  it  is  hardly  conceivable,  that  they  should  have  passed  by 
Ramah  or  Arimathea,  which  in  that  case  lay  very  near,  without 
gome  notice,  as  the  city  of  Joseph.  Yet  they  have  no  allusion 
to  the  name  or  place  ;  and  the  first  mention  of  it,  as  we  have 
seen,  is  by  the  monk  Bernard  a  century  later,  who  speaks  of  it 
only  as  Ramfeh.  AU  this  goes  to  sustain  the  testimony  of 
Abulfeda  and  Wilham  of  Tyre.' 

Further,  by  combining  several  notices  of  Eusebius  and  Je- 
rome, it  appears  to  follow,  that  the  Ramah  (Arimathea)  of  which 
they  speak,  did  actually  lie  somewhere  eastward  from  Lydda,  as 
I  have  above  conjectured.  It  was,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the 
Tamnitic  region  near  to  Lydda.  But  Thamna,  which  gave 
name  to  a  toparchy,  is  described  by  the  same  writers  as  a  large 
village  in  the  borders  of  Lydda,  on  the  way  to  Jerusalem.' 
And  from  another  passage,  it  appears,  that  the  Tamnitic  dis- 
trict extended  not  less  than  fifteen  Roman  miles  on  the  north 
(or  northeast)  of  Lydda  ;  which  point  they  still  describe  as  on 
the  borders  of  the  latter  city,  although  this  was  the  head  of  a 
different  toparchy.'  •  Hence,  as  the  district  in  which  their  Ra- 
mah lay,  stretched  thus  far  on  the  east  and  north  of  Lydda,  we 
are  hardly  entitled  to  assume,  that  it  also  extended  around  to 
the  southwest  of  that  town,  so  as  to  include  a  place  so  near  it 
in  that  direction  as  Ramleh.  Nor  is  their  expression  "  near  by 
Lydda"  (juxta  Diospolim)  to  be  pressed  to  an  extreme;  Lyd- 
da itself  is  said  to  be  "  near  to  Joppa,"  although  the  two  places 
are  three  hours  distant  from  each  other.^ 

Hence,  as  this  Ramah  seems  to  have  been  situated  on  the 
northeast  of  Lydda,  and  the  name  implies  that  it  stood  upon  a 

'  See  p.  234,  above.  ab  ea  milibiis  distans  contra  septentrioiiem 

*  Onomast.  "  y'Aamna— ostenditnr  ho-  in  re<;ione  Thamnitica."    For  the  names 

dicque  prasgrandis  vicus  in  finibus  Dies-  of   the   toparchies,    Kmmaus,  Thamua, 

poleos  euntibu3  ^Cliani." — Ibid.  "  jEnarii  Lydda,  .loppe,  etc.  see  Ptol.  .'5.  14.  Joseph. 

— proxitnus  Thamnae  vico  grandi,  qui  si-  B.  J.  3.  3.  .5.    Reland  Pal.  p.  176. 

ttts  est  inter  ^^liani  et  Diospolim."  '  Sec   above,  p.  239,  n.  3. —  Aots  9, 

'  Onomast.      Betksalisa  —  est    autem  38 '£771;$  5t  oCo-jjs  Ai/SStii  'I<J»'T)' 

villain  finibus  Diospoleos,  quindccim  fenne 

iii.  41-43 


Jose  8.] 


NOT  RAMAH. 


241 


'  height,'  we  are  most  probably  to  look  for  it  somewhere  in  the 
tract  of  hills  between  the  mountain  and  the  plain.  We  how- 
ever fell  in  with  no  further  trace  of  it ;  and  my  purpose  here 
has  been,  not  so  much  to  show  where  it  lay,  as  to  point  out  the 
circumstances  which  render  it  improbable,  that  Ramah  was 
identical  with  Eamleh.* 

In  accordance  with  this  view,  and  with  the  testimony  of 
Abulfeda,  most  of  the  earliest  crusaders  speak  of  the  place  only 
as  Eamleh,  and  appear  not  to  have  thought  of  any  Ramah.^ 
Yet  the  hypothesis  of  their  identity  must  have  soon  sprung 
up ;  for  Benjamin  of  Tudela  not  long  after  A.  D.  1160, 
speaks  of  the  place  as  the  ancient  Ramah,  and  relates  the  fable 
of  the  bones  of  Samuel.^  Yet  the  scholars  of  the  age  did  not 
adopt  the  common  view  ;  for,  twenty  years  afterwards,  AVilham 
of  Tyre  expressly  rejects  it,  and  follows  the  testimony  of  Arabian 
writers,  that  Ramleh  had  been  first  founded  by  the  Muhamme- 
dans/  But  the  influence  of  his  learning  could  not  stem  the 
tide  of  legend-loving  credulity  ;  and  in  the  time  of  Brocardus,  a 
century  later,  we  find  Ramleh  fuUy  installed  as  the  Arimathea 
of  Joseph,  and  also  as  the  Ramathaim-Zophim  of  Samuel  in 
Mount  Ephraim.*  Yet  long  before  this  time,  the  present  Neby 
Samwil  was  already  held  to  be  the  latter  place. 

I  have  already  adduced  reasons  enough  to  show,  that  the  city 
of  Samuel  could  not  have  been  at  Neby  Samwil,  and  still  less  at 
the  Ramathem  (Armatha)  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome  near  Lydda, 
wherever  this  may  have  lain.'  The  idea  that  this  Ramah  may 
have  been  the  Arimathea  of  the  New  Testament,  is  not  in  itself 
improbable  ;  and  it  may  be  said  too,  that  these  fathers  lived  near 
the  apostolic  age,  when  a  correct  tradition  might  still  be  extant. 
Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the  very  same  article,  they  make  the 
place  also  to  have  been  the  city  of  Samuel,  which  is  impossible. 
Hence,  the  position  of  the  scriptural  Arimathea  must,  I  think, 
be  stUl  regarded  as  unsettled. 

Instead  of  proceeding  directly  from  Ramleh  to  Jerusalem, 
we  would  gladly  have  first  availed  ourselves  of  the  opportunity 
to  visit  Yafa,  the  ruins  of  Cjesarea  (Kaisariyeh),  and  other 
points  along  the  coast ;  and  also  to  search  for  the  site  of  Anti- 
patris  and  other  ancient  places  in  the  plain.  But  our  time  was 
limited  ;  and  we  knew  that  the  coast  had  been  perhaps  better 

'  See  more  on  this  Ramah  in  Vol  III.  cis    fuisse    temporibus,    frequens  habet 

Sect  III,  under  Apr.  26th,  1852.  opinio  ;  quam  post  tempora  seductoris  Ma- 

'  See  above,  p.  235,  n.  2.  hnmeth,  ejus  successores  Arabum  princi- 

*  See  Vol.  I.  p.  459,  n.  5.    Benj.  of  Tud.  pes,  reteres  tiadunt  historiae,  fundasse." 
pp.  78,  79.  '  Brocardus,  c  9.  p  184.  Adricbomins, 

*  WilL  Tyr.  10.  17,  "  Est  autem  Ramu-  p.  29.  So  too  as  Arimathea,  Raumer  Pa- 
la  civitas  in  campestribus  sita,  juxta  Lid-  liist.  Ed.  3,  p.  197. 

dam,  quEe  est  Diospolis ;  hujm  anfiqtcum       '  See  VoL  I.  pp.  458,  459. 
nomen  non  reperi ;  sed  neque  ipsam  pris- 

Vol.  II.— 21  iii.  43.  44 


2m 


ER-KAMLEH. 


[Sec,  Xra. 


explored,  than  any  otlaer  part  of  Palestine.  Besides,  the  heat 
of  summer  had  already  come  ;  and  the  experience  of  the  last 
two  days  had  ■warned  us  of  what  we  must  expect,  if  we  con- 
tinued in  the  plain.  With  reluctance,  therefore,  for  once,  we 
set  our  faces  towards  the  mountains  and  the  Holy  City  ;  leaving 
the  plain  to  be  explored  by  future  travellers,  under  more  favour- 
able auspices.    A  few  notices  are  all  that  I  can  here  give. 

We  have  seen  above,  that  in  the  destruction  of  Eleuthero- 
polis,  Gaza,  and  Askelon,  wliich  took  place  A.  D.  796,  a  city 
called  Sariphcca  shared  the  same  fate  ;  which  therefore  probably 
lay  somewhere  in  the  plain.'  The  name  of  Stephen,  bishop  of 
Sariphsea,  is  found  among  the  subscriptions  to  the  council  of 
Jerusalem  in  A.  D.  536  ;  though  this  city  occurs  as  a  bishopric 
in  none  of  the  ecclesiastical  hsts  of  Palestine.*  Eeland  suggests 
with  probability,  that  it  may  have  been  the  place  now  called 
Surafend,  a  village  on  the  road  from  Eamleh  to  Yafa,  half  an 
hour  from  Eamleh  and  an  hour  before  Beit  Dejan.^ 

In  the  district  of  Ludd,  and  apparently  not  far  from  that 
town,  our  lists  give  the  name  of  an  inhabited  village  el-Yehtidi- 
yeh.    Is  this  perhaps  the  Jehud  of  the  children  of  Dan  ?* 

Antipatris  was  buUt  up  by  Herod  the  Great,  and  so  named 
in  honour  of  his  father  Antipater,  on  the  site  of  a  former  place 
called  Caphar  Saba.  The  spot  was  well  watered  and  fertile  ;  a 
stream  also  flowed  around  the  city,  and  groves  of  large  trees 
were  near.^  To  Antipatris  the  soldiers  brought  Paul  by  night 
from  Jerusalem,  on  the  route  to  Ca^sarea ;  and  then  returned, 
leaving  the  horsemen  to  go  on  with  him  alone.*  Antipatris  lay 
between  Caesarea  and  Lydda  ;  and  the  distance  from  Caesarea, 
according  to  the  Bourdeaux  pilgrim,  was  twenty-six  Eoman 
miles.''  All  these  circumstances  go  to  show,  that  Ahtii)atris 
stood  in  the  midst  of  the  plain,  and  not  upon  the  sea  coast ;  and 
could  not  therefore  have  been  at  Arsuf,  where  the  crusaders  sup- 
posed they  found  it.* 

'  See  above,  p.  C2,  n.  2.  •  Acts  23,  31.  32. 

'  2T(<pavos  (wdrKOTroi  2apt(pa(as,  L.it.  '  Hieron.  Epitaph.  Paulae,  p.  673  ed. 

"  Stephanus  episcopus  Scaq)hici)sis  et  Sa-  Mart.   Itin.  Hieros.  ed.  Wesseling,  p.  COO. 

ripli£Bensis;  "  Labb.  Concilior.  Coll.  Tom.  Relaiid  Pal.  p.  417. —The  same  Itinerary 

V.  col.  283.  C.    Roland  Falsest,  p.  987.  gives  the  distance  of  Antipatris  fr»m  Lydda 

Le  Quien  Oriens  Clir.  III.  p.  630.  at  X  Roman  miles. 

'  Keland  ibid.  pp.  1)87,  988.    Our  lists  '  Will.  Tyr.  9.  19.    ib.  14.  16.    Jac.  de 

give  two  sites  called  Surafend,  one  in  ruins  Vitr.  c.  23.  p.  10C7.     Marin.  Sanut.  p. 

and  the  other  inhabited  by  Muhammedaus.  1'>2.    Brocardus,  c.  10.  p.  186.  Comp. 

♦  Josh.  19,  45.  Reland  Palajst.  pp.  569,  570.— Ar.^i.f,  so 

'  .loseph.  Ant.  16.  5.  2,  Ka<paptra0(l —  renowned  in  the  history  of  the  crusades, 

xoTO/uoO  Tt  Ttepi^litoinros  tJ)*  ■it6\tv  avriiv,  is  now  a  deserted  village  at  the  mouth  of 

Kol  ktA.    This  matter  of  a  stream  must  Kahr  Arsuf,  a  small  stream  2  J  hours  north 

not  be  pressed  too  literally.  It  was  doubt-  of  the  village  el-Haram,  or  about  6  hours 

less  merely  a  Wady,  which,  coming  from  from  Yafa.    See  Irby  and  Mangle's  Tni- 

the  mountains,  bad  water  in  it  only  a  part  vels,  p.  1 89.  [59.]    The  stream  is  called 

of  the  year.  on  Jacotin's  map  el-Uaddar.     Arsiif  is 
iii.  44—46 


Jvm  9.] 


CITIES  IN  THE  PLAIK. 


243 


Prokesch,  in  travelling  from  Ramleh  northwards  through  the 
plain,  passed  a  village  some  distance  north  of  Ras  el-'Ain,  the 
name  of  which  he  writes  "  KaflFr  Suba  ;"  the  identity  of  which 
with  Antipatris  has  been  suggested  by  Eaumer. ' 

In  the  same  neighbourhood,  our  lists  contain  the  name  of  a 
village  Jiljdleh,  corresponding  to  the  ancient  Galgula  which 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  place  at  six  Roman  mUes  north  of  Anti- 
patris.'' This  was  perhaps  the  Gilgal  in  the  region  of  Dor, 
whose  king  was  subdued  by  Joshua  ;^  though  it  would  seem  to 
lie  too  far  south. 

As  we  learned  nothing  more  of  this  part  of  the  great  western 
plain,  and  travelled  also  from  Ramleh  to  Jerusalem  by  a  route 
more  circuitous  than  the  common  one,  I  subjoin  in  a  note  two 
Itineraries  which  have  reference  to  these  regions.  One  is  from 
notes  made  by  my  friend  Mr  Smith,  during  a  journey  in  A.  D. 
1835,  along  the  coast  fi-om  'Akka  to  Yafa,  and  thence  by  the 
direct  road  to  Jerusalem  ;  the  other  has  been  kindly  famished 
me  by  Mr  Lanneau,  and  gives  the  ordinary  distances  in  time 
along  the  same  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Yafa.  The  regular  and 
well  known  rate  with  horses  or  mules  from  the  Holy  City  to 
Ramleh,  is  nine  hours  ;  and  from  Ramleh  to  Yafa,  three  hours. 
Yet,  of  course,  one  who  travels  leisurely,  may  easily  occupy  a 
longer  time  ;  or,  also,  the  distance  may  be  hurried  over  in  a 
shorter  interval.  It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind,  that  from  Yafa 
to  Latron,  sis  hours,  the  way  is  mostly  level ;  while  the  remain- 
ing half,  quite  to  Jerusalem,  is  a  difficult  mountain  road.* 


Saturday,  June  9th.  After  a  few  hours  of  uneasy  tossing 
on  our  couches,  we  thought  it  better  to  enjoy  the  cool  air  of  the 
night  abroad,  and  improve  the  beautiful  moonlight,  rather  than 
waste  the  same  time  in  vain  attempts  to  sleep,  pent  up  beneath 
a  roof.  "We  accordingly  rose  soon  after  2  o'clock,  made  ourselves 
ready,  and  despatched  Ibrahim  for  the  Mukary  and  horses.  "We 
intended  to  have  departed  without  disturbing  the  family  ;  but 
as  we  descended  the  stairs,  we  found  our  host  and  his  two  sons 
waiting  to  see  us  off.  Coffee  was  brought ;  and  we  at  length 
bade  farewell  to  our  friends,  not  without  respect  and  gratitude 
for  their  unaffected  kindness  and  hospitality.  At  3  o'clock  we 
were  upon  our  way ;  and  found  ourselves  greatly  refreshed  by 

probably  the  ancient  Apollonia;  Eeland  '  Onoinast   art.    Gelgel.     In  Greek 

Pal.  p.  573.  Ta\yov\^.    Jacotin's  map  has  a  Jiljuleh 

'  PaList.  ed.  .3.  pp.  131,  132. — Kefir  Si-  abont  the  same  distance  towards  the  sonth. 

bm  was  visited  by  Rer.  E.  Smith  in  1843 ;  »  .Josh.  12,  23.    Probably  the  Gilgal  of 

gee  BibUoth.  Sac  184.3,  p.  490  sq.    We  Neh.  12,  29  and  1  Mace.  9,  2,  was  the 

Kkewise  saw  it  in  18.52;  see  VoL  III.  same.    Comp.  VoL  I.  p.  557,  n.  3. 

Sect  m,  under  Apr.  24th,  1852,  *  See  Note  XL,  end  of  the  volume. 

iiL  46-18 


244 


FROM  RAMLEH  TO  JERUSALEM, 


[Sec.  Xm. 


the  cool  morning  breeze.  Our  road  lay  over  the  level  tract,  on  a 
straight  course  to  Ludd.  On  the  way,  we  saw  several  caravans 
of  camels  encamped  for  the  night ;  they  were  apparently  travel- 
ling upon  the  great  caravan  road  from  Egypt  to  Damascus, 
which,  touching  Gaza,  Ramleh,  and  Ludd,  proceeds  northwards 
through  the  plain  ;  and  then,  at  or  near  el-Lej_j  an,  passes  into 
the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  so  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Tabor. 

We  reached  Ludd  at  3|  o'clock,  just  as  the  first  streaks  of 
dawn  were  shooting  up  in  the  eastern  sky,  though  not  as  yet 
enough  to  counteract  the  mUd  brilliancy  of  the  declining  moon, 
Ludd  is  a  considerable  village  of  small  houses  ;  but  has  nothing 
to  distinguish  it  from  ordinary  Muhammedan  villages,  except 
the  ruins  of  the  celebrated  church  of  St.  George.  It  is  stiQ 
the  nominal  seat  of  a  Greek  bishop  ;  who  however  resides  at 
Jerusalem.'  AU  was  now  hushed  in  silence  and  sleep.  We 
proceeded  directly  to  the  ruins  in  the  southern  quarter  of  the 
town,  and  found  access  to  them  without  difficulty.  The  edifice 
must  have  been  very  large.  The  walls  of  the  eastern  end  are 
standing  only  in  the  parts  near  the  altar,  including  the  arch  over 
the  latter  ;  but  the  western  end  remains  more  perfect,  and  has 
been  built  into  a  large  mosk  ;  the  lofty  minaret  of  which  forms 
the  landmark  of  Ludd.  The  intervening  portions  of  the  walls 
are  gone  ;  but  several  of  the  columns  remain,  and  one  lofty 
pointed  arch  on  the  south  of  the  grand  aisle.  The  columns 
along  this  aisle  are  of  a  peculiar  construction  ;  a  square  shaft  or 
body,  and  then  on  each  of  the  four  sides  a  pilaster  with  a  column 
attached.  We  measured  the  width  of  the  grand  aisle,  between 
the  centres  of  the  columns,  thirty-six  feet  ;  and  the  northern 
side  aisle  to  the  wall,  twenty-one  feet ;  which  gives  seventy- 
eight  feet  for  the  interior  breadth  of  the  church.  The  length 
we  could  not  determine.  We  saw  these  noble  ruins  by  t}je 
bright  yet  mellow  light  of  the  full  moon  ;  the  lofty  remaining  arch 
towered  in  imposing  majesty  ;  and  the  effect  of  the  whole, 
though  mournful,  was  yet  indescribably  impressive.  It  trans- 
ported me  back  to  the  similar,  but  far  more  perfect  moonlight 
grandeur  of  the  Colisfeum. 

The  history  of  Lydda  as  a  city  may  be  soon  told.  It  appears 
to  have  been  first  built  by  Benjamites,  though  lying  out  of  the 
limits  of  that  tribe  ;  it  bore  in  Hebrew  the  name  Lod,  and  was 
inhabited  again  by  Benjamites  after  the  exile.'  Demetrius 
Nicator,  as  we  have  seen,  transferred  it,  with  its  district,  from 
Samaria  to  Judea.^  After  the  death  of  Julius  Caesar,  Cassius 
was  for  a  time  in  Palestine,  and  greatly  oppressed  the  land  ; 
reducing  whole  cities  to  servitude,  and  sclUng  as  slaves  the 

1  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  424.  »  See  p.  239,  above. 

'  1  Chr.  8,  12.  Ezra  2,  33.  Neh.  11,  35. 

iii,  48-50 


Jtoe  9.] 


LUDD,  LYDDA. 


245 


inhabitants  of  Gophna,  Emmaus,  Lydda,  and  Thamna  ;  who  at 
a  later  period  were  again  set  at  liberty  and  restored  to  their 
homes,  by  a  decree  of  Antony.'  The  next  notice  of  Lydda  is  as 
the  scene  of  Peter's  miracle  in  healing  Eneas.'  Some  years 
later,  Cestius  Gallus,  the  Roman  proconsul  under  Nero,  march- 
ing from  Caesarea  against  Jerusalem,  took  Lydda  in  his  way, 
and  laid  it  in  ashes.'  It  must  have  soon  revived  again  ;  for  we 
find  it,  not  long  after,  as  the  head  of  one  of  the  toparchies  of 
the  later  Judea  ;  as  such  it  surrendered  to  Vespasian.^  At 
that  time  it  is  described  by  Josephus  as  a  village  not  inferior  in 
size  to  a  city  ;  and  is  also  celebrated  by  the  Rabbins  as  a  seat 
of  Jewish  learning.' 

In  the  general  change  of  names  which  took  place  in  Pales- 
tine under  the  Roman  dominion,  Lydda  became  Diospolis.  As 
such  its  name  is  found  on  coins  struck  under  Septimius  Severus 
and  Caracalla  ;  and  is  often  mentioned  by  Eusebius  and  Je- 
rome.' It  was  early  a  bishopric  of  the  First  Palestine,  and  at 
the  different  councils,  its  bishops  subscribe  themselves  variously 
as  of  Lydda  or  Diospolis.'  In  the  Greek  ecclesiastical  Notitise 
it  stands  as  Diospolis  ;  in  the  later  Latin  ones,  again  as  Lydda.' 
In  the  earliest  of  all,  it  is  placed  of  course  under  the  metropolis 
Caesarea  ;  but  is  afterwards  marked  as  a  suffragan  see  ;  that  is, 
as  standing  immediately  under  the  patriarch  of  Jerusalem, 
without  the  intervention  of  a  metropolitan.  The  latest  bishop 
distinctly  mentioned  is  Apollonius  in  A.  D.  518.' — In  A.  D. 
415  Pelagius  appeared  here  before  a  tumultuous  council.'" 

Lydda  became  early  connected  in  history  with  the  homage 
paid  to  the  celebrated  saint  and  martyr  St.  George,  not  less  re- 
nowned in  the  east,  than  at  a  later  period  in  the  west.  The 
earliest  calendars  and  legends  relate,  that  this  saint  was  boni  in 
Lydda  ;  suffered  martyrdom  at  Nicomedia  in  the  earliest  perse- 
cution under  Diocletian  and  Maximian,  near  the  close  o^  the 
third  century  ;  whence  his  remains  were  tran.sferred  to  his  native 
place,  and  a  church  afterwards  erected  in  his  honour."  Whatever 

'  Joseph.  Ant  14.  11.  2.  ib.  14. 12. 2-5.  fers  to  Josephns  as  already  nsing  the  name 

-  Acts  9,  32.  3.5.  Diospolis  ;  B.  J.  1.  6.  4.    But  in  relating 

'  Joseph.  B  J.  2.  19.  1.  elsewhere  the  same  event,  the  text  of  Jo- 

*  Ibid.  3.  3.  5.  ib.  4.  8.  1.  sephus  has  Delion,  another  place  ;  Antiq. 
'  Jos.  Ant.  20.  6.  2.    Lightfoot  0pp.  14.  3.  3. 

IL  P-  145.  '  See  Reland  Pal.  p.  888.    Le  Quien 

•  For  the  coins,  see  Valllunt  Numism.    Oriens  Chr.  III.  p.  582  sq. 

Imp.  et  Cses.  p.  350.    Eckhel  Nummor.       '  Reland  ibid.  pp.  215,  220,  222,  227. 

Doctr.  III.  p.  432.    Mionnet  Medailles       '  Labb.  ConciL  Coll.  Tom.  V.  p.  194. 

Autiq.  V.  p.  497.     Belley  in  Mem.  de  Le  Quien  ib.  p.  585. 

I'.Vcad.  des  Inscr._  XXVI.  p.  429  sq.—  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  380. 

"  Lyddam  versam  in  Diospolim ; "  Hieron.       "  I  follow  here  throughout  the  results  of 

Ep.  86,  Epit.  Paube  p.  673.  ed.  Mart.  Papebroch  the  BoUafidist;  Acta  Sanctor. 

Comp.  Reland  Palsest  p.  877.— The  time  April.  Tom.  IIL  p.  100  sq.    See  especially 

when  this  change  of  name  took  place  is  pp.  106-108.    Whoever  wishes  to  know 

unknown.    The  Abbe  Belley  (p.  433)  re-  more  of  St.  George,  will  find  enough  of  the 

Vol.  n.— 21*  iiL  50.  51 


246 


FROM  RAMLEH  TO  JERUSALKM. 


[Sec  Xm. 


may  be  the  variations  of  tlie  legends  respecting  his  origin  and 
life,  all  seem  to  agree  in  making  Lydda  his  place  of  sepulture. 
But  at  what  time  the  church  of  St.  George  at  Lydda  was  buUt, 
we  have  no  means  of  ascertaining.  Wilham  of  Tyre  indeed 
affirms,  that  it  was  founded  by  Justinian  ;  but  Procopius,  who 
wrote  a  treatise  on  the  edifices  erected  by  that  emperor,  mentions 
a  church  of  St.  George  only  in  Armenia.'  This  shows  sufficient- 
ly that  the  renown  of  the  saint  was  already  widely  extended  ; 
and  that  probably  therefore  the  church,  or  at  least  has  sepulchre 
at  Lydda,  is  of  a  stUl  earlier  date.^ 

The  earliest  historical  notices  which  connect  Lydda  with  St. 
George,  are  found  in  Antoninus  Martyr,  Adamnanus,  and  St. 
Willibald  ;  they  speak  of  it  as  his  city,  where  he  lies  buried, 
but  make  no  express  mention  of  the  church.^  Meantime  the 
Muhammedan  dominion  had  spread  over  Palestine  in  the  seventh 
century  ;  Lydda  had  been  laid  in  ruins  by  Suleiman,  son  of  the 
Khalif  'Abd  el-Melek,  and  Ramleh  built  up  in  the  vicinity,  in 
the  early  part  of  the  eighth  century.*  Towards  the  close  of  the 
ninth  century,  the  monk  Bernard  speaks  of  the  monastery  of 
St.  George,  not  far  from  Ramleh  ;  it  was  probably  connected 
with  the  church.^ 

The  crusaders  on  their  arrival  at  Lydda,  found  the  splendid 
sepulchre  of  St.  George  ;  the  church  had  just  before  been  lev- 
elled to  the  ground  by  the  Saracens,  lest  it  should  afibrd  to  the 
Christians  materials  and  opportunity  for  assaulting  the  city  itself. 
Hence,  it  appears,  that  the  church  then  stood  outside  of  the  city.* 
The  crusaders  established  at  once  a  bishopric  of  Lj'dda  and 
Ramleh,  as  already  related  ;  and  Latin  bishops  continued  to 
bear  this  title  for  several  centuries.^  The  church  appears  to  have 
been  soon  rebuilt  ;  though  I  find  no  direct  historical  e\'idence  to 
that  effect.*  The  crusaders,  as  we  have  seen,  paid  great  honours 
to  S#.  George,  and  invested  him  with  the  dignity  of  their 


legends  and  Acta  there  collected.  See 
also  Heylin's  Hist,  of  St  George,  Ed.  2, 
Lond.  10.33.  4. — The  attempt  of  Gibbon 
to  connect  the  St.  George  of  England  with 
the  opponent  of  St.  Athanasius,  who  was 
killed  in  a  popular  tumult  in  Alexandria 
in  the  Iburtli  century,  seems  to  proceed 
from  his  spirit,  rather  than  from  his  judg- 
ment.   Chap.  XXIII. 

'  Will.  Tyr.  7.  22.  Procop.  de  ^dific. 
Just.  .3.  4,  (cal  Ifphv  rfupyltj)  tu  fidprvpi 
iy  BtCavots  ISeifiaTo.  Procopius  is  here 
speaking  expressly  of  Armenia ;  in  enu- 
merating the  edifices  erected  in  Palestine, 
he  makes  no  mention  of  Lydda.  See  ib. 
6.  7. 

*  Papebrocu  inclines  to  refer  it  to  Con- 
Btantiiie  himself;  I.  c.  p.  109.    But  the  si- 
iii.  52,  53 


lence  of  Eusebius  is  here  a  decisive  objec- 
tion ;  the  flatterer  of  that  emperor  would 
not  have  passed  over  such  a  merit  in  his 
patron,  taking  place  too  almost  onder  hi» 
own  eye. 

'  Antoninus  Mart  about  A.  D.  600,  Itin. 
30.  Adiimniinus  3.  4.  St  Willibald  Ho- 
docpor.  21.  p.  377,  ed.  Mabillon. 

*  See  p.  234,  above. 

'  De  Locis  Sanct  10.  See  above,  p. 
234. 

'  Will.  Tyr.  7.  22. 

'  Le  Qnien  Oriens  Chr.  III.  p.  1271  sq. 
See  generally  above,  p.  23.5,  and  n.  2. 

'  In  A.  1).  1 1 23,  we  have  an  act  sub- 
scribed among  others  by  "  Kogenis  Ud- 
densis  St.  Georgii  episcopus."  Will.  Tyr. 
12.  2.5. 


% 


JuNZ  9.]  LTDDA.     HISTORICAL  NOTICES.  247 

patron  ;  and  from  this  time,  apparently,  his  renown  spread  still 
more  widely  throughout  Europe  ;  where  he  in  like  manner 
became  the  patron,  not  only  of  England,  but  also  of  several 
other  states  and  kingdoms.' 

Lydda  being  situated  thus  near  to  Ramleh,  appears  to  have 
followed  very  much  the  fortunes  of  the  latter  place  during  the 
wars  of  the  crusades.  About  A.  D.  1177  it  was  violently  as- 
saulted by  the  renegade  Ivelin  ;  and  the  inhabitants  all  betook 
themselves  to  the  church  of  St.  George,  now  of  course  within 
the  town.'  It  fell  with  Ramleh  into  the  hands  of  Saladin  after 
the  battle  of  Hattin.  That  Sultan,  on  the  approach  of  Richard 
in  A.  D.  1191,  caused  the  church  of  Lydda,  which  was  like  a 
strong  fortress,  to  be  razed,  along  with  the  castle  of  Ramleh  ; 
and  Bohaeddin  affirms  expressly,  that  both  still  lay  in  ruins 
when  he  wrote.'  It  afterwards  reverted  with  Ramleh  to  the  pos- 
session of  the  Christians  ;  at  first  only  in  part,  and  then  wholly  ; 
and  probably  fell  back  with  that  place  under  the  Muhammedan 
dominion  in  A.  D.  1266,  if  not  earlier.*  In  A.  D.  1271  it  was 
laid  waste  by  the  Mogols,  with  whom  Prince  Edward  of  Eng- 
land, (afterwards  Edward  I,)  had  made  a  league  in  aid  of  the 
Christians.^ 

From  this  time  onward  we  hear  little  more  of  Lydda.* 
Towards  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century  Ludolph  de  Su- 
chem  speaks  of  the  church  of  St.  George,  with  marble  and  Mo- 
saic work  ;  but  does  not  say  whether  it  was  or  was  not  in  ruins, 
or  whether  he  himself  saw  it.'^  When  Fabri  visited  it  in  A.  D. 
1483,  the  church,  though  broken  down,  was  in  part  occupied  by 
the  Greeks  ;  and  lamps  were  kept  continually  burning.*  The 
mosk  had  already  been  erected  in  the  western  part,  with  a  lofty 
minaret ;  indeed  the  language  of  Mejr  ed-Din  seems  to  imply, 
that  the  church,  as  such,  had  never  been  rebuilt  after  its  destruc- 
tion by  Saladin.'  In  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  we 
first  find  an  intimation,  that  tliis  church  of  St.  George  at  Lydda 
was  built  by  a  king  of  England.  This  is  asserted  by  Bonifa- 
cius ;  who  however  was  not  able  to  determine  the  name  of  the 
monarch ;  and  the  same  is  repeated  from  him  by  subsequent 

'  E.  g.  Malta,  the  republic  of  Genoa,  10.  p.  186.    Marinus  Sanutus  calls  it  St. 

the  kingdoms  of  Arragon  and  Valencia,  George,  as  the  birthplace  of  that  saint,  p. 

etc.    Papebroch  1.  c.  p.  160.  249.   So  too  Jacob  de  Vitr.  c.  57.  p.  1078. 

'  Will.  Tyr.  21.  21,  "  Contulerat  sane       '  Itin.  p.  50. 
ee  popalus  omnia  super  ecclesiam  beati       '  Reissbuch  p.  240. 
martyris  Georgii."  '  II  y  avait  une  eglise  richement  dotee 

'  Bohaeddin,  pp.  258,  259.    See  above,  des  cliriitiens  et  en  grande  renommee  chez 

p.  235,  n.  5.  eux  ;  elle  fut  ruinee  par  Salalieddin.  Au- 

*  See  above,  p.  236.  jourd'hui — il  y  a  une  mosquee  qui  etait 

'  Hugo  Plagon  p.  745.    Marin.  Sanut.  autrefois  une  eglise  grecqne  avec  uii  mina- 

p,  224.    Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  VII.  p.  ret  tres-eleve  ; "  Mejr  ed-Din,  translated 

698.  by  Von  Hammer,  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p. 

'  Brocardns  merely  mentions  Lydda,  c.  136. 

iii.  53,  54 


i 


248  FROM  BAMLEH  TO  JERUSALEM.  [Ssa  Xm. 

writers.'    The  deficiency  is  however  supplied  by  Cotovicus  in  the 
same  century,  who  gives  the  name  of  Richard  of  England 
and  the  like  rumour  is  current  among  the  Franks  in  Palestine, 
imto  the  present  day. 

On  this  legend,  for  it  is  probably  nothing  more,  I  woTild  re- 
mark, that  it  may  easily  have  sprung  up  out  of  the  high  honours 
paid  in  England  to  St.  George,  as  the  patron  saint  of  the  coun- 
try. It  was  also  very  natural  to  connect  the  rebuilding  of  the 
church  with  Richard,  who  had  himself  been  in  the  Holy  Land, 
and  was  distinguished  as  the  most  renowned  and  chivalrous  of 
all  the  champions  of  the  cross.  Unfortunately,  all  the  known 
facts  in  the  case  go  to  contradict  the  story.  Vinisauf,  the  eye- 
witness and  historian  of  Richard's  deeds  in  Palestine,  has  not  a 
word  respecting  the  church  of  St.  George  ;^  and  we  have  just 
seen,  that  after  the  destruction  of  the  edifice  by  Saladin,  it  was 
certainly  not  built  up  again  for  some  time,  and  probably  never. 
Hence,  the  utmost  that  can  be  supposed  as  a  foundation  for  the 
report  in  question,  seems  to  be,  that  funds  might  have  been  re- 
mitted from  England,  perhaps  in  aid  of  the  church  originally 
erected  by  the  crusaders.  But  the  first  appearance  of  the  story 
three  or  four  centuries  later,  in  a  work  notorious  for  its  credu- 
lous narratives  ;  and  the  fact  that  no  other  authority  or  testimony 
has  ever  yet  been  found  ;  give  to  the  whole  account  an  air  of 
fable.  One  is  almost  tempted  to  suppose,  that  the  story,  by  a 
rule  of  contraries,  may  rather  have  sprung  up  from  the  actual 
connection  of  Prince  Edward  with  the  destruction  of  Lydda  in 
A.  D.  1271. 

"We  left  Ludd  at  4  o'clock,  crossing  immediately  a  "Wady,  or 
low  tract,  running  off  northwards,  where  it  goes  to  form  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  river  el-'Aujeh,  (sometimes  also  called  Butrus,  St. 
Peter,)  which  enters  the  sea  two  hours  north  of  Yafa.  From 
Ludd,  the  great  camel  road  to  Jerusalem  leads  directly  by  Jimzu  ; 
but  our  Mukary,  either  by  mistake  or  to  get  us  upon  another 
road,  took  us  nearly  half  an  hour  out  of  the  way,  by  going  fur- 
ther south  to  Daniyal.  The  path  led  still  along  the  plain.  At 
4.40  we  reached  the  large  well  belonging  to  the  latter  place,  still 
in  the  plain  west  of  the  hills  ;  where  a  yoke  of  oxen  were  draw- 
ing water,  travelling  off  with  the  rope  in  a  straight  line  from  the 
well,  and  then  back.    By  measuring  the  ground  thus  passed 

•         '  Bonifacius  de  perenni  cultu  Teme  aliqni  putant."    The  conjecture  lay  near  a 

Sanct«,  lib.  2,  "  Perhibent  TerrsE  Sanctse  hand. 

Annates  istam  Ecclesiam  fabricatam  esse       '  That  Vinisauf  was  himself  in  Pales- 

a  quodam  Kege  Anglorum,  cujus  nomen  tine  with  Richard,  appears  from  lib.  VL  c. 

non  inveni ;  "  quoted  in  Quaresraius  II.  p.  23,  where  he  relates  the  visit  of  the  second 

9.    See  Zuallart  Viaggio,  p.  110.  company  of  pilgrims  to  Jerusalem  in  the 

'  Cotov.  Itin.  p.  l38.     The  writer  is  first  person  plural,  as  an  eyewitness.  Gale 

careful  to  add  the  saving  clause  :  "  Ut  Hist.  AngL  Scriptores,  II.  p.  426. 
iii.  54-56 


JOXE  9.] 


JIMZU,  GIMZO. 


249 


over,  we  found  the  deptli  of  the  well  to  be  one  hundred  and 
sixty  feet.  Here  we  lost  a  few  minutes.  The  village  lies  some 
five  minutes  further  east,  upon  an  eminence,  in  the  very  verge 
of  the  hilly  region  between  the  plain  and  mountains.  It  is  small, 
and  takes  its  name  Nebv  Daniyal  (Daniel)  from  a  Wely  near 

We  here  entered  the  hill  country,  similar  to  that  through  which 
we  had  travelled  south  of  Wady  es-Stirar,  though  somewhat  less 
fertile  ;  and  like  that  full  of  villages,  many  of  which  are  in 
ruins.  We  left  Daniyal  at  4.50  and  reached  Jimzu  at  5.20,  in 
half  an  hour.  This  is  a  common  and  rather  large  village  ;  and 
so  situated  on  an  eminence,  as  to  make  quite  a  show  at  a  dis- 
tance. The  road  passes  along  under  the  village  on  the  north  side. 
Here  were  many  threshing-floors  in  operation  ;  and  also  many 
subterranean  magazines  for  grain,  like  cisterns,  such  as  we  found 
in  most  villages.* 

The  name  Jimzu  appears  hitherto  to  have  escaped  the  notice 
of  travellers  ;  but  it  is  impossible  not  to  recognise  in  it  the 
Gimzo  once  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  as  having  been 
occupied  by  the  Philistines  along  ♦ith  Beth-shemesh,  Ajalon, 
and  other  cities  of  the  hills  and  plain.* 

Just  beyond  Jimzu,  the  great  road  divides  into  two  branches  ; 
one  passing  on  directly  and  ascending  the  mountain  by  Beit  'Ur  ; 
the  other  diverging  more  to  the  south,  and  leading  up  through 
Wady  Suleiman.  The  two  unite  again  above,  at  or  near  el-Jib. 
Our  purpose  was  to  take  the  path  leading  by  Beit  'Ur  ;  but 
the  Mukary,  for  reasons  of  his  own  deceived  us,  and  took  the 
other  road  towards  Wady  Suleiman,  probably  as  being  the  easi- 
est. This  led  us  at  6.20  to  the  village  Berfilya,  on  our  right. 
Soon  afterwards,  we  began  to  descend  gradually  into  a  broad 
open  valley  or  plain.  Here,  discovering  our  mistake,  we  deter- 
mined to  change  our  course,  and  cross  over  the  fields  towards  the 
left  to  the  other  road.  This  the  muleteer  absolutely  refused  to 
do,  and  kept  on  his  way  ;  leaving  us  to  follow  or  do  as  we 
pleased.  We  struck  out  into  the  fields,  and  soon  found  a  cross- 
road leading  in  an  easterly  direction.  This  led  us  at  7.20  to  a 
small  village,  called  el-Burj  ;  situated  on  an  isolated  hill  sur- 
rounded by  open  valleys  and  pLains.  The  name  is  modern  ;  but 
there  are  here  evident  traces  of  an  ancient  site,  apparently  once 
fortified. 

Half  an  hour  further,  in  the  same  direction,  brought  us  ob- 
liquely into  the  public  road  we  were  in  search  of,  near  a  well 
and  ruin  called  Urn  Rush,  apparently  once  a  Mukam  or  Wely. 

'  From  Daniyal  the  bearing  of  Ludd      '  From  Jimzu,  Ludd  bore  N.  50°  W. 
■was  N.  3"  W.    Jimzn,  S.  85°  E.  »  2  Chron.  28,  18. 

iii.  56,  57 


250 


FROM  KAMLEH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  XIIL 


Here  at  7.50  we  stopped  for  breakfast ;  having  lost  about 
twenty  minvxtes  by  our  mistake  in  the  road.' 

At  this  place  we  had  our  choice  of  three  large  and  spreading 
trees,  under  which  to  breakfast ;  a  fig  tree,  an  oak,  and  a  Kha- 
rAb.'  We  chose  the  oak,  because  the  ground  beneath  it  was 
more  level  and  commodious.  A  man  and  boy  were  drawing  water 
at  the  well  ;  from  whom  we  got  a  supply  for  ourselves  and  also 
for  our  horses  ;  though  as  there  was  no  trough  or  bowl  at  hand, 
we  could  let  the  latter  drink  only  by  pouring  the  water  from  the 
narrow  leather  bucket  upon  the  ground. 

We  set  off  again  at  9.20,  and  began  almost  immediately  to 
descend  into  a  valley  running  off  towards  the  south.  Here  after 
eight  or  ten  minutes  was  another  well  by  the  way  side,  where  a 
peasant  was  watering  his  young  cattle  in  a  wooden  bowl  instead 
of  a  trough  ;  he  rather  ungraciously  admitted  our  horses  to  a 
share.  At  9^  o'clock  we  had  on  our  left,  about  fifteen  minutes 
distant,  a  village  called  Suffa.  We  had  fallen  in  with  two  or 
three  females  travelling  the  same  way  ;  and  now  in  ascending 
the  hill  from  the  Wady,  we  found  that  they  were  from  Rummon. 
One  of  them  was  a  mother, »whose  son  had  been  seized  as  a  sol- 
dier ;  she  had  been  down  to  Yafa  to  visit  him,  and  was  return- 
ing in  sadness,  never  expecting  to  see  him  again.  At  10.20  we 
came  to  a  village  on  the  top  of  the  low  ridge,  called  Beit  'tir 
et-Tahta  (the  lower).  It  is  small ;  but  the  foundations  of  large 
stones  indicate  an  ancient  site,  doubtless  the  nether  Beth-horon 
of  the  Old  Testament.  3 

This  place  is  still  separated  trom  the  foot  of  the  high  moun- 
tain by  a  Wady,  which  comes  out  from  the  mountain  somewhat 
further  to  the  left  and  turns  south.*  This  we  crossed  ;  and 
then  began  the  long  and  steep  ascent.  The  way  winds  up 
along  the  extremity  of  a  sort  of  promontoiy,  jutting  out  be- 
tween two  deep  valleys  as  they  issue  from  the  mountain  ;  one  of 
them  being  that  which  we  had  just  crossed.    The  ascent  is  very 

'  From  this  well,  at  Um  Rush,  we  could  long  and  a  finger  hroad.    They  are  eaten 

Bee  the  following  places :  el-Burj,  S.  85"  with  relisli  by  the  common  people ;  and 

W.    Deir  Ma'in,  S.  50'  W.    Has  Kerker,  are  used  extensively  by  them  as  an  article 

N.  62"  E.    Deir  Abu  Mesh'al,  N.  18'  E.  of  sustenance.  We  had  them  dry  on  board 

Deir  Kadis,  N.  15°  E.  For  these  last  there  of  our  boat  on  the  Nile  in  January  ;  steeped 

places,  see  other  bearings  at  Beit  'Ur,  in  water  they  afforded  a  pleasant  drink, 

further  on ;  and  also  those  at  Riim- Allah,  These  are  the  Kfpdria  of  Luke  15,  16, 

VoL  L  p.  453,  n.  2.  (Kngh  Version  incorrectly  "  husks,")  on 

'  The  Ceratonia  siliqua  of  Linnajus,  which  the  swine  were  fed  ;  as  is  not  un- 

Engl.  Carob,  Fr.  Caroubicr,  Germ.  Johan-  common  at  the  present  day.     See  Celsii 

ninbrodhanm,  common  in  Syria,  Egypt,  Hierob.  1.  p.  22G.    Hasselquist  Keise,  p. 

Greece,  and  all  the  southern  parts  of  Eu-  531. 

rope,  and  sometimes  growing  very  large.  '  1  Chron.  7,  24.  See  more  on  the  next 

The  tree  produces  slender  pods,  shaped  like  page. 

a  horn  or  sickle,  containing  a  sweetish  pulp  *  This  Wady,  or  the  one  next  north,  is 

and  several  small  shining  seeds.    These  the  deep  valley  which  passes  down  oa  the 

pods  are  sometimes  eight  or  ten  inches  north  of  Uilm-Allah. 
iii.  57-59 


J|75E  9.] 


BETH-HORON. 


251 


rocky  and  rough  ;  but  the  rock  has  been  cut  away  in  many 
places,  and  the  path  formed  into  steps  ;  showing  that  this  is  an 
ancient  road.  At  10|  o'clock  we  reached  the  top  of"  the  first 
offset  or  step  of  the  ascent  ;  here  are  foundations  of  large 
stones,  the  remains  perhaps  of  a  castle  which  once  guarded  the 
pass.  At  11.20  we  came  out  on  the  summit  of  the  promonto- 
ry, where  stands  the  village  Beit  'Ur  el-F6ka  (the  upper),  on  an 
eminence  upon  the  very  brow  of  the  mountain,  with  a  deep 
valley  on  each  side,  both  north  and  south.  Further  east,  to- 
wards the  plain  around  el-Jib,  the  ground  still  rises  in  rocky 
hills  ;  but  with  a  much  more  gradual  ascent. 

The  village  is  small,  but  exhibits  traces  of  ancient  walls  and 
foundations.  Just  below  the  little  hill  on  which  it  stands, 
towards  the  east,  is  a  small  but  very  ancient  reservoir.  There 
can  be  no  question,  but  that  this  village  and  the  one  at  the 
bottom  of  the  mountain,  Beit  'Ur  the  upper  and  lower,  repre- 
sent the  ancient  upper  and  nether  Beth-horon.'  In  the  name, 
we  find  the  rather  imusual  change,  from  one  harsh  Hebrew 
guttural  to  one  still  deeper  and  more  tenacious  in  the  Arabic  ;^ 
in  all  other  respects  the  name,  position,  and  other  circumstances 
agree. 

The  nether  Beth-horon  lay  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
territory  of  Benjamin  ;  and  between  the  two  places  was  a  pass, 
called  both  the  ascent  and  descent  of  Beth-horon,  leading  from 
the  region  of  Gibeon  (el-Jib)  down  to  the  western  plain.' 
Down  this  path  Joshua  drove  the  five  Irings  of  the  Amorites, 
who  made  war  upon  Gibeon.''  Both  the  upper  and  lower  town 
were  afterwards  fortified  by  Solomon.'  At  one  of  them,  Nica- 
nor  was  attacked  by  Judas  Maccabasus  ;  and  the  same  was 
afterwards  fortified  by  the  Syrian  Bacchides.^  Cestius  Gallus, 
the  Roman  proconsul  of  Syria  under  Nero,  on  his  expedition 
from  CcBsarea  to  Jerusalem,  after  having  burned  Lydda,  ascend- 
ed the  mountain  by  Beth-horon,  and  encamped  near  Gibeon.'' 
By  the  same  road  perhaps,  the  apostle  Paul  was  conducted  by 
night  to  Antij)atris,  on  his  way  to  Cajsarea.'  In  the  days  of 
Eusebius  and  J erome,  the  two  Beth-horons  were  small  villages  ; 
and  Jerome  makes  Paula  pass  by  them  both,  in  ascending  from 
Nicopolis  to  Gibeon  and  J erusalem.'    The  distance  from  Jeru- 

'  1  Chron.  7,  24.  Josh,  16,  5.  17,  13.  '  1  Mace.  7,  39  sq.    9,  50.  Joseph. 

"  Heb.  -inn  r-ia  ;  the  n  has  passed  Antiq.  12.  10.  5.  ib.  13.  1.  3. 

over  into  the  Arabic  ^Ain,  there  being  '  Jos.  B.  J.  2.  19.  1.    Comp.  above, 

Bome  alfinity  between  these  two  sounds  in  Vol.  I.  p.  456. 

the  corruptions  of  tlie  modern  Arabic.  '  Acts  23,  31.  32. 

'  Jo^h.  18,  13.  14.— Josh.  10,  10.  11.  »  Onomast.   art.   Bethoron.  Hieron. 

Heb.  r;;r-3,  lya.    l  Mace.  3,  16.  24,  Comm.  in  Zeph.  i.  1.5,  16;  see  above, 

6r.  ava^aais  Ka\  KaTd^a<ns  Bai^upuy.  Vol.  I.  p.  576.  n  5.    Hieron.  Ep.  86,  Epi- 

*  Josh.  10,  1-11.  taph.  Paulaj,  p.  673,  ed.  Mart. 

»  2  Chr.  8,  6.    1  Kings  9,  17. 

iii.  50,  60 


252 


FBOM  RAMLEH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  Xm. 


salem  to  (upper)  Beth-horon,  according  to  these  writers,  was 
twelve  Roman  miles  ;  according  to  Joseplius  one  hundred  sta- 
dia, or  fifty  stadia  from  Gibeon.  It  took  us  five  hours  to  reach 
J erusalem ;  though  as  parts  of  the  road  are  very  bad,  and  our 
horses  were  weary  and  jaded,  we  did  not  here  travel  much  if 
any  faster  than  the  rate  with  camels  ;  which  would  coincide 
exactly  with  Josephus. 

From  all  this  it  appears,  that  in  ancient  times,  as  at  the 
present  day,  the  great  road  of  communication  and  heavy  trans- 
port between  J  erusalem  and  the  sea-coast,  was  by  the  pass  of 
Beth-horon.  Whether  the  way  through  Wady  Suleiman,  the 
second  valley  south  of  Beit  'Ur,  which  is  only  a  branch  of  the 
same  road,  was  then  in  use,  we  are  nowhere  informed  ;  but  such 
was  not  improbably  the  case.  At  present  we  understood  this  to 
be  the  easier  route.  Of  old,  as  now,  the  direct  road  from  Jeru- 
salem to  Yafa  by  Kuryet  el-'Enab  and  Wady  'Aly  was  proba- 
bly used  only  by  travellers  without  heavy  baggage.  That  it 
anciently  existed,  can  hardly  be  doubted  ;  although  I  find  no 
direct  notice  of  it.'  We  heard  of  no  other  pass  up  the  moun- 
tain between  the  Wadys  Suleiman  and  'Aly  ;  but  Pococke 
relates,  that  from  el-Kubeibeh,  (the  Emmaus  of  the  monks,)  on 
the  to]>  of  the  mountain,  he  descended  directly  by  a  path  which 
took  him  some  distance  north  of  Latron,  though  that  place  was 
in  sight,  and  so  to  Ramleh.^  This  however  could  not  have  been 
a  much  travelled  road. 

From  the  time  of  Jerome,  nothing  more  appears  of  Beth- 
horon  until  the  present  century.  The  crusaders  seem  not  to 
have  recognised  the  name,  or  at  least  do  not  mention  it.  Bro- 
cardus  and  Marinus  Sanutus  indeed  speak  of  the  lower  town  ; 
but  apparently  only  with  reference  to  scriptural  authority,  and 
not  as  eye  or  ear  witnesses.'  The  long  line  of  pilgrim  travellers 
since  the  crusades,  have  almost  uniformly  taken  the  direct  route 
between  Ramleh  and  Jerusalem,  and  have  heard  nothing  of 
Beth-horon.  In  A.  D.  1801,  by  some  chance,  Dr  Clarke  wan- 
dered hither  from  Kuryet  el-'Enab,  and  recognised  the  ancient 
appellation  in  the  present  name  Beit  U'r.^    Since  then  it  ap- 

'  The  most  direct  intimation  of  sucli  a  places,  as  she  had  already  done  in  passing 
road,  is  perhaps  the  notice  of  Eusebius  fVoin  Cajsarea  to  Nicopolis,  travelling  in 
and  Jerome,  that  Kirjath-jcarim  lay  nine  vnrious  directions  in  the  plain.  It  is  hard- 
miles  from  JElia.  on  the  way  to  Diospolis.  ly  t()  be  supposed,  that  there  shonlJ  not 
If  Kirjath-jearim  was  the  same  with  the  have  existed  a  direct  way  between  Nicopolis 
present  Kuryet  cl-'lCnab,  this  notice  would  and  Jerusalem,  as  now ;  though  the  easier 
be  decisive.  Onomast.  art.  Carialhiarim.  road  may  still  have  been  by  Beth-horon. 
— At  any  rate,  the  fact  that  Jerome  makes  "  Descript.  of  the  East,  II.  i.  p.  50 ; 
Paula  travel  from  Nicopolis  to  Jerusalem  comp.  p.  6. 

by  way  of  Beth-horon,  (see  Text  above,)       ^  Brocard.  c.  9.  p.  184.    Marin.  Sanut. 

is  of  no  weight  to  prove  that  the  direct  p.  240. 

road  did  not  then  exist ;  she  took  the       ■*  Clarke's  Travels,  etc.  Pt.  XL  Vol.  L 

longer  route  in  order  to  visit  remarkable  p.  628  sq.  4to. 
iu.  60-62 


Jmre  9.] 


BETH-HORON.  AIJALOK. 


253 


pears  not  to  have  been  visited  again,  until  some  of  our  friends 
took  it  in  their  way  from  Yafa  to  Jerusalem,  a  few  days  before 
we  set  off  on  this  excursion.' 

The  inhabitants  of  Beit  'Ur  seemed  to  be  mostly  absent, 
probably  in  the  fields  or  the  plain,  at  work  during  the  harvest. 
We  found  several  women,  and  at  length  also  one  active  old  man 
drawing  water  at  a  neighbouring  well.  He  led  us  to  the  roof  of 
a  house,  where  we  had  a  wide  and  very  distinct  view  of  the 
count r)'  around  Beth-horon  and  towards  the  sea,  with  all  of- 
which  he  seemed  well  acquainted.  The  prospect  included  the 
hill  country  and  the  plain,  as  far  on  the  right  and  left  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  The  prominent  towns  were  Eamleh  and  Lydda  ; 
we  could  not  make  out  Yafa.  Towards  the  north  were  several 
places,  which  we  had  formerly  seen  from  Ram-AUah  ;  particu- 
larly Ras  Kerker,  a  castle  among  the  hills. Between  us  and 
Ramleh  we  looked  down  upon  a  broad  and  beautiful  valley  at 
our  feet,  formed  by  the  junction  of  Wady  Suleiman,  the  Wa- 
dys  on  the  north  and  south  of  Beit  'Ur,  and  others.  This 
valley,  or  rather  plain,  runs  out  W.  by  N.  quite  through  the 
tract  of  hills,  and  then  bends  off  towards  the  great  western 
plain.  It  is  called  Merj  Ibn  'Omeir  ;  and  we  thought  we  per- 
ceived its  further  course  to  be  on  the  right  of  the  hills  on  which 
Khulda  stands.  This  however  was  an  enor  ;  for  this  Merj  is 
drained  by  the  Wady  'Atulla,  which  passes  down  just  north  of 
el-Kubab  and  Lydda.  ^ 

The  interest  of  this  fine  plain  or  valley  is  enhanced,  by  its 
probable  connection  with  a  remarkable  event  of  biblical  history. 
Upon  the  side  of  the  long  hill  wliich  skirts  the  valley  on  the  south, 
we  could  perceive  a  small  village  in  the  W.  S.  W.  called  Yalo, 
which  name  cannot  well  be  any  other  than  the  ancient  Aijalon, 
the  ancient  city  of  that  name  in  the  tribe  of  Dan.*  We  find 
that  city  coupled  with  Beth-shemesh  and  Zorah  and  Socoh  and 
Ekron  which  might  seem  to  imply  that  it  lay  much  further 
south  ;  but  it  is  at  the  same  time  in  like  manner  coupled  with 
Gimzo,  which  we  had  passed  to-day.'  Jerome  informs  us,  that 
the  Hebrews  of  his  day  placed  Aijalon  about  two  Roman  miles 
from  Nicopolis,  on  the  way  to  Jerusalem  ;  and  if  this  be  reckoned 
on  the  road  by  Beth-horon,  it  would  correspond  well  to  the 
position  of  Yalo.^  Eusebius  assigns  the  Aijalon  of  Dan  to  the 
same  vicinity.'     There  can  therefore  be  little  question,  that 

'  Messrs  Xicolayson  and  Paxton.     See  III.   Sect.  Ill,  under  Apr.  26th,  1852. 

Paxton's  Letters,  Lett.  XX.  p.  227.  Lond.  "  The  Sept.  and  Eusebius  write  this  name 

»  Is  this  perhaps  the  Calcalia  of  the  k'lKdv.  Epiphanius  has  it  'la\u,  adv.  Hter. 

crusaders,  to  wliich  the  renegade  Ivelin  lib.  II.  p.  702.    Reland  Pal.  p.  553. 

marched,  after  burning  Ramleh  and  be-  '  Josh.  19,  42.   2  Chr.  11,  10.    28,  18. 

sieging  Lydda  for  a  time  in  vain  ?    WilL  •  2  Chron.  28,  18. 

Tyr.  21.  21.  ^  Onomast.  art.  Aialon  (A'lKdn). 

•  See  more  in  respect  to  Yalo  in  Vol  '  Ibid,  art  Aialon  (  At\^y). 

Vol.  II.-22  ii,/62,  63  • 


254 


FROM  BAMLEH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec,  XHL 


this  village  marks  the  site  of  the  ancient  Aijalon  ;  and  that 
the  broad  Wady  on  the  north  of  it,  is  the  valley  of  Aijalon  so 
renowned  in  the  history  of  J oshua.  Here  it  was,  that  this  leader 
of  Israel,  in  pursuit  of  the  five  kings,  having  arrived  at  some 
point  near  upper  Beth-horon,  looked  back  towards  Gibeon  and 
down  upon  the  noble  vaUey  before  him,  and  uttered  the  cele- 
brated command  :  "  Sun,  stand  thou  still  on  Gibeon  ;  and  thou, 
Moon,  in  the  valley  of  Aijalon."' 

A  little  to  the  right  of  Yalo,  and  in  the  plain  at  some  dis- 
tance fi-om  the  foot  of  the  same  hUl,  a  village  was  pointed  out 
to  us  called  Beit  Nubah.  This  probably  represents  the  Nohe 
of  Jerome  ;  which  also  in  his  day  was  regarded  by  some  as  a 
Bethannaba,  eight  Eoman  miles  eastward  from  Diospolis.*  Je- 
rome appears  to  refer  to  this  place,  when  he  makes  Paula,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Lydda  and  Arimathea,  see  Nobe  ;  where  he  seems  to 
suppose  the  priests  were  slain  ;  though,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
Nob  of  the  priests  must  have  been  in  sight  of  Jerusalem.^  In 
the  age  of  the  crusades,  Beit  Nubah  became  celebrated  ;  first, 
as  the  site  of  the  "  CasteUum  Arnaldi,"  erected  by  the  patriarch 
and  citizens  of  Jerusalem  in  order  to  protect  the  approaches  to 
that  city  ;*  and  then  as  the  place  to  which  Richard  of  England, 
in  June  A.  D.  1192,  led  his  army  from  Askelon  on  their  way  to 
besiege  Jerusalem.  There,  having  lingered  for  several  weeks 
ingloriously,  the  English  monarch  turned  back  with  his  troops  to 
Eamleh  and  Joppa ;  and,  after  concluding  a  truce  with  Saladin, 
soon  left  the  country.^  From  the  notices  connected  with  this 
march,  it  appears  that  Beit  Nubah  lay  near  the  western  plain,  on 
the  great  road  between  el-Jib  and  Eamleh.  It  is  mentioned  by 
Willebrand  of  Oldenberg  upon  the  same  road  in  A.  D.  1211,  and 
again  by  Brocardus  ;^  but  seems  to  have  been  AvhoUy  lost  sight 
of  from  that  day  to  the  present  time. 

Among  the  towns  lying  upon  the  mountains  south  of  Beth- 
horon,  one  was  pointed  out  to  us  (though  doubtfiiUy)  towards  the 


'  Josh.  10,  12.  Eusebius  and  Jerome 
place  the  valley  of  Aijalon  on  the  east  of 
Bethel,  and  near  Gibeali  and  Ramah  of 
Benjamin ;  in  a  direction  wholly  opposite 
to  that  in  which  Joshua  was  pursuing  the 
Amorites  ;  Onomast.  art  A  ialon.  {AlKii/j.). 
Yet  Jerome,  in  relating  that  Paula  as- 
cended from  Nicopolis  to  Jerusalem  by 
way  of  the  two  Beth-horons,  makes  her 
leave  on  her  right  hand  the  Aijalon  and 
Gibeon  where  Joshua  commanded  the  sun 
and  moon  to  stand  still ;  Epitaph.  I'aula;, 
p.  673,  ed.  Mart. 

'■'  Hieron.   Ep.  86  ad  Eustoch.  Epit. 
Paulse,  p.  673,  ed.  Mart.  Onomast.  art. 
Anob.   Keland  Pal.  p.  661. 
•     iii.  63-65 


"  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  464. 

'  Will.  Tyr.  14.  8.  He  speaks  of  the 
place  as  "  Nube,  qui  hodie  vulgari  appella- 
tione  dicitur  Bettenubfe."  Wilken  Gesch. 
der  Kr.  II.  p.  615. 

'  Gaufr.  Vinisauf  5.  49  sq.  p.  399  sq. 
Also  6.  6,  9.  p.  408  sq.  This  writer  calls 
the  place  "  Betcnoble  "  and  "  Betenopolis." 
Jac.  de  Vitr.  100.  p.  1123.  Bohaeddin 
Vit.  Salad,  pp.  203,  230,  243.  Wilken 
Gesch.  der  Kr.  IV.  pp.  r)08-r)33. 

"  Willebr.  ab  Oldenb.  Itin.  p.  146,  in 
Allatii  Symmikta,  Col.  Agr.  1653.  Bro- 
cardus, c.  10.  p.  186.  Brocardus  writes 
"  Bethnopolis,"  and  makes  it  the  same  as 
Nob  of  the  priests. 


Jusz  9.] 


BEIT  NUBAH.  EL-KUBEIBEH. 


255 


south,  as  el-Kubeibeh,  where  it  has  formerly  pleased  the  monks 
to  fix  the  site  of  the  village  Emmaus  of  the  New  Testament ; 
whither  the  two  disciples  were  going  from  Jerusalem,  as  Jesus 
met  them  and  went  with  them.'  According  to  Pococke,  who 
visited  the  spot,  it  hes  about  an  hour  in  a  westerly  direction 
from  Neby  Samwil  ;  and  in  travelling  to  it  from  the  latter  place, 
he  left  the  village  of  Biddu  on  the  right,  and  Beit  Surik  on  the 
left ;  further  west  and  more  towards  the  north  he  saw  Beit 
'Enan,  which  we  also  could  now  see.* 

To  this  hypothesis  of  the  monks  there  is  the  objection,  that 
its  position  is  not  in  accord  with  the  language  of  Luke,  whether 
the  latter  ought  to  read  sixty  stadia,  or  more  probably  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty ;  el-Kubeibeh  being  at  least  three  hours,  or  more 
than  seventy  stadia  distant  from  Jerusalem.^  To  this  we  may 
add,  that  there  never  was  the  slightest  ground  for  connecting  el- 
Kubeibeh  in  any  way  with  Emmaus  ;  nor  is  there  any  trace  of 
its  having  been  so  connected,  before  the  fourteenth  century.* 

The  bearings  of  these  and  other  places,  as  seen  from  the 
upper  Beth-horon,  are  given  in  the  note  below.^ 

The  land  around  upper  Beth-horon  is  exceedingly  rocky, 
affording  httle  opportunity  for  tillage.  We  left  the  place  at 
12  o'clock,  and  continued  to  ascend  gradually  among  rocky  and 
desolate  hills,  having  all  the  characteristics  of  a  desert.  The 
ground  was  in  general  so  strewed  with  rocks,  that  it  was  some- 
times difficult  to  find  the  way  ;  once  we  missed  the  path,  and 

'  Luke  24,  13-35.  Gallen,  1606.   In  the  course  of  the  six- 

*  Descr.  of  the  East.  II.  i.  pp.  49,  50.  teenth  century,  the  transfer  became  com- 
Pococke  says  "  three  miles,"  which  is  his  plete ;  Kubeibeh  appears  henctforth  as 
■usual  reckoning  for  an  hour.  Comp.  also  Emmaus,  and  the  place  at  the  foot  of  the 
Nan,  Voyage  p.  502  sq.  mountain  took  the  name  of  "  Castellum 

'    See  more  in  connection  with  'Am-  boni  Latronis  ; "  whence  the  present  Ara- 

wSs,  in  Vol.  DX  Sect.  Ill,  under  Apr.  bic  name  Latron.    So  Zuallart,  p.  242, 

27th,  1852.  comp.  p.  113.    Cotovicus,  p.  315,  comp. 

*  The  crusaders  and  the  pilgrims  of  the  p.  143.  Quaresmins  II.  p.  719  sq.  comp. 
following  centuries,  appear  to  have  fixed  p.  12  sq. — All  these  writers  and  travellers, 
Emmaus  and  Nicopolis  at  Lltron,  on  the  wherever  they  may  place  Emmaus,  regard 
way  from  Ramleh  to  Jerusalem  ;  near  the  it  as  Nicopolis ;  making  no  distinction 
church  dedicated  to  the  Maccabees,  which  between  the  village  and  the  city  Emmaus, 
may  not  improbably  mark  the  traditional  nor  even  inquiring  whether  it  was  60  or 
site  of  Modin  ;  see  above,  p.  232;  also  pp.  160  stadia  from  Jerusalem. 

6,  7.     So  Fulchcr  Camot.  18,  p.  396.  '  Bearings  from  upper  Beth-horon,  begin- 

Will.  Tyr.  7.  24.  Jac.  de  Vitry,  c.  63.  p.  ning  in  the  southeast  and  proceeding  towards 

1081.    Brocardus,  c.  10.  p.  186.    Marin,  the  right:  Biddu  S.  24°  E.  (.')  et-Tireh 

Sanut  pp.  146,  249.    Tucher  in  Reissb.  S.  10°  E.    Beit 'Enan  S.  11°  W.    Y;Jo  S. 

p.  058.    Breydenbach  ibid.  p.  105.— Yet  66°  W.    Beit  Nilbah  S.  70'  W.  el-Kubab 

in  the  fourteenth  century  there  are  traces,  W.    Khurbata  N.  85' W.    Ramleh  N.  71° 

as  if  a  new  hypothesis  had  already  be-  W.    Ludd  N.  64°  W.    Beit  'Ur  the  lower, 

gun  to  transfer  the  site  up  the  mountain  to  N.  60'  W.    Suflfa  N.  57°  W.    Deir  Kadi'- 

Kuboibeh.    Thus  Ludolf  de  Suchem  seems  N.  30°  W.    Deir  Abu  Mesh'al  N.  10°  W. 

to  speak  of  Emmaus  as  in  the  region  of  Has  Kerker  N.    Beit  EUu  N.  8°  E.  Deir 

Neby  Samwil ;  Itin.  p.  92.  Reissb.  p.  850.  Bezi'a  N.  10'  E.    Janieh  N.  12°  E.  Aba 

So  too  Tschudi  in  1519  places  it  expressly  Zeitiin,  a  Wely,  E. 
two  hours  from  Jerusalem;  p.  115.  St. 

iii.  65-67 


256 


FROM  RAMLEH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  Xni. 


lost  ten  minutes  in  finding  it  again.  Add  to  this,  the  way  was 
winding,  and  our  horses  wearied  ;  so  that  from  Beth-horon  to  el- 
Jib  our  rate  of  travel  was  not  greater  than  with  camels.  At 
1.50,  we  came  out  upon  the  top  of  the  whole  ascent,  and  reached 
the  edge  of  the  plain  on  the  west  of  el-Jib.  Here  we  had  Beit 
'Ur,  el-Jib,  and  Neby  Samwil,  all  in  sight  at  once.'  At  this 
spot  too  was  the  site  of  a  former  village,  the  name  of  which  we 
could  not  learn,  as  we  had  no  guide  and  met  no  peasants.  We 
could  here  look  down  into  Wady  Suleiman  on  our  right,  which 
begins  to  descend  directly  from  the  western  end  of  the  plain ; 
and  could  perceive  the  other  road  as  it  comes  up  that  valley. 

We  kept  on  our  way  towards  el-Jib  ;  and  at  2.25  turned  out 
of  our  path  into  the  fields  on  our  right,  to  visit  the  neglected 
well  already  mentioned,  Bir  el-'Ozeiz.'^  It  is  nineteen  feet  in 
diameter,  and  nearly  filled  up  with  earth  ;  being  only  eight  feet 
to  the  water,  which  also  is  very  scanty.  Losing  ten  minutes  by 
this  detour,  we  proceeded  along  under  the  northern  side  of  the 
lull  of  el-Jib  ;  and  at  2.50  stopped  for  a  few  minutes  at  the 
fountain  in  the  cavern.^ 

From  el-Jib  to  Jerusalem,  our  horses  felt  the  impulse  of 
travelling  towards  home  ;  and  were  somewhat  more  active,  though 
still  jaded.  We  did  not  care  this  time  to  climb  the  steep  ascent 
to  Neby  Samwil ;  and  therefore  took  the  road  by  Beit  Hanina, 
which  passes  down  the  valley  at  the  northeast  end  of  the  ridge 
of  Neby  Samwil.  This  is  the  drain  of  the  whole  plain  around 
el-Jib,  except  at  its  western  extremity  ;  and  forms  one  of  the 
heads  of  the  great  Wady  Beit  Hanina.^  Leaving  the  fountain 
at  3  o'clock,  we  soon  entered  and  proceeded  down  the  valley, 
which  is  narrow,  rocky,  and  rugged.  The  path  keeps  along  the  • 
bottom  nearly  to  Beit  Hanina,  where  it  gradually  ascends  to  the 
village.  We  reached  this  place  at  3.50  ;  it  stands  upon  the 
rocky  ridge  running  down  between  the  Wady  we  had  descended, 
and  another  similar  one  coming  from  the  tract  around  er-Kam. 
The  village  is  not  large,  and  is  tolerably  well  built  of  stone. 
The  land  around  is  exceedingly  rocky,  affording  little  room  for 
tillage  ;  but  there  are  many  olive  trees  round  about,  which 
seemed  flourishing.    Neby  Samwil  here  bore  N.  72°  W. 

From  Beit  Hanina  we  again  descended  gradually  into  the 
valley  ;  and  having  passed  the  fork  where  the  eastern  branch 
comes  in,  after  a  while  ascended  obliquely  the  eastern  hill,  in 
order  to  cross  over  it  in  the  direction  of  Jerusalem.  This 
brought  us  to  the  upper  part  of  the  branch  Wady,  up  which 

•  They  bore  as  follows :  Beit  Ur,  N.  65°  '  For  our  former  visit  to  el-Jib,  ae* 

W.    el-Jib,  S.  27"  E,  Neby  Samwil,  S.  Vol.  I.  pp.  454-457. 

5°  E.  *  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  465. 

'  See  Vol.  I.  p.  455, 
iii.  67,  68 


Junk  9.] 


ARRIVAL.  QUARANTINE. 


257 


the  road  from  Neby  Samwil  leads  ;'  and  falling  into  tliis  road 
we  ascended  the  rocky  slope  to  the  tombs  of  the  Judges,  which 
we  passed  at  4.50,  and  reached  our  tent  before  the  Damascus 
gate  at  twenty  minutes  past  5  o'clock.  Komeh  had  pitched  the 
tent,  according  to  our  directions,  not  far  from  the  gate,  under 
the  shade  of  the  olive  trees  ;  but  in  the  midst  of  a  ploughed 
field.  Yet  after  long  search,  we  too  could  find  no  better  place. — 
The  owner  of  the  horses  was  awaiting  our  arrival  before  the 
gate  ;  but  the  refractory  Mukary  did  not  make  his  appearance. 

Here  we  were  soon  joined  by  Mr  Lanneau  and  our  companion 
in  travel,  who  had  put  ofi"  coming  out  of  the  city  until  our  arrival. 
They  now  came  with  bag  and  baggage,  their  own  and  ours  ; 
Mr  Lanneau  intending  to  go  down  to  Yafa.  They  had  kept  a 
strict  quarantiQe  of  a  week  in  his  own  house,  under  the  charge 
of  a  guardiano,  or  health  officer  of  the  government.  This  man, 
as  we  learned  later  at  Beirut,  was  himself  a  few  days  afterwards 
taken  with  the  plague  and  died. 


Vol.  n.— 22* 


'  See  Vol.  I.  p.  461. 


iii.  68,  69 


SECTION  XIY. 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  KAZARETH  AND  MOUNT  TABOR. 

We  spent  three  days  in  our  tent  before  the  gates  of  Jerusa- 
lem. The  first  was  the  Christian  Sabhath  ;  which  was  never 
more  welcome  to  us  than  now,  after  three  and  a  half  weeks  of 
constant  travel  and  exposure,  accompanied  often  by  high  excite- 
ment and  consequent  exhaustion.  It  was  to  us  a  day  of  rest 
greatly  needed  ;  and  we  passed  it  in  recalling  the  thrilling  asso- 
ciations, and  renewing  and  fixing  the  impressions,  connected  with 
the  consecrated  scenes  around  us.  It  was  our  last  Sabbath  at 
Jerusalem. 

The  situation  of  affairs  in  the  Holy  City  had  not  improved 
during  our  absence.  It  had  been  shut  up  the  day  after  our 
departure  ;  and  now,  for  more  than  three  weeks,  aU  direct  com- 
munication with  the  country  had  been  cut  ofi".  Ten  thousand 
persons  were  thus  confined  within  the  narrow  streets  and  their 
own  stUl  narrower  and  filthy  dwellings,  without  fresh  air  and 
without  fresh  provisions  or  vegetables,  except  so  far  as  a 
scanty  supply  of  the  latter  was  to  be  obtained  at  the  gates. 
Under  such  circumstances  the  wonder  was,  not  that  the  plague 
did  not  abate,  but  that  it  had  not  increased  its  ravages.  Yet  this 
seemed  not  to  have  been  the  case  ;  the  instances  of  contagion 
were  scattered  and  occasional,  as  before  ;  and  the  disease  contin- 
ued to  exhibit  the  same  character  for  some  weeks  longer ;  the 
city  not  having  been  again  thrown  open  untU  July." 

A  Hakim  Bashi,  a  physician  of  the  government,  had  arrived 
from  Alexandria  soon  after  the  shutting  up  of  the  city  ;  to 
whom  the  management  of  the  health  department  was  intrusted. 
As  a  special  favour,  our  friends  had  been  permitted  by  him  to 
perform  the  necessary  quarantine  in  their  own  house,  instead  of 
the  wretched  public  establishment ;  and  had  thus  escaped  many 


'  The  piaffe  has  since  prevailed  in  Je- 
rasalem,  both  in  1839  and  1840.  In  the 
former  year  at  least,  as  I  am  informed,  the 

uL  70,  71 


city  was  again  shut  np  during  the  month 
of  March. 


Sec.  XrV.] 


JERUSALEM  SHUT  UP. 


259 


of  the  privations  and  annoyances,  to  wliich  they  must  otherwise 
have  been  subjected.  We  were  struck  with  the  pallid  hue  of 
the  inhabitants  whom  we  saw,  and  of  our  friends  in  particular. 
The  latter  presented  a  strong  contrast  to  our  own  dark  visages  ; 
which,  after  so  long  an  exposure  to  the  burning  suns  of  the 
'Arabah  and  the  glowing  winds  of  the  Sephela,  had  become 
scorched  to  a  bronze,  deeper  even  than  the  ordinary  Arab  com- 
plexion. 

In  the  city,  of  course,  aU  business  was  at  a  dead  stand  ; 
the  stranger  merchants  had  departed,  and  none  could  come  in 
from  abroad,  either  to  buy  or  seU.  The  labours  and  schools  of 
our  missionary  friends  were  wholly  interrupted.  Many  of  the 
inhabitants  had  preferred  to  quit  the  city,  and  were  living  in  the 
fields  or  wandering  among  the  villages.  The  e\Tls  attendant 
upon  such  a  state  of  things  may  be  imagined  better  than  de- 
scribed ;  they  have  already  been  sufl&ciently  alluded  to.'  The 
Mutesellim,  Sheikh  Mustafa,  who  was  absent  at  Dura  and 
Hebron  when  Jerusalem  was  shut  up,  had  pitched  his  tent  just 
outside  of  the  Damascus  gate,  where  he  transacted  all  his  busi- 
ness without  entering  the  city.  The  markets  too  were  held  at 
the  Damascus  and  Yafa  gates.  A  double  fence,  having  an 
interval  of  six  or  eight  feet,  was  erected  around  the  gate  on  the 
outside,  enclosing  a  considerable  extent  of  ground.  To  this 
fence  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  could  come  on  the  inside,  and 
the  people  of  the  countrj'  on  the  outside  ;  while  health  officers 
walked  to  and  fro  in  the  intervening  space,  each  equipped  with  a 
stout  staff.  All  the  traffic  was  carriea  on  through  the  lines  of 
this  fence  and  across  the  intervening  interval  of  six  o^"  eight 
feet.  Here  the  pro\'isions  brought  by  the  country  people  were 
first  handed  in,  and  then  passed  to  the  other  side  by  the  guar- 
diano  ;  and  the  money  in  like  manner  transferred  from  the  city 
to  the  country  side,  after  being  dropped  into  water  or  vinegar. 
But,  wo  to  the  hands  or  fingers,  on  either  side,  that  ventured 
too  far  within  the  pale  !  The  attendants  were  ever  on  the  watch 
as  to  this  point ;  and  a  no  very  gentle  thwack  with  the  staff, 
seemed  to  be  not  less  a  matter  of  zest  to  them,  than  of  pain  to 
the  offending  party. 

How  it  was  possible  for  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and 
especially  for  the  numerous  poorer  classes,  to  hold  out  under 
such  a  state  of  things,  I  am  unable  to  conceive.  The  city  had 
been  shut  up  on  a  single  day's  notice,  and  for  an  indefinite 
time  ;  so  that  no  one,  of  course,  could  make  preparation  for 
such  an  emergency.  Nothing  could  come  into  the  city  but 
pronsions,  and  little  or  nothing  passed  out  except  money  ;  and 

»  See  Vol  I.  p.  248  sq.   Vol.  H  pp.  1,  80,  211. 

iii.  71,  72 


260  FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  NABTJLUS.  [Sec.  XIV. 

of  this  the  vast  majority  of  the  inhabitants  had  little  or  none 
in  store.  Already  the  complaint  was  imiversal,  that  the  daily 
purchases  in  the  markets  had  exhausted  the  stock  of  small 
coins  ;  so  that  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  give  or  obtain 
change. 

Nevertheless,  permission  could  be  obtained  to  enter  the  city 
by  authority  of  the  Hakim,  preceded  and  followed  by  officials 
of  the  quarantine,  to  prevent  all  contact  with  the  people  and 
forbidden  objects.  The  English  travellers  whom  we  had  met  at 
Hebron,  and  who  were  now  encamped  on  the  southwest  of  the 
city  beyond  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  availed  themselves  of  such  a 
permission,  to  visit  the  interior  of  Jerusalem  ;  but  in  our  case 
there  was  no  motive  to  do  so,  strong  enough  to  counterbalance 
the  accompanying  risk  and  trouble.  With  our  friends,  who 
still  remained  in  the  city,  we  had  frequent  communications  from 
the  walls  ;  and  once  both  Messrs  "Whiting  and  Nicolayson  with 
their  families  came  out,  accompanied  by  a  health  officer,  and 
met  us  for  an  hour  or  two  under  the  terebinth  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  city.  Here  we  bade  each  other  farewell  ;  and  I 
am  sure  I  shall  forget  their  affectionate  kindness  only  when  I 
forget  Jerusalem. 

Thus  passed  the  days  of  our  last  sojourning  at  the  Holy 
City.  We  made  on  Monday  (June  11th)  the  excursion  to  Beth- 
any, which  has  already  been  described."  In  this,  in  writing  up 
our  journals,  and  in  packing  and  preparing  for  our  long  journey 
northwards,  the  time  was  fully  occupied.  I  had  indeed  hoped  to  be 
able  to  make  the  excursion  to  the  convents  of  St.  Saba  and  St. 
John,  as  formerly  planned  but  the  necessity  of  reaching  Beirtlt 
in  time  to  meet  the  English  steamer  on  the  8  th  of  July,  com- 
pelled us  to  forego  this  purpose,  and  bend  our  steps  northwards 
without  delay.  We  engaged  seven  spirited  mules,  to  take  us  to 
Nazareth  and  Damascus,  or  wherever  we  might  choose  to  go,  at 
fifteen  piastres  a  day,  and  half  price  when  we  did  not  travel.  We 
obtained  also  a  clean  bill  of  health  from  the  Hakim,  which 
might  enable  us  to  avoid  the  quarantine  regulations  established 
in  various  places,  against  all  comers  from  Jerusalem. 

Wednesdaij,  June  I3th.  Having  made  our  arrangements,  so 
far  as  possible,  over  night,  we  rose  early,  hoping  to  set  off  in  good 
season.  But  the  packing  and  loading  of  the  first  morning  on  a 
journey,  always  occupies  more  time  than  on  the  subsequent 
days  ;  because  cver}'thing  has  to  be  first  distributed,  and  the 
loads  balanced  and  arranged,  in  the  order  which  afterwards 
remains  unchanged.  As  too  we  were  now  leaving  Jerusalem  for 
the  last  time,  we  took  with  us  aU  our  baggage  ;  which  had  not 


>  See  Vol  I.  p.  431. 
iii.  72-74 


•  See  aboTO,  p.  1. 


Junk  13.] 


LAST  VIEW  OF  THE  HOLY  CITY. 


261 


been  the  case  on  our  previous  excursions.  Mr  Lanneau  also 
was  setting  off  for  Yafa  at  the  same  time,  intending  to  take  the 
camel  road,  and  thus  accompany  us  for  an  hour  upon  our  way. 
We  had  this  time  but  two  muleteers,  both  owners  and  partners 
in  the  animals  they  drove  ;  one,  the  elder  and  principal,  from 
Jerusalem,  and  the  other  from  Safed.  Each  took  along  also  a 
donkey  for  his  own  occasional  use  ;  one  of  them  a  fine  sleek 
animal,  the  other  gaunt  and  shaggy,  like  a  scarecrow.  \Yith  all 
our  exertions,  it  was  6|  o'clock  before  we  were  able  to  set  off; 
and  then  the  muleteers  had  to  go  to  the  gate  of  the  city  after 
grain.  We  passed  on  by  the  tomb  of  Sheikh  Jerafy  at  6.55  ; 
and  reaching  the  top  of  Scopus,  stopped  there  for  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  to  wait  for  our  attendants,  and  to  take  our  farewell  view 
of  the  Holy  City. 

The  emotions  which  crowd  upon  the  mind  at  such  a  moment, 
I  leave  for  the  reader  to  conceive.  The  historical  associations 
connected  with  the  city  and  the  various  objects  around,  cannot 
but  be  deeply  interesting  even  to  the  infidel  or  the  heathen  ;  how 
much  more  to  the  heart  of  the  believer  !  Wha,t  a  multitude  of 
wonderful  events  have  taken  place  upon  that  spot !  What  an 
influence  has  proceeded  from  it,»  affecting  the  opinions  and 
destinies  of  individuals  and  the  world,  for  time  and  for  eter- 
nity ! 

If  my  feelings  were  strongly  excited  on  first  entering  the 
Holy  City,  they  were  now  hardly  less  so  on  leaving  it  for  the  last 
time.  As  we  had  formerly  approached,  repeating  continually 
the  salutation  of  the  Psalniist :  "Peace  be  within  thy  waUs,  and 
prosperity  within  thy  palaces ; "  so  now  we  could  not  but  add  : 
"For  our  brethren  and  companions'  sakes  we  will  now  say, 
Peace  be  within  thee  ! "  *  Her  palaces  indeed  are  long  since 
levelled  to  the  ground  ;  and  the  haughty  Muslim  now  for  ages 
treads  her  glory  in  the  dust.  Tet  as  we  waited,  and  looked 
again  from  this  high  ground  upon  the  city  and  the  surrounding 
objects,  I  could  not  but  exclaim  :  Beautiful  for  situation,  the 
joy  of  the  whole  earth,  is  Mount  Zion,  on  the  sides  of  the 
north,  the  city  of  the  great  King  ! "  *  One  long  last  look  ;  and 
then  turning  away,  I  bade  those  sacred  hills  farewell  for  ever. 

We  proceeded  on  our  way.'  At  7f  o'clock  we  passed 
Sha'fat  five  minutes  on  our  left  ;  and  at  8.10,  the  old  founda- 
tions near  the  foot  of  the  descent  beyond.*  A  few  steps  further, 
the  camel  road  to  Eamleh  goes  off  obliquely  towards  el-Jib, 
passing  on  the  right  of  the  intervening  hills. '  Here  we  parted 
from  our  friend  and  host  Mr  Lanneau,  to  whose  unwearied 

'  Ps.  122,  7.  8.  salem  was  about  N.  by  E.  J  E.  -srhile  el- 

*  Ps.  48,  2.  Bireh  bore  N. 

*  At  this  point  our  directiMi  from  Jere-       *  See  VoL  L  p.  577. 

iii.  74,  75 


262 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  NABTTLUS. 


[SEa  XIV 


kindness  and  attention  we  had  been  so  mucli  indebted  in  Jeru- 
salem ;  he  going  towards  Yatii,  and  we  keeping  on  towards  el- 
Bireh.  AVe  passed  the  ruined  Khan  opposite  er-Ram  at  a 
quarter  before  nine,  having  er-Eam  on  our  right  ;  and  at  9.35 
the  ruins  of  'Atara  were  on  our  left.'  Twenty  minutes  later  we 
were  on  the  ridge  which  separates  the  valley  we  had  ascended 
from  that  south  of  el-Bireh  running  to  the  Jordan  ;  and  keep- 
ing around  the  head  of  this,  we  reached  the  fountain  southwest 
of  el-Bireh  at  10  o'clock.^ 

We  halted  here  for  nearly  half  an  hour,  in  order  to  procure  a 
guide  ;  intending  to  take  the  way  leading  by  the  village  of 
Jufna,  which  lies  west  of  both  the  branches  of  the  great  Nabu- 
lus  road.  "VVe  foimd  a  small  caravan  of  camels  resting  at  the 
fountain,  laden  with  wheat,  which  they  were  transporting  from 
Nabulus  to  Bethlehem.  The  men  were  baking  a  large  round 
flat  cake  of  bread,  in  the  embei-s  of  a  fire  of  camel's  and  cow- 
dung.  Taking  it  out  when  done,  they  brushed  off  the  ashes 
and  divided  it  among  the  party,  offering  us  also  a  portion.  I 
tasted  it,  and  found  it  quite  as  good  as  the  common  bread  of  the 
country.  They  had  no  other  provisions.  These  were  men  of 
Bethlehem  ;  and  this  is  the  .common  fare  of  persons  travelling 
in  this  manner. 

Having  obtained  a  guide,  we  set  off  again  at  twenty-five 
minutes  past  10  o'clock  ;  proceeding  along  on  the  west  side  of 
the  village  of  Bireh,  without  entering  it.  The  Nabulus  road 
here  divides  into  two  branches  ;  one  passing  near  Bethel  and  by 
'Ain  Yebrud,  the  other  lying  more  west ;  they  unite  again 
further  on,  at  or  before  'Ain  el-Haramiyeh.  We  followed  the 
western  branch  for  ten  minutes  beyond  the  village  ;  and  then  at 
10.40  diverged  fi-om  it  more  towards  the  left,  on  a  course  N.  N. 
E.  At  11  o'clock  the  way  led  along  the  side  of  a  small  shallow 
pond  on  our  left,  called  el-Balu'a  ;  it  was  now  dry ;  but  in 
winter  the  water  rims  from  it  eastward  towards  the  Jordan. 
Keeping  on  north,  we  very  soon  crossed  the  water-shed,  where 
the  land  begins  to  decline  gradually  towards  the  northwest.  At  a 
quarter  past  eleven,  a  ruin  called  Kefr  Murr  was  on  a  hill  at  our 
right  ten  minutes  distant ;  and  we  began  to  look  down  into  the 
valley  of  Jufna,  and  to  meet  with  a  few  stunted  bushes.  It  is 
rather  a  peculiar  feature  of  the  whole  region  around  Jerusalem, 
that  while  trees  of  various  kinds  are  not  infrequent,  shrubs  and 
bushes  are  rarely  to  be  seen. 

We  were  somewhat  surprised  to  find  here  the  evident  traces 
of  an  ancient  paved  road,  entirely  similar  to  the  Eomau  roads  of 

'  For  all  these  places  and  the  aspect  of  also  of  our  former  visit  to  el-Bireh,  tee 
the  country,  see  Vol.  1.  pp.  57.">-579.  Vol.  L  pp.  -tal—loS. 

'  For  an  account  of  tins  fountain,  and 

iii.  75-77 


JONE  13.] 


JUFNA,  GOPHNA. 


263 


Italy  and  other  regions.  It  was  obviously  of  old  a  public,  and 
probably  a  military  way,  between  the  cities  of  Gophna  and 
Jerusalem  ;  the  great  road  apparently,  which  in  ancient  times, 
as  now,  led  along  the  summit  of  the  high  mountainous  tract, 
from  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  through  Neapolis  and  Gophna  to 
the  Holy  City.  The  pavement  still  remains  entire  for  a  very 
considerable  distance.  At  llh  o'clock  a  small  ruin  called  Arnu- 
tieh  was  on  our  right  ;  and  we  soon  began  to  descend  by  a 
branch  Wady  into  the  deep  valley  in  which  Jufna  lies.  After 
fifteen  minutes,  there  was  a  fountain  on  our  left  with  running 
water,  and  flocks  round  about.  The  great  Wady  before  us 
here  runs  northeast,  and  has  its  beginning  at  some  distance  to  the 
left,  north  of  Ram- Allah,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  another 
deep  Wady  passing  down  west.  This  of  Jufna  also  afterwards 
curves  around  to  the  northwest  and  runs  off  to  the  western  sea.  It 
here  spreads  out  into  a  small  fertile  plain,  lying  very  deep,  in 
which  Jufna  stands,  surrounded  by  high  hills.  We  reached  the 
place  at  12  o'clock,  an  hour  and  a  half  from  el-Bireh. 

We  stopped  for  lunch  a  few  rods  short  of  the  village,  under 
a  large  walnut  tree,  Hke  the  English  walnut,  the  first  we  had 
seen.  Close  by  were  also  two  Meis  trees,  (Cordia  myxa  of 
botanists,)  tall  and  beautiful,  with  round  tops  and  large  leaves  ; 
from  the  berries  of  which  bird  lime  is  made.  The  walnut  tree 
was  growing  within  the  precincts  of  an  ancient  church,  which 
the  Christian  Sheikh  of  the  vdage,  whom  we  sent  for,  said  was 
dedicated  to  St.  George.  It  must  have  been  quite  large  ;  and 
many  limestone  columns  with  which  it  was  ornamented,  are  lying 
around,  or  their  fragments  standing  upright  ;  but  there  were  not 
enough  of  the  foundations  remaining  above  ground  to  enable  us  to 
take  the  dimensions.  Under  the  tree,  a  small  enclosure  contains  an 
altar,  on  which  mass  is  still  sometimes  celebrated  ;  and  also  the 
ancient  baptismal  font  of  limestone,  partly  buried  in  the  ground. 
This  latter  measured  five  feet  in  diameter,  three  and  a  half  feet 
high,  and  two  feet  nine  inches  deep  within  ;  the  inside  being 
excavated  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  with  the  corners  rounded.  In 
the  village  itself,  which  lies  just  across  the  bed  of  the  Wady,  are 
the  ruined  walls  of  a  castle,  which  may  perhaps  be  of  the  age 
of  the  crusades. 

The  whole  valley,  and  the  sides  of  the  mountains  around, 
are  very  fully  cultivated,  and  abound  in  olives,  vines,  and  fig 
trees,  belonging  to  this  and  the  neighbouring  villages.  Around 
the  village  itself  are  also  numerous  apple,  pear,  fig,  pomegran- 
ate, apricot,  and  some  walnut  trees.  The  landscape  on  every 
side  is  rich,  and  indicates  a  high  degree  of  fertility  and  thrift. 
The  present  inha"bitants  of  Jufna  are  all  Christians  ;  they 
number  only  forty-two  taxable  men  ;  which  gives  a  population 


264 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  NABULU8. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


of  not  more  than  two  hundred  souls.  After  the  rehellion  of 
1834,  twenty-six  men  were  taken  to  Eg^-pt  and  put  into  the 
public  works,  whence  they  have  never  returned.  Not  long 
since,  one  of  their  two  priests  went  to  Egypt  to  look  after  them, 
and  died  there.' 

In  respect  to  Jufna,  both  the  name  and  the  position  show 
conclusively,  that  it  is  the  ancient  Gophna  of  Josephus,  Ptole- 
my, and  the  Peutinger  Tables  ;  a  name  which  does  not  appear 
in  this  form  in  Scripture.''  Eusebius  places  it  fifteen  Roman 
mUes  from  Jerusalem  on  the  way  to  Neapolis,'  and  the  Tables 
at  sixteen  ;  we  travelled  over  the  interval  iu  rather  more  than 
four  and  a  half  hours,  and  found  the  traces  of  the  ancient  public 
road.  It  appears  from  Josephus  to  have  been  a  strong  place. 
Like  Lydda,  it  was  taken  by  Cassius,  and  the  inhabitants  sold 
into  slavery  ;  from  -which  they  were  released  by  a  decree  of 
Antony.*  It  became  later  the  head  of  a  Toparchy  ;  was  cap- 
tured by  Vespasian  ;  and  Titus  passed  through  it  on  his  march 
from  Samaria  to  the  siege  of  Jerusalem.^  But  since  the  days 
of  Eusebius,  all  memory  of  it  seems  to  have  perished.  The 
writers  of  the  times  of  the  crusades  appear  not  to  mention  the 
name  ;  nor  do  I  find  a  single  notice  of  it  in  any  tradition  or 
traveller.  The  name  Gophna  stands  indeed  upon  some  modern 
maps,  in  this  vicinity  ;  but  simply,  as  it  would  seem,  on  the 
authority  of  Eusebius. 

We  left  Jufna  at  1.40  without  a  guide  ;  and  following  down 
the  valley  northeast  twenty-five  minutes,  reached  'Ain  Sinia  at 
five  minutes  past  two  ;  another  village,  surrounded  in  Uke  man- 
ner with  vineyards  and  fruit  trees.  Near  by  were  also  gardens 
of  vegetables,  watered  from  a  well.  The  bed  of  the  valley  had 
here  some  standing  water  ;  and  a  branch  Wady  came  in  from 
the  southeast,  up  which  we  could  see  'Ain  Yebrud  on  the  top  of 
a  hiU. 


'  From  Jufna  we  took  the  following 
bearings :  Bir  ez-Zeit  a  small  Christian 
village  half  an  hour  distant,  N.  45  W. 
Tell  'Asur  with  a  Wely,  N.  48'  E.  Ye- 
brud, half  an  honr  distant  on  the  western 
branch  of  the  Nabulus  road,  N.  C.3'  E. 
'Ain  Yehrud,  on  the  eastern  branch,  about 
S.  70  E.  Durah,  S.  C8  E  — Tell  'Asur 
we  had  also  seen  formerly  from  'Alya,  el- 
Bireh,  and  Ram-Allah  ;  see  Vol.  I  pp.  448, 
452,  453.  Is  this  perhaps  the  Hazor  of  Benja- 
min, Neh.  11,  .3.3?  If  80,  there  is  here  the 
same  change  from  Heth  [Hj  to  'Ain,  as  in 
Beit  'Ur  from  Beth-Horon  ;  see  above,  p. 
251  and  n.  1. 

*  Ptolem  4.  10.  Reland  Falsest  pp. 
461.  81C.    There  is  a  possibility  that  the 

iii.  78-80 


name  Gophna  may  come  from  the  Ophni 
of  Benjamin,  Josh.  18,  24.  In  this  case 
there  mast  have  been  a  change  of  the 
Hebrew  Ain  (r)  into  Girael  (  J),  which 
sometimes,  though  rarely,  took  place.  It 
mat/  have  come  in  this  instance  through 
the  Greek,  where  the  change  was  common. 
See  Gesenius'  Heb.  Lex.  letters  3  and  5. 

'  Onomast.  art.  ValUs  Botri,  tpdpayi 
fiSrpvos.  This  article  is  not  translated  by 
Jerome.  It  speaks  for  the  ancient  fertility 
of  the  valley,  that  it  was  then  held  by 
some  to  be  the  vale  of  Eshcol. 

*  See  pp.  244,  245,  above.  Joseph.  Ant. 
14.11.2.  ibid.  U.  12.  2  sq.   B.J.  1.11.2. 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  3.  5.  ib.  4.  9.  9.  ib 
5.  2.  1.    Comp.  C.  2.  2,  3. 


JCSE  13.] 


JILJILIA, 


265 


The  main  valley  here  bends  north  ;  the  cultivation  continued 
as  we  advanced  ;  first  chiefly  olives,  and  then  fig  trees.  At  2^ 
o'clock  a  side  valley  came  in  from  the  west ;  and  all  the 
mountains  around  the  wide  space  thus  opened,  presented  the 
aspect  of  like  cultivation.  Fifteen  minutes  later,  the  large 
village  of  'Atara,  appeared  on  the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  seen 
up  through  a  small  side  Wady,  bearing  northwest  and  distant 
about  half  an  hour.  It  might  almost  seem,  as  if  this  was  the 
scriptural  Ataroth  of  the  border  of  Ephraim  ;  or  at  least  that 
of  which  Eusebius  speaks  within  that  tribe.' 

We  kept  on  down  the  valley  ;  and  at  2.55  minutes  a  branch 
of  considerable  size  came  in  from  the  E.  S.  E.  We  ought  to 
have  gone  up  this  lateral  Wady,  and  thus  reached  the  usual 
Nabulus  road  ia  a  narrow  valley  called  Wady  el-Jib,  in  wliich  is 
the  fountain  'Ain  el-Haramiyeh  on  that  road.*  But  our  mule- 
teers professed  to  know  the  way,  and  kept  on  down  the  main  val- 
ley until  3.20.  Here  it  becomes  very  narrow,  turns  northwest, 
and,  under  the  name  of  Wady  el-Belat,  soon  begins  to  descend 
the  mountain  towards  the  western  plain.  We  now  discovered 
that  we  were  out  of  our  road  ;  and  after  a  delay  of  ten  minutes, 
by  the  direction  of  a  peasant,  we  began  to  climb  the  steep  hill 
on  the  north,  along  a  small  water-course,  but  without  any  path. 
The  ascent  was  very  difficult ;  but  we  came  out  at  length  after 
half  an  hour  on  the  top  ;  where  we  found  table  land  and  a  fine 
plain,  with  people  gathering  the  harvest.  Here  we  struck  a 
path  ;  and  continuing  on  north,  came  at  twenty  minutes  past 
four,  to  the  large  village  of  Jiljilia. 

The  poor  people  of  this  place  had  never  before  seen  Franks  in 
their  village,  and  seemed  frightened  at  our  coming  ;  at  first  they 
even  denied  its  name.  The  probable  cause  of  this  we  after- 
wards found  out  at  Sinjil.  The  place  stands  very  high,  near 
the  western  brow  of  the  high  mountain  tract.  It  affords  a  very 
extensive  view  out  over  the  great  lower  plain  and  sea ;  while  at 
the  same  time  the  mountains  of  Gilead  are  seen  in  the  east. 
Far  in  the  N.  N.  E.  too,  we  could  see  for  the  first  time  a  lofty 
dark  blue  mountain  ;  which  we  afterwards  found  to  be  no  other 

'  Josh.  16,  2.  7.    Onomast.  art.  Atha-  of  onr  lists ;  and  the  name  of  Wady  el-Jib 

roth,  'ApxiarapiiA.  Ensebius  says  merely  :  doubtless  comes  from  the  former.  See 

w6\ts  <pv\ris  'l<a<T'fi(p,  which  Jerome  para-  Maundrell  under  ilarch  25. — Eusebius  and 

phrases:  "juxtaRamam  in  tribu. Joseph;"  Jerome  speak  of  a  Gcba,  five  Roman 

probably  confoundmg  it  with  the  pi-esent  miles  from   Gophna  towards  Neapolis* 

•Atara  near  er-Ram.  which  is  probably  the  same ;  but  they  err 

'  This  fountain  is  about  an  hour  south  in  connecting  it  "with  the  Gebim  of  Is.  10, 

of  Sinjil.     Maundrell  in  passing  from  31 ;  Onom:i-;t.  art.  It  might  rather 

Nabulus  to  Jerusalem,  mentions  two  vil-  be  the  Gibeah  of  Phinehas  in  Mount 

lages,  first  'Geeb'  and  then  '  Selwid,' as  Ephraim;  Josh.  2i,  33,  in  the  Hebrew, 

lying  west  of  the  road  in  that  vicinity.  Josephus  Faffa^d,  Ant.  5.  1.  29. 
These  are  probably  the  Jibia  and  Selwid 

Vol.  II.-23  80,  81 


266 


FBOM  JERUSALEM  TO  XABULUS.  [SbcXIV. 


than  Jebel  esh-Sheikh,  the  Hermon  of  Scripture,  beyond  Ba- 
nias,  still  not  less  distant  from  us  than  eighty  minutes  of  lati- 
tude. 

Close  on  the  north  side  of  the  village,  is  the  broad  vaUey 
Trliich  passes  down  on  the  north  of  Sinjil  ;  here  some  two  hun- 
dred feet  deep,  and  more  contracted  as  it  begins  to  descend  to 
the  west,  in  order  to  unite  with  Wady  el-Belat,  which  we  had 
lefr.  In  the  lower  western  region  also,  the  large  \Vady  el- 
Lubban  was  pointed  out  ;  which,  coming  trom  the  small  plain 
of  that  name  on  the  Xabulus  road,  runs  down  to  join  Wa«:ly  el- 
Belat  at  a  village  Kurawa.  situated  between  the  two.  The 
united  Wady  is  then  called  Wady  Kurawa  ;  and  runs  into  the 
'Aujeh  not  far  from  Ras  el-'Ain. 

The  form  Jiljiha  obviously  corresponds  to  the  ancient  name 
Gilgal ;  but  I  find  no  mention  of  any  ancient  j^lace  of  that 
name  situated  in  this  vicinity.' 

In  order  to  regain  the  Nabulus  road,  we  found  it  necessary 
to  go  directly  to  SinjiL  There  is  indeed  a  path  from  Jiljilia  to 
Nabulus  ;  but  it  was  represented  as  being  very  bad  ;  and  must 
necessarily  cross  several  very  deep  valleys.  We  now  took  a 
guide  although  Sinjil  was  in  sight ;  because  we  wished  to  obtain 
various  points  of  information  respecting  the  region.  Leaving 
Jiljilia  at  4.40,  we  returned  for  a  short  time  on  our  former  path, 
in  order  to  pass  around  the  head  of  a  short  but  deep  branch 
Wady,  running  down  into  that  on  the  north.  Our  way  after- 
wards led  over  high  table  land.  At  5  o'clock  we  passed  the 
foundations  of  a  former  village  ;  and  then  after  a  few  minutes 
a  cistern.  The  mountains  around  Xabulus  were  in  sight  much 
of  the  way  ;  and  also  Hermon  far  in  the  distance.  "We  reached 
Sinjil  at  5|  o'clock,  lying  on  the  high  southern  bank  of  the  deep 
Wady  nmning  west,  at  least  two  hundred  feet  above  its  bot- 
tom. Here  we  encamped  for  the  night,  and  were  very  kindly 
received  by  the  Sheikli  and  people  of  the  village. 

Sinjil  overlooks  the  broad  fertile  valley  below  it,  which  more 
towards  the  east  spreads  out  into  a  rich  basin  or  plain  of  con- 
siderable extent,  surrounded  by  fine  hills.  In  the  midst  of  this 
basin  the  village  Turmus  'Aya*  is  seen,  situated  upon  a  low 
mound.  The  great  Nabulus  road  does  not  pass  directly  through 
Sinjil,  but  descends  to  the  valley  by  a  side  Wady  some  ten 
minutes  further  east  ;  and  crossing  it,  keeps  on  over  the  hills  to 
•KhSn  el-Lubban.    On  that  road,  following  the  eastern  branch 


'  From  JDjilia  Tariou?  places  were  in 
«i<;ht,  bearing  as  follows :  Siiyil  E.  Abu 
el-'Anf,  N'.  70   E.    el-Ghurtbeh,  X.  58 
E.    •.\muria,  N.  15'   W.     Furkha,  X. 
60=  W. 

ui.  81-83 


'  This  name  mi<;ht  at  first  suggest  the 
Ai  of  Sc  ripture.  But  that  place  laj  very 
near  to  Bethel,  and  none  of  the  circum  • 
stiinces  related  of  it  correspond  to  Turmui 
'Aya.    Josh.  8,  9.  12.  17. 


JtrsE  14.] 


267 


northwards  from  el-Bireh,  the  distances  may  be  reckoned  as  fol- 
lows : 

H.  m. 

To  Bethel  rBeitin)  45. 

'Ain  Yebr.id   1. 

'Ain  el-  Ilaramiyeh  1. 30. 

Bottom  of  vallev  under  Sinjil        ...  1. 
Khka  el-Lubban'  1.  10. 

Jiljilia,  Sinjil,  and  Turmus  'Aya  all  lie  within  the  province  of 
Jerusalem.    Further  north  all  belongs  to  Nabulus.* 

We  found  the  inhabitants  of  Sinjil  in  some  commotion.  A 
party  of  soldiers  was  now  quartered  in  the  village,  in  order  to 
collect  the  price  of  a  horse  demanded  by  the  government.  A 
requisition,  it  seems,  had  been  issued  for  a  certain  number  of 
horses  from  each  district ;  and  these  again  having  been  appor- 
tioned among  the  villages,  it  had  fallen  to  the  lot  of  Sinjil  to 
furnish  one.  The  Sheikh  said  it  would  cost  the  village  at  least 
nine  purses,  equivalent  to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  Spanish 
dollars.  A  crier  went  about  at  evening,  proclaiming  in  a  loud 
voice,  that  all  the  men  must  be  at  home  to-morrow  ;  and  that 
whoever  should  be  absent,  would  be  beaten  with  so  many  blows. 
— According  to  the  Sheikh,  the  village  was  originally  registered 
as  containing  two  hundred  and  six  taxable  men,  or  about  eight 
hundred  souls  ;  but  since  then  more  than  one  hundred  had  been 
taken  as  soldiers,  and  yet  the  village  has  to  pay  the  taxes  of 
the  whole  original  number. 

It  was  probably  in  consequence  of  this  requisition,  now  going 
on  in  the  region,  that  the  people  of  Jiljilia  had  been  alarmed  at 
our  appearance  among  them  ;  supposing  us,  at  first,  to  have 
some  connection  with  the  government.  We  felt  the  same  dif- 
ficulty still  more  the  next  day,  in  passing  through  the  country 
south  of  Nabulus. 

Thursday,  June  14th.  A  prominent  object  of  our  inquiries 
in  this  region,  was  of  course  the  ancient  Shiloh,  celebrated  in 
the  history  of  the  Israelites,  as  the  place  where  the  ark  remained 
from  the  time  of  Joshua  to  Samuel.  Our  guide  from  Jiljilia 
yesterday  spoke  of  a  ruin  northeast  from  Sinjil,  called  Seilim  ; 
of  which  there  was  a  saying  among  the  people,  that  were  the 
Franks  to  visit  it,  they  would  deem  it  of  such  importance,  that 

•  For  these  last  three  distances  I  am  of  Josephus  ?     Pompey  marching  from 

indebterl  to  the  notes  of  Mr  Smith  in  1 835.  Damascus  to  Jerusalem  by  way  of  Scy- 

'  The  bearings  of  the  various  places  thopolis,  comes  to  Coreae  in  the  northern 

seen  from  Sinjil  were  as  follows :  Turmus  part  of  Jndea  ;  Jos.  Ant.  14.  3.  4.  B.  J.  1. 

'Aya,   N.   8.5°   E.     JaKid,  N.  '>n''   E.  6,  5.    Vespasian  marches  from  Neapo  is  to 

KOriyut  N.  42  '  E.    Abu  el-'Auf  N.  15'  Coreae  the  first  day,  and  the  next  to  Jed- 

E.    'Ar.ik  el-Ghufir  N.  4°  W.    Sekakeh  oho;  B.  J.  4.  8.  1.    Both  these  speciHca- 

K.  13    W.    Fiirkha  N.  CO'  W.    Ji]j;lia  tions  accord  well  with  the  position  of 

W. — Kuriyut  perhaps  the  Cores  (Kopeat)  Kfiriydt. 

iii.  83,  84 


268 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  NABULUS, 


[Sec.  XIV. 


they  would  not  go  away  in  less  than  a  day.  Tliis  man  was  a 
common  peasant  of  Jiljilia,  and  could  have  heard  this  story  only 
from  the  mouths  of  neighbours  of  his  own  class.  On  inquiring 
further  at  Sinjil,  we  found  that  the  place  in  question  lay  not 
very  far  from  the  road,  and  might  he  visited  by  a  small  circuit. 
As  the  position  seemed  to  answer  well  to  that  of  Shiloh,  we 
determined  to  go  thither.  We  therefore  sent  off  our  servants, 
with  the  luggage,  on  the  direct  road  by  Khan  el-Lubban  ;  and 
taking  a  guide,  proceeded  ourselves  in  the  direction  of  Turmus 
'Aya. 

We  were  ready  to  set  off  early,  but  were  delayed  by  our 
muleteers.  The  hospitality  which  we  had  found  so  common  in 
the  southwest  of  Judah,  no  longer  exists  on  this  great  road  ;  too 
many  Franks  have  passed  here,  not  to  have  taught  the  people 
to  take  payment  for  everything.  Yet  we  did  not  find  them 
unreasonable  in  their  demands.  We  finally  set  off  at  6  o'clock, 
descending  by  a  very  steep  path  from  the  vUlage  to  the  bottom 
of  the  northern  valley,  where  we  crossed  the  J erusalem  road,  and 
then  proceeded  eastward  over  the  fine  plain.  We  reached 
Turmus  'Aya  at  6|  o'clock,  situated  on  a  low  rocky  mound  in 
the  level  valley.  The  plain  swells  out  beyond  into  a  beautiful 
oval  basin,  extending  towards  the  east  for  an  hour  or  more,  shut 
in  by  picturesque  hUls.  It  was  now  covered  mostly  with  the 
deep  green  of  the  springing  millet,  interspersed  with  yellow 
fields  of  ripe  wheat. 

Leaving  Turmus  'Aya  at  our  right,  we  turned  up  a  small 
Wady  N.  N.  E.,  in  which  after  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  we 
passed  the  water-shed,  and  found  the  valley  beginning  to  de- 
scend towards  the  north.  We  came  at  7  o'clock  to  the  ruins  of 
Seilun,  surrounded  by  hills,  but  looking  out  through  the  small 
valley  we  had  traversed,  towards  the  plain  on  the  south.  Hardly 
five  minutes  before  reaching  the  proper  site,  is  an  ancient  ruin,  a 
tower,  or  perhaps  a  small  chapel,  about  twenty-eight  feet  square 
inside,  v/ith  walls  four  feet  thick.  Within  are  three  prostrate 
columns,  with  Corinthian  capitals  lying  separate.  The  stone 
which  forms  the  upper  part  of  the  doorway,  is  ornamented  on 
the  outside  with  sculptured  work,  an  amphora  between  two  chap- 
lets.  Along  the  outer  wall,  a  defence  or  buttress  of  sloping 
masonry  has  been  built  up,  obviously  at  a  later  period.  The 
Arabs  call  tliis  ruin  the  mosk  of  Seilun.  As  we  came  up,  three 
startled  owls  flew  off  in  dismay. 

The  main  site  consists  of  the  ruins  of  a  comparatively 
modern  village,  covering  a  small  Tell ;  which  is  separated  from 
the  higher  mountain  on  the  north  by  a  deep  narrow  Wady, 
coming  from  the  east  and  running  down  towards  Khan  el- 
Lubban.    On  the  east  and  west  of  the  Tell  are  two  small, 

iii.  84-86 


June  14.] 


SEILUN,  SHILOH. 


269 


though  wider  Wadys,  running  down  north  into  the  former ; 
while  towards  the  south  the  Tell  connects  with  the  slope  running 
up  from  the  plain  of  Turmus  'Aya,  but  rises  considerably  above 
it.  The  position  is  in  itself  a  fine  one  for  strength,  if  it  were 
ever  fortified  ;  though  it  is  commanded  by  the  neighbouring 
hills.  Among  the  ruins  of  modern  houses  are  many  large 
stones,  and  some  fragments  of  columns,  showing  the  place  to 
have  been  an  ancient  site.  At  the  southern  foot  of  the  Tell  is  a 
small  ruined  mosk,  standing  partly  beneath  a  noble  oak  tree.' 

Our  guide  told  us  of  a  fountain  up  through  the  narrow  valley 
towards  the  east.  We  went  thither,  and  found  that  the  valley 
here  breaks  through  a  ridge,  and  is  at  first  shut  in  by  perpendic- 
ular walls  of  rock  ;  then  follows  a  more  open  tract ;  and  here, 
at  the  left,  fifteen  minutes  from  SeUun,  is  the  fountain.  The 
water  is  excellent ;  and  issues  from  the  rocks  first  into  a  sort  of 
artificial  well,  eight  or  ten  feet  deep  ;  and  thence  into  a  reser- 
voir lower  down.  Many  flocks  and  herds  were  waiting  round 
about.  In  the  sides  of  the  narrow  valley  are  many  excavated 
tombs,  now  much  broken  away  ;  near  the  fountain  are  also 
several  tombs,  and  one  in  an  isolated  block.  We  returned 
down  the  valley,  and  followed  it  through  on  the  north  side  of 
SeilAn. 

The  proofs  that  SeUun  is  actually  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Shiloh,  lie  within  a  small  compass  ;  and  both  the  name  and  the 
position  are  sufficiently  decisive.  The  fall  form  of  the  Hebrew 
name  was  apparently  Sliilon,  as  we  find  it  in  the  gentUe  noun 
Shilonite  ;  and  Josephus  writes  it  also  both  Silo  and  Siloun.^ 
The  position  of  Shiloh  is  very  definitely  described  in  the  book 
of  Judges,  as  "on  the  north  side  of  Bethel,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  highway  that  goeth  up  from  Bethel  to  Shechem,  and  on  the 
south  of  Lebonah."'  Eusebius  and  Jerome  place  it,  one  ten 
and  the  other  twelve  Eoman  miles  from  Neapolis,  in  the  region 
of  Acrabatene."  With  the  exception  of  these  confiised  and 
probably  conjectural  distances,  all  the  other  circumstances 
correspond  exactly  to  Seilun  ;  for  we  were  here  on  the  east  of 
the  great  road  between  Bethel  and  Shechem  (Nabulus),  and  in 

*  The  only  bearings  from  Seilun  were  :       *  Onomast.  art.  Selo.    These  distances 

Turmus  'Aya  S.  S.  W.    Sinjil  S.  50°  W.  are  both  incorrect :   for  the  village  of 

Abu  el-'Auf,  S.  82°  W.  Lebonah  (Lubban)  is  itself  more  tha^ii  four 

'  The  Hebrew  exhibits  various  fonos,  hours  or  12  Roman  miles  south  of  Nabulus. 

e.  g.  iib'^'S  1  K.  2,  27.  aL  n'SU  Josh.  18,  Or  Jerome  may  perhaps  have  estimated 

1.  8.  aL  ib^d  Judg.  21  21.  al.  ibb  the  distance  on  a  straight  course,  passing  on 
T„j»  oi    iQ   .1      r^^tj  ^^^^  '^^  Lubban;  in  which  case  his 

.         f  'oo  I'o  1.     T  r,  -.  ^  12  miles  would  be  less  far  out  of  the  way, 

1  K.  11,       U,  15.    bee  Gesenms  Lex.  though  still  too  short.    The  text  also  may 

Heb.  art.  n'S^ia  . — Josephus,  SiAcJ  Antiq.  have  been  corrupted  ;  that  of  Eusebius  is 

8.  7.  7.    ibid.  8.  11.  1.    2iAoC>' Antiq.  5.  certainly  so,  for  the  word  Neapolis  has 

1.  19,  20.    ibid.  5.  2.  9,  12.  fallen  out. 

'  Judg.  21,  19. 

.  Vol.  II.-23*  Ui.  86,  87 


270 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  KABTJLUS. 


[SEa  XIV. 


passing  on  towards  the  latter  place,  we  came  after  an  hour  to 
the  village  of  Lebonah,  now  el-Lubban. 

Here  then  was  Shiloh,  where  the  tabernacle  was  set  up  after 
the  country  had  been  subdued  before  the  Israelites  ;  and  where 
the  last  and  general  division  of  the  land  was  made  among  the 
tribes.'  The  ark  and  tabernacle  long  continued  here  ;  from  the 
days  of  Joshua  during  the  ministry  of  all  the  Judges,  until  the 
close  of  Eli's  life  ;  and  here  Samuel  was  dedicated  to  God,  and 
his  childhood  spent  in  the  sanctuary.''  In  honour  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  ark,  there  was  "  a  feast  of  the  Lord  in  Shiloh  yearly," 
during  which  "  the  daughters  of  Shiloh  came  out  to  dance  in 
dances  ; "  and  it  was  on  such  an  occasion,  that  they  were  seized 
and  carried  off  by  the  remaining  Benjamites  as  wives.'  The 
scene  of  these  dances  may  not  improbably  have  been  somewhere 
around  the  fountain  above  described.  From  Shiloh  the  ark 
■was  at  length  removed  to  the  army  of  Israel ;  and  being  cap- 
tured by  the  Philistines,  returned  no  more  to  its  former  place.* 
Shiloh  henceforth,  though  sometimes  the  residence  of  prophets, 
as  of  Ahijah  celebrated  in  the  history  of  Jeroboam,'  is  neverthe- 
less spoken  of  as  forsaken  and  accursed  of  God.'  It  is  men- 
tioned in  Scripture  during  the  exile,  but  not  afterwards  ;  and 
Jerome  speaks  of  it  in  his  day  as  so  utterly  in  ruins,  that  the 
foundations  of  an  altar  could  scarcely  be  pointed  out.^ 

From  that  time  onward,  the  place  of  Shiloh  appears  to  have 
been  iitterly  forgotten  in  ecclesiastical  tradition  ;  and  I  find  no 
further  notice  of  its  position  until  the  time  of  the  crusaders. 
These  soldiers  of  the  cross  found  Shiloh  at  Neby  Samwil ;  and 
there  too  monks  and  pilgrims  continued  to  find  it,  without  much 
variation,  until  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century.^  Yet  early 
in  the  fourteenth  century,  R.  Parchi  rightly  describes  the  place 
as  on  the  left  of  the  traveller  proceeding  towards  Jerusalem  ; 
and  as  then  called  Sailun.'  It  would  seem,  too,  as  if  Bonifa- 
cius  was  acquainted  with  the  true  site.  Speaking  of  the  way 
from  Jerusalem  to  Shechem  (Nabulus ),  he  says:  "At  fifteen 
miles  north  of  el-Bireh  there  is  a  large  hospitium  in  a  valley, 
with  a  fountain  outside  ;  and  not  far  off  on  the  right  is  Sliiloh, 
where  an  altar  and  ruined  church  are  seen."'"    This  certainly 

'  Josh.  18,  1-10.  Epitaph.  Paula  p.  676,  ed.  Mart.  "Quid 

*  1  Sam.  c.  1— t.  narrem  Silo,  in  qua  altare  dirutum  hodie- 
'  Judg.  21,  19-23.  que  nionstratur?  " 

*  1  Sam.  c.  4-6.  «  Benj.  of  Tudela  p.  78,  "  St.  Samuel 
»  1  K.  11,  29.  12,  15.  14,  2  sq.  of  Shiloh,  the  ancient  Shiloh."  Brocardm 

*  Ps.  78,  60  sq.  Jer.  7,  12.  14.  26,  6.  c.  9.  p  184.  Marinus  Sanut.  p.  249. 
'  Jer.  41,;').  Hieron.  Comm.  in  Sophon.  Breydenbach    in   Reissb.   p.    130,  136. 

i.  14  sq.    "  Vix   ruinarum   parva  vcs-  Adrichomius  p.  30.    See  Vol.  I.  p.  459. 
tigia  in  magnis  quondam   urbibns  cer-       9  gee  in  Asher's  Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  435. 
uimus.  Silo  tabernaculura  et  area  Domini       '°  l)e  perenn.  Cultu  Terne  Sanct.  quoted 

fiiit;  vix  altaris  fundamenta  monstrantur."  by  Quaresmius  Tom.  II.  p.  798. 
ui.  87-89 


June  14.] 


SHILOH.     KHAN  EL-LUBBAN, 


271 


accords  well  with  the  position  of  Seiliin  relative  to  KhSn  el- 
Lubban  ;  which  itself  is  nearly  live  and  a  half  hours  from 
el-Bireh. 

But  if  the  true  position  was  thus  for  a  time  known,  it  was 
again  soon  forgotten  ;  for  at  the  close  of  the  same  century, 
Cotovicus  places  Shiloh  at  twelve  miles  north  of  el-Bireh  upon 
the  top  of  a  high  mountain,  the  highest  in  Palestine;'  and 
although  Quaresmius  professes  to  adopt  the  report  of  Bonifa- 
cius,  yet  it  is  easy  to  see  from  the  confusion  of  his  language, 
and  the  various  other  opinions  which  he  rejects,  that  no  certain 
and  definite  knowledge  of  the  place  was  then  extant. Since 
that  time,  so  far  as  I  can  find,  no  further  attempts  have  been 
made  to  ascertain  the  site  of  Shiloh.' 

Leaving  SeUun  at  8  o'clock,  we  followed  down  the  valley, 
which  takes  the  name  of  Wady  el-Liibban,  by  a  rapid  descent 
N.  W.  by  W.  for  twenty  minutes,  passing  a  well  on  our  left. 
The  valley  then  turns  west,  and  becomes  level  and  fertile ;  the 
fields  of  miUet  were  green  and  beautiful,  perhaps  a  foot  high  ; 
and  here,  for  the  first  and  only  time,  we  saw  people  at  work 
weeding  the  miUet  with  a  sort  of  hoe  ;  but  without  loosening 
the  earth  around  the  plants.  The  valley  lies  lower  than  that  by 
Sinjil ;  for  our  ascent  to  Seilun  was  much  less  than  our  subse- 
quent descent.  At  8.35  was  another  well ;  and  fifteen  minutes 
later  we  were  opposite  the  Khan  el-Lubban,  lying  perhaps  five 
minutes  distant  southwest,  at  the  south  end  of  the  charming  little 
plain  into  which  the  valley  here  enters,  and  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  over  which  the  direct  road  comes  from  Sinjil.  We 
had  avoided  this  mountain  by  taking  the  route  of  Seilun,  where 
the  ridge  is  broken  through  by  valleys.  This  Khan  is  now  in 
ruins  ;  near  by  it  is  a  fine  fountain  of  running  water.  From 
it  the  beautiful  oval  plain  extends  north  about  fifteen  minutes, 
with  perhaps  half  that  breadth,  lying  here  deep  among  high 
rocky  hills.  On  the  slope  of  the  mountain  in  the  northwest  is 
Been  the  village  of  Lubban  ;  while  about  the  middle  of  the 
western  side,  a  narrow  chasm  through  the  mountain,  carries  off 
the  waters  of  the  plain  and  surrounding  tract.  This  is  the 
Wady  el-Lubban,  which  we  had  seen  from  Jiljilia  as  it  runs  to 
join  Wady  el-Belat,  and  so  to  the  'Aujeh  in  the  lower  western 
plain.  ^ 

Our  course  was  now  north  through  this  fine  basin  ;  here  we 
again  fell  into  the  Jerusalem  road,  and  came  up  with  our 

-  Cotovic.  Itin.  p.  336.     The  author  show  it  at  Khan   el-Luhban ;    p.  405. 

here  evidently  confounds  Neby  Samwil  Schubert  at  Sinjil  speaks  of  "  Silun "  as 

with  this  more  northern  position  of  Shiloh.  lying  in  the  northeast,  but  he  did  not  visit 

'  Quaresmius  II.  p.  796-799.  it;  Reise  III.  p.  130. 

'  Troilo  in  1667  says  the  site  was  utterly  *  See  above,  p.  266. 
unknown  ;  though  the  Greeks  professed  to 

iii.  89,  SO 


272 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  NABULUS. 


[Sbc.  XIV. 


servants  and  luggage,  waiting  for  us  beneath  the  shade  of  some 
trees.  We  passed  on,  leaving  them  to  load  up  and  follow  us. 
At  9  o'clock  we  were  opposite  the  village  of  Lubban,  situated 
on  the  northwest  acclivity,  considerably  above  the  plain.  It 
is  inhabited  ;  has  the  appearance  of  an  old  place  ;  and  in  the 
rocks  above  it  are  excavated  sepulchres.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  of  its  being  the  Lebonah  of  the  Old  Testament,  between 
Bethel  and  Shechem.'  The  coincidence  was  suggested  by 
Maundrell ;  and  has  ever  since  been  adopted  without  question 
by  most  of  those  who  have  noticed  the  village  at  all.*  Yet  R. 
Parchi  early  in  the  fourteenth  century  has  likewise  a  correct 
mention  of  it  as  the  ancient  Lebonah.^  But  from  the  days  of 
the  book  of  Judges  till  the  time  of  the  crusades,  I  am  not  aware 
that  there  occurs  any  mention  of  this  name  or  place  ;  unless 
perhaps  it  be  the  Beth-leban  of  the  Talmud.*  Brocardus,  and 
after  him  others,  call  it  Lemna  and  Lebna  ;  but  appear  to  have 
had  no  suspicion  of  its  connection  with  any  ancient  site.' 

At  the  northeast  corner  of  the  plain,  where  we  now  were,  an- 
other level  valley  comes  in  from  the  east,  through  which  we  issued 
from  this  fine  basin.  The  valley  is  at  first  narrow  ;  but  expands 
more  and  more  as  the  road  follows  it  up,  until  it  turns  northwards 
and  becomes  an  open  plain.  Our  course  was  about  E.  by  N.  for 
twenty  minutes  ;  and  then  N.  N.  E.  At  9^  o'clock  the  village 
es-Sawieh  was  directly  over  us  on  the  hill  at  our  left,  overhang- 
ing the  road.  A  little  further  on,  we  stopped  for  ten  minutes 
under  the  shade  of  a  large  tree,  to  let  our  servants  and  baggage 
come  up.  At  9.50  we  passed  a  ruined  Khan  on  the  roa,d,  also 
called  es-Sawieh,  at  the  upper  part  of  the  plain,  just  upon  the 
water-shed,  where  the  land  begins  to  descend  towards  the  north 
into  the  next  great  valley  running  west. 

Here  we  made  a  very  considerable  descent  along  a  steep 
narrow  Wady  ;  and  at  10.5  reached  the  bottom  of  a  large  and 
very  stony  vaUey  running  from  east  to  west  or  rather  towards 
the  W.  S.  W.  Some  men  from  Ram- Allah  whom  we  met,  said 
it  runs  down  to  the  'Aujeh  in  the  western  plain,  uniting  with  it 
below  the  castle  of  Ras  el-Ain.  On  our  right,  perhaps  half  an 
hour  distant,  were  two  villages  ;  one  on  the  south  side  of  the 
valley,  near  the  summit  of  a  high  conical  hill,  called  Kilbalan, 
surrounded  by  vineyards  and  large  groves  of  olive  and  fig  trees  ; 
the  other  called  Yetma,'  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley  near 

■  Judg.  21,  19.  Nabulus  towards  Jerusalem  on  the  right, 

'  Maundrell,  March  24.  Reland  Palaest.  c.  7.  p.    178.      Breydcnbach,  copying 

pp.  871,  872.  Brocardus,  writes  Lepna ;  Keissb.  p.  128. 

'  See  in  Asher's Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  435.  Cotovicus  has  Lebna;  p.  337.  Quares- 

*  Reland  I.  c.  mius  makes  no  allusion  to  the  mime  or 

'  Brocardus  places  "  Lemna,    casale  place. 

valde  pulchrum,"  at  four  leagues  from       °  There  is  reason  to  doubt  the  correct- 

iiL  90-92 


JUXE  U.] 


THE  PLAiy  MUKHXA. 


273 


the  top  of  the  mountain,  aknost  in  ruins.  These  names,  how- 
ever, were  given  to  us  some  time  after  we  had  passed  ;  for  on 
the  spot,  we  could  find  no  one  to  inform  us,  nor  could  we  learn 
the  name  of  the  valley.'  This  Wady  again  Ues  deeper  than  the 
plain  of  el-Lubban  ;  for  our  descent  into  it  was  greater  than 
our  ascent  from  that  plain  to  the  water-shed. 

From  this  valley  we  had  a  rather  steep  ascent  to  the  summit 
of  the  high  ridge  on  the  north.  We  reached  the  top  at  10.35, 
having  just  before  passed  the  foundations  of  a  ruined  tower. 
Here  we  had  our  first  view  of  the  great  plain  of  Mukhna,  which 
stretches  alonsr  for  several  hours  on  the  east  of  the  mountains 

o 

amons  which  Nabiilus  is  situated.  Those  mountains  were  now 
before  us  in  all  their  beauty  ;  Mount  Gerizim,  crowned  by  a 
Wely  on  its  highest  point,  bearing  north  ;  just  beyond  it  the 
entrance  of  the  valley  of  Nabulus  bearing  nearly  X.  N.  E.  ; 
further  north  the  rugged  heights  of  Mount  Ebal ;  and  then  the 
fine  plain  extending  apparently  still  beyond  towards  the  N.  X. 
E.  skirted  on  its  eastern  side  in  its  whole  length  by  tracts  of 
picturesque  though  lower  hills.  Much  as  I  had  read  of  Pales- 
tine, and  multitudinous  as  have  been  the  travellers  upon  this 
very  road,  I  must  confess  that  the  existence  here  of  such  an 
extensive  plain,  running  in  this  direction  from  S.  S.  W.  to  N.  N. 
E.  was  almost  utterly  unknown  to  me.  We  could  perceive  our 
road  forming  a  waving  Hne  along  the  foot  of  the  high  western 
hills,  and  under  Mount  Gerizim,  imtil  it  entered  the  vallev  of 
Nabulus,  still  two  hours  distant. 

A  s"teep  descent  brought  us  in  twenty  minutes  to  the  south- 
em  extremity  of  the  plain,  near  a  cistern  ;  in  tliis  part  indeed  the 
plain  comes  almost  to  a  point.  At  11.25  we  crossed  the  dry 
bed  of  a  torrent,  which  in  winter  carries  otf  the  waters  of  the 
whole  southern  part  of  the  plain  towards  the  west,  forming  a 
deep  Wady  through  the  western  hills  ;  but  we  could  neither 
learn  its  name,  nor  to  what  stream  it  runs  in  the  great  lower 
plain.*  Fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  down  this  valley  on  our  left, 
were  two  villages  ;  one  on  the  southern  hills  in  ruins,  called  Kuza ; 
the  other  on  the  northern  side  called  'Ain  Abus.  Directly  op- 
posite on  our  right,  upon  the  hills  along  the  eastern  side  of  the 
plain,  perhaps  forty  minutes  distant,  was  the  large  village  of  Beita. 
Just  beyond  this  Wady  we  passed  at  11.35  the  large  and  old 
village  of  Hawara,  lying  above  us  on  the  slope  at  our  left. 

ness  of  the  name,  as  applied  to  this  village,  in.  Sect.  YU,  under  Mav  12th  ;  aad  Sect 

Our  lists  seem  to  give  it  on  the  west  of  III,  under  Apr.  26th,  1852. 
the  road.  It  proved  to  be  the  beginning  of  the 

'  This  Wady  has  its  head  at  'Akrabeh,  deep  A\  ady  Kanali,  which  runs    to  the 

and  passes  down  into  the  western  plain  as  great  plain  fouth  of  Jiljilia,  and  so  to  the 

Wady  Kibah.    It  passes  north  of  Rig  el-  'Aujeh.    See  in  Vol.  III.  Sect.  Ill,  mider 

'Ain,  and  so  to  the  'Aujeh.    See  in  Vol  Apr.  24th  and  2Gth,  1852. 

iii.  92,  93 


274 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


Here  tlie  plain  spreads  out  to  a  greater  width  ;  the  eastern  hills 
retiring  somewhat  more.  On  that  side  they  are  quite  irregular 
and  rock)^,  and  often  jut  out  into  the  plain  ;  while  on  the  west- 
ern side  the  base  of  the  slopes  departs  much  less  from  a  right 
line.  The  broad  plain  presented  a  beautiful  appearance  ;  it  is 
everywhere  cultivated,  and  was  now  covered  with  the  rich  green 
of  millet,  mingled  with  the  yellow  of  the  ripe  grain,  which  the 
peasants  were  harvesting.  Yet  the  soil  seemed  less  fertile  than 
that  of  most  of  the  plains  we  had  visited.  The  average  width 
of  this  plain,  may  be  here  not  far  from  half  an  hour,  or  forty 
minutes. 

In  passing  along  this  plain  we  fell  in  with  many  people  ; 
but  found  more  trouble  in  obtaining  information  from  them, 
than  we  experienced  in  any  other  part  of  Palestine.  They 
would  hardly  answer  any  of  our  questions  ;  and  although  my 
companion  dismounted  and  walked  with  them  a  long  distance, 
and  entered  into  conversation  with  them,  yet  it  was  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  that  he  could  get  them  to  tell  even  the 
names  of  the  various  villages.  We  had  several  times  found 
something  of  the  same  reserve  at  first,  and  especially  yesterday 
at  Jiljilia  ;  but  why  it  should  be  so  much  greater  here  than  any- 
where else,  we  were  at  a  loss  to  conceive.  We  did  not  find  it  in 
Nabulus  itself,  nor  further  north  ;  and  it  may  not  improbably 
have  been  connected  with  the  general  dread  of  the  governmental 
requisitions  now  in  progress.  Perhaps  too  the  appearance  of  our 
Egyptian  servants,  carrying  muskets,  may  have  led  them  to 
imagine,  that  we  had  some  connection  with  the  government,  and 
were  seeking  for  information  which  might  injure  them.  The 
peasantry  around  Nabulus,  it  may  be  remembered,  as  well  as 
those  around  Hebron,  had  felt  the  stern  vengeance  of  the  Egyp- 
tian government,  after  the  rebellion  of  A.  D.  1834. 

Another  steep  Wady,  coming  down  from  the  left,  we  passed 
at  five  minutes  before  noon  ;  on  which,  high  up  and  o\it  of 
sight,  is  the  large  village  or  rather  market  town  of  Baunn. 
Half  an  hour  later  we  had  the  little  hamlet  of  Kefr  KuUin 
above  us  on  the  side  of  Mount  Gerizim.  Several  villages  were 
scattered  along  on  the  eastern  hills  ;  on  that  side  Haudela, 
'Awerta,  and  Raujib,  succeeded  each  other. 

Instead  of  keeping  along  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  quite 
to  the  entrance  of  the  valley  of  Nabulus,  the  road  ascends  and 
winds  around  the  northeast  corner  of  Moimt  Gerizim.  We 
turned  this  point  at  1  o'clock,  and  entered  the  narrow  valley  run- 
ning up  northwest  between  Moimts  Gerizim  and  Ebal  ;  thus 
leaving  behind  us  the  plain,  which  extends  still  further  north. 
Below  us,  on  the  right,  and  not  far  above  the  edge  of  the  plain, 
are  the  ruins  of  a  little  hamlet  called  Bclat ;  further  north  and 

Hi.  93.  94 


JiTSE  14.] 


VALLEY  OF  NABULUS. 


275 


nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  mouth  of  the  narrow  valley,  stands 
a  small  white  building,  a  Wely,  called  J osejjh's  tomb  ;  while 
near  the  foot  of  Gerizim  below  Belat,  is  the  ancient  well,  known 
as  that  of  Jacob.  Directly  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the  valley, 
among  the  eastern  hills,  a  beautiful  smaller  plain  runs  up  east- 
ward from  the  larger  one  ;  and  on  the  low  hills  near  its  entrance 
on  the  north,  are  seen  the  three  villages  of  'Azmut,  Deir  el- 
Hatab,  and  Salim. 

After  turning  the  point  of  the  mountain,  our  path  descend- 
ed very  little  ;  yet  so  great  is  here  the  ascent  of  the  narrow 
valley,  that  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  came  out  upon  its 
bottom,  near  a  fine  copious  fountain  in  its  middle,  'Ain  Difneh, 
furnished  with  a  reservoir.  Below  the  fountain,  towards  the 
east,  a  tract  of  ground  of  three  or  four  acres  had  recently  been 
enclosed  as  a  garden  ;  but  as  yet  it  contained  no  trees.  Above 
this  point,  we  soon  came  to  the  olive  groves,  where  the  ascent  is 
less  rapid,  and  the  soil  hard  and  stony.  On  the  left,  before 
reaching  the  city,  at  the  foot  of  Gerizim,  is  a  small  tomb  of  a 
Muslim  saint,  called  'Amud  ;  but  of  recent  construction,  as  we 
were  informed,  and  containing  nothing  of  antiquity.  At  1^  o'clock 
we  were  opposite  the  eastern  end  of  the  long  narrow  town, 
which  we  did  not  now  enter.  Keeping  the  road  along  its  north- 
ern side,  we  passed  some  high  mounds,  apparently  of  ashes ; 
where,  aU  at  once,  the  ground  sinks  down  to  a  valley  running 
towards  the  west,  with  a  soil  of  rich  black  vegetable  mould. 
Here  a  scene  of  luxuriant  and  almost  unparalleled  verdure  burst 
upon  our  view.  The  whole  valley  was  filled  with  gardens  of 
vegetables  and  orchards  of  all  kinds  of  fruits,  watered  by  several 
fountains,  which  burst  forth  in  various  parts  and  flow  westwards 
in  refreshing  streams.  It  came  upon  us  suddenly  like  a  scene 
of  fairy  enchantment.  We  saw  nothing  to  compare  with  it  in 
all  Palestine.  Here,  beneath  the  shade  of  an  immense  mulberry 
tree,  by  the  side  of  a  purling  rill,  we  pitched  our  tent  for  the 
remainder  of  the  day  and  night. 

The  city  of  Nabulus  '  is  long  and  narrow,  stretching  close 
along  the  northeast  base  of  Mount  Gerizim  in  this  small  deep 
valley,  half  an  hour  distant  from  the  great  eastern  plain.  The 
streets  are  narrow  ;  the  houses  high  and  in  general  well  built, 
all  of  stone,  with  domes  upon  the  roofs  as  at  Jerusalem.  The 
valley  itself,  from  the  foot  of  Gerizim  to  that  of  Ebal,  is  here 
not  more  than  some  five  hundred  yards  wide,  extending  from 
southeast  to  northwest.  The  city  lies  directly  upon  the  water- 
summit  in  this  valley  ;  the  waters  on  the  eastern  part,  as  we 

We  follow  in  this  name  the  orthogra-  pronunciation  of  the  present  day,  it  would 
phy  of  Abulfeda,  which  is  probably  the  be  written  Nablus.  Abulf.  Tab.  Syr.  p.  85. 
most  correct     According  to  the  vulgar 

iii.  95,  96 


2*76 


NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


have  seen,  flowing  off  east  into  the  plain  and  so  to  the  Jordan ; 
while  the  fine  fountains  on  the  western  side  send  off  a  pretty 
hrook  down  the  valley  northwest  towards  the  Mediterranean, 
This  somewhat  remarkahle  circumstance,  so  far  as  I  can  find, 
has  hitherto  heen  noted  by  no  traveller. 

Mounts  Gerizim  and  Ebal  rise  in  steep  rocky  precipices  im- 
mediately from  the  valley  on  each  side,  apparently  some  eight 
hundred  feet  in  height.'  The  sides  of  both  these  mountains,  as 
here  seen,  were  to  our  eyes  equally  naked  and  sterile  ;  although 
some  travellers  have  chosen  to  describe  Gerizim  as  fertile,  and 
confine  the  sterility  to  Ebal.^  The  only  exception  in  favour  of 
the  former,  so  far  as  we  could  perceive,  is  a  small  ravine  coming 
down  opposite  the  west  end  of  the  town,  which  indeed  is  full 
of  fountains  and  trees  ;  in  other  respects  both  mountains,  as 
here  seen,  are  desolate,  except  that  a  few  olive  trees  are  scat- 
tered upon  them.  The  side  of  the  northern  mountain,  Ebal, 
along  the  foot,  exhibits  many  ancient  excavated  sepulchres. 
The  southern  mountain  is  now  called  by  the  inhabitants,  Jebel 
et-Tiir,^  though  the  name  Gerizim  is  known  at  least  to  the 
Samaritans.    The  modern  appellation  of  Ebal  we  did  not  learn. 

One  of  our  first  objects  at  Nabulus,  was  to  visit  the  Samar- 
itans, that  singular  and  feeble  remnant  of  an  ancient  people, 
which  to  this  day  has  survived  the  storms  of  ages  and  of  adverse 
influences,  upon  their  native  soil.  Some  men  formerly  from 
Beinit  soon  came  around  us  ;  and  an  old  Christian  of  the  Greek 
rite  undertook  to  conduct  us  to  the  Samaritans,  to  the  summit 
of  Mount  Gerizim,  and  to  Jacob's  well.  We  repaired  to  the 
city,  passing  among  luxuriant  groves  of  fig  and  other  fruit  trees, 
and  entering  by  a  gate  at  the  western  end.  The  quarter  occu- 
pied by  the  Samaritans  is  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  city, 
rising  somewhat  upon  the  acclivity  of  Gerizim.  It  is  well  built, 
and  the  houses  seemed  solid  and  comfortable.  On  coming  to 
the  synagogue  we  found  it  closed.  Several  of  the  Samaritans 
came  to  us  ;  but  as  the  priest  was  not  at  hand  to  open  the  door, 
we  could  not  now  visit  the  synagogue.  They  offered  us  a  guide, 
however,  to  the  top  of  Mount  Gerizim  ;  and  we  determined  to 
go  thither  immediately,  and  see  the  priest  on  our  return.  We 
set  otF  therefore  at  4  o'clock  on  foot,  attended  by  one  of  the 
younger  Samaritans,  an  honest  simple-minded  man.    Our  old 

'  According  to  Schubert's  barometrical  to  the  time  of  Benj.  of  Tudela;  who  says 

observations,  tlie  town  of  Nahuhis  is  1751  correctly,  that  there  are  fountains  and  fruit 

Par.  feet  above  the  sea,  and  tlie  summit  of  trees  on  Gerizim,  that  is,  in  the  ravine 

Gerizim  about  2.500  feet,  or  about  the  same  described  in  the  text ;  but  this  is  not  true 

as  the  Mount  of  Olives.  This  gives  ToO  feet  of  the  mountain  in  general,  which  is  03 

for  the  height  of  the  mountain  above  the  baiTeu  as  Ebal.    Itin  I.  p.  68. 
town,    lleise  III.  p.  14G.  '  So  too  Yakut  in  Schult.  Ind.  in  ViL 

'  Cotovicus  p.  338.     0.  von  Richter  Salad,  art.  7ourum. 
Wallfahrtcu  p.  50.    This  story  goes  back 

iii.  90.  97 


Jv^E  14.] 


THE  SAMARITANS.     MOUNT  GERIZIM. 


277 


Christian  we  were  willing  to  dismiss  till  we  came  back  ;  having 
discovered  meantime,  that  his  plan  had  been  to  take  a  Samari- 
tan guide  himself,  besides  demanding  one  of  our  mules  to  ride. 
We  struck  up  the  ravine  above  mentioned,  which  comes  down 
from  the  southwest  and  is  full  of  fruit  trees  and  verdure.  J ust 
out  of  the  city  is  a  fine  fountain,  called  'Asal  and  stiU  further 
up,  an  aqueduct  and  mill. 

Above  the  ravine  the  ascent  of  the  mountain  is  steep  ;  yet  not 
BO  but  that  one  might  ride  up  without  diificulty.  When  about 
two  thirds  of  the  way  up,  we  heard  a  woman  calling  after  us, 
who  proved  to  be  the  mother  of  our  Samaritan  guide.  He  was 
her  only  son,  and  had  come  away,  it  seems,  without  her  know- 
ledge ;  and  she  was  now  in  the  utmost  terror  at  finding  that  he  had 
gone  off"  as  a  guide  to  Franks,  to  show  them  the  holy  mountain. 
She  had  immediately  followed  us,  and  was  now  crying  after  us 
with  aU  the  strength  of  her  lungs,  forbidding  him  to  proceed, 
lest  some  evil  should  befall  him.  The  young  man  went  back  to 
meet  her,  and  tried  to  pacify  her ;  but  in  vain  ;  she  insisted 
upon  his  returning  home.  This  he  was  not  inclined  to  do  ; 
although  he  said  he  could  not  disobey  his  mother,  and  so 
transgress  the  law  of  Moses.  This  touching  trait  gave  us  a  fa- 
vourable idea  of  the  morality  of  the  Samaritans.  After  reason- 
ing with  her  a  long  time  without  efi"ect,  he  finally  persuaded  her 
to  go  with  us.  So  she  followed  us  up  ;  at  first  full  of  wrath, 
and  keeping  at  a  distance  from  us  ;  yet  at  last  she  became  quite 
reconciled  and  communicative. 

Twenty  minutes  of  ascent  from  the  city  in  the  direction 
southwest  led  us  to  the  top  of  Gerizim ;  which  proved  to  be  a 
tract  of  high  table  land  stretching  otf  far  towards  the  west  and 
southwest.  Twenty  minutes  more  towards  the  southeast  along 
a  regtilar  path  upon  the  table  land,  brought  us  to  the  Wely  we 
had  seen  before,  standing  on  a  small  eminence  on  the  eastern 
brow  of  the  mountain,  perhaps  the  highest  point ;  and  over- 
looking the  plain  on  the  east,  and  indeed,  all  the  country  around, 
including  Jebel  esh-Sheikh  or  Hermon  in  the  distance.  Here 
is  the  holy  place  of  the  Samaritans,  wluther  they  stiU  come  up 
three  times  a  year  to  worship.  The  spot  where  they  sacrifice  the 
passover,  seven  lambs  among  them  all,  was  pointed  out  to  us, 
just  below  the  highest  point  and  before  coming  to  the  last 
slight  acclivity.  It  is  marked  by  two  parallel  rows  of  rough 
stones  laid  upon  the  ground  ;  and  a  small  round  pit,  roughly 
stoned  up,  in  which  the  flesh  is  roasted. 

_  On  ascending  the  rise  of  ground  beyond  this  spot,  the  first 
object  which  presents  itself,  are  the  ruins  of  an  immense  struc- 
ture of  hewn  stones,  bearing  every  appearance  of  having  once 
been  a  large  and  strong  fortress.  '  It  consisted  of  two  adjacent 

Vol.  II.-24  iii.  97_99 


278 


NABTJLTTS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


parts,  eacli  measuring  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from 
east  to  west  and  two  hundred  feet  from  north  to  south,  giving  a 
length  in  all  of  about  four  hundred  feet  in  the  latter  direction. 
The  stones  are  the  common  limestone  of  the  region,  tolerably 
large,  and  bevelled  at  the  edges,  though  rough  in  the  middle. 
The  walls  in  some  places  are  nine  feet  thick.  At  the  four 
corners  of  the  southern  division  were  square  towers,  and  one  in 
the  middle  of  the  eastern  side.  In  the  northern  part  is  now  the 
Muslim  Wely,  and  also  a  cemetery.  The  stranger  at  first  is 
very  naturally  struck  with  the  idea,  that  these  mnst  be  the 
remains  of  the  ancient  temple  of  the  Samaritans  upon  Mount 
Gerizim  ;  but  the  Samaritans  of  the  present  day  attach  no 
sanctity  whatever  to  these  ruins,  and  simply  call  them  el-Kul'ah, 
*  the  Castle.'  We  shall  hereafter  see,  that  they  are  probably  the 
remains  of  a  fortress  erected  by  Justinian. 

Just  under  the  walls  of  the  castle,  on  the  west  side,  are  a 
few  flat  stones,  of  which  it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  they  were 
laid  there  by  nature,  or  by  man.  Under  these,  the  guide  said, 
are  the  twelve  stones  brought  out  of  Jordan  by  the  Israelites 
and  there  they  will  remain,  until  el-Muhdy  (the  Guide)  shall 
appear.  This,  he  said,  and  not  the  Messiah,  is  the  name  they 
give  to  the  expected  Saviour.  He  could  not  tell  when  he  would 
appear ;  but  there  were  already  some  tokens  of  his  coming. 

Soon  after  we  passed  the  castle,  towards  the  south,  the  guide 
took  off"  his  shoes,  saying  it  was  unlawful  for  his  people  to  tread 
with  shoes  upon  this  ground,  it  being  holy.  After  a  few  steps 
we  came  to  a  large  naked  surface  of  rock,  even  with  the  ground 
and  occupying  a  considerable  area,  inclining  somewhat  towards 
a  cistern  in  the  western  part.  Tliis  he  said  was  their  holiest 
spot,  the  place  where  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  with  the  ark 
of  the  covenant  had  been  pitched.  He  seemed  to  have  no 
tradition  of  any  temple  here  ;  and  although  we  inquired  repeat- 
edly, we  could  not  perceive  that  he  had  ever  heard  of  any. 
Around  this  rock  are  slight  traces  of  former  walls,  perhaps  of 
the  ancient  temple.  We  measured  them,  so  far  as  they  could  be 
distinguished,  fifty-eight  feet  from  north  to  south  and  forty-five 
feet  from  east  to  west,  but  we  were  afterwards  not  sure  Avhether 
this  latter  ought  not  to  be  doubled.  This  spot  is  the  Kibleh  of 
the  Samaritans.  On  whatever  side  of  it  they  may  be,  according 
to  our  guide,  they  always  turn  their  faces  towards  it  in  prayer  ; 
but  when  upon  the  spot  itself,  it  is  lawful  for  them  to  pray  in 
any  direction. 

Near  by  the  same  place,  he  pointed  out  the  spot  where  they 
believed  Abraham  was  connnanded  to  off'er  up  Isaac.    On  being 

'  Benjamin  of  Tudela  relates,  that  the    was  built  of  these  twelve  stones.    Itin.  L 
oltar  of  the  Samaritans  on  Mount  Gerizim    p.  67. 
iii.  99.  100 


JtWK  14.] 


SUMMIT  OF  MOUNT  GERIZIM. 


279 


asked  if  there  were  Samaritans  in  any  other  part,  he  said 
there  were  others  living  beyond  the  river  Sabt,  which  could  be 
crossed  only  on  a  Saturday  ;  but  as  the  Samaritans  do  not 
travel  on  that  day,  nothing  more  was  known  about  them. 

Further  south,  and  indeed  all  around  upon  this  eminence, 
are  extensive  foundations,  apparently  of  dwellings,  as  if  the 
ruins  of  a  former  city.  There  are  also  many  cisterns  ;  but  aU 
were  now  dry. 

This  point  commanded  a  wide  view  of  the  country,  and 
especially  of  the  great  plain  below,  through  which  we  had  trav- 
elled on  approaching  f^abulus.  The  region  round  about,  bore 
an  aspect  different  from  that  around  Jerusalem  ;  as  we  had 
already  had  occasion  to  remark  upon  our  journey.  Indeed,  from 
Sinjil  northwards,  we  had  noticed,  that  the  mountains  in  general 
were  less  lofty  and  steep,  and  also  less  naked  ;  while  the  valleys 
spread  themselves  out  into  fertile  plains  or  basins,  stretching 
mostly  from  east  to  west,  but  also  sometimes  from  north  to 
Bouth.  This  plain  of  Nabulus  is  the  largest  of  all  upon  the 
high  tract  between  the  western  plain  and  the  Jordan  vaUey  ; 
and  these  mountains  are  the  highest  in  this  region.  The  length 
of  the  plain  from  S.  S.  W.  to  N.  N.  E.  is  not  far  from  four 
hours  ;  its  breadth  is  somewhat  variable  in  consequence  of  the 
irregxilarity  of  the  hills  along  the  eastern  border ;  but  may  be 
taken  on  an  average  at  from  one  half  to  three  quarters  of  an 
hour.  The  southern  part,  as  we  have  seen,  which  is  apparently 
less  fertile,  is  drained  by  a  Wady  running  westwards  to  the 
Mediterranean.  But  from  a  point  some  distance  south  of  the  val- 
ley of  Nabulus,  the  land  begins  to  incline  towards  the  north, 
and  the  waters  are  carried  off  at  the  northeast  extremity 
towards  the  Jordan,  by  a  branch  of  the  great  Wady  el-Fari'a. — 
Across  the  valley  of  Nabulus,  we  could  see  the  summit  of  Mount 
Ebal  spreading  out  into  table  land,  not  unlike  that  of  Gerizim. 

But  the  feature  in  the  prospect  which  struck  us  most,  was 
the  smaller  plain  already  alluded  to,  which  runs  up  E.  S.  E. 
from  the  eastern  side  of  the  Mukhna,  overagainst  the  valley  of 
Nabulus.  It  is  properly  separated  from  the  Mukhna  by  a  low 
ridge  of  rocky  hills,  through  which  runs  an  open  Wady  connect- 
ing the  two  plains,  and  draining  off  the  waters  of  the  smaller 
one  westwards,  where  they  then  flow  northwards  and  so  to  the 
Jordan:  On  the  hills  along  the  north  side  of  this  Wady,  are 
seen  the  three  villages  of  'Azmut,  Deir  el-Hatab,  and  Salim  ; 
the  latter  lying  furthest  east.  This  may  not  improbably  be 
the  Shalim,  a  city  of  Shechem,  to  which  Jacob  came  on  his 
return  from  Padan-aram.'    The  plain  beyond  extends  eastwards 

'1  Gen.  33,  18.  The  existence  of  this  bulus  or  Sliecliem,  shows  at  least  that  it 
ancient  came  of  a  village  so  near  to  Na-    is  not  necessary  to  suppose  the  name  Sha- 

iii  101, 102 


280 


yABULTJS. 


[Sec  XIV. 


for  an  hour  or  more,  bearing  the  same  characteristics  of  fertility 
and  beauty  as  the  Mukhna  itself.  On  its  farther  side,  on  the 
low  hills,  was  seen  a  village  called  Beit  Dejan  :'  and  beyond  the 
southeast  part,  appeared  the  high  peak  of  a  mountain  looking 
towards  the  Jordan,  along  the  foot  of  which  passes  a  road  lead- 
ing from  Xabulus  through  this  plain  to  the  Jordan.  This  waa 
Kum  Surtabeh,  which  we  had  so  often  seen  from  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Jericho.*  On  the  nearest  part  of  the  southern  side  of 
the  plain,  lay  another  village  called  Beit  Fiirik.  not  two  hours 
from  Xabulus.  The  ruined  village  Kefr  Beita  lies  twenty  min- 
utes further  west.^ 

In  the  same  region  (southeast)  our  lists  contained  the  name 
of  'Akraljeh  as  a  \'illage  still  existing  ;  it  follows  immediately 
five  of  the  villages  just  enumerated,  and  those  of  Beita,  Haudela, 
'Awerta,  and  Raujib,  which  are  situated  along  the  eastern  side 
of  the  large  plain.  It  would  seem  therefore  to  stand  somewhere 
south  of  the  five  former,  and  east  of  the  four  latter.  We  how- 
ever did  not  see  it,  nor  was  it  here  mentioned  nor  pointed  out  to 
us  by  any  one.  Wherever  it  may  be  situated,  it  is  doubtless 
the  ancient  Acrabi  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome.* — At  about  twelve 
Eoman  miles  from  Xeapolis,  in  the  same  quarter,  the  Onomas- 
ticon  j'laces  a  village  called  Edumia  :  and  in  our  Hsts  of  that 
region  stands  the  name  Daumeh,  which  probably  marks  the 
same  site.^ 

We  returned  down  the  mountain  by  the  same  route  :  occu- 
pying twenty  minutes  to  the  brow  of  the  descent,  and  twenty 
minutes  thence  to  the  city.  We  now  found  the  Samaritan 
priest  and  several  of  his  people  waiting  for  us,  in  the  little  court 
before  their  synagogue  and  school  room.  The  priest  seemed 
about  sixty  years  old,  with  a  shrewd  intelligent  expression  of 
coimtenance,  and  a  manner  which  would  command  influence 
anywhere.'  His  son,  now  sub-priest,  perhaps  thirty-five  years 
of  age,  seemed  in  all  respects  to  be  of  a  more  ordinary  charac- 

lim  (Salem)  to  be  applied  in  this  passage  just  visible,  N.  by  W.  Mount  Hermon 
to  Shechem  itself:  as  is  done  by  Eusebius  X.  30'  E.  'Aznuit  N.  55"  K  Deir  el- 
and Jerome  and  others  after  them.  Ono-  Hatab  N.  70'  E.  Salim  N.  80°  E.  Beit 
mast.  art.  Salem  and  Sichem.  Equally  nn-  Dejan  S.  80'  E.  Raujib  S.  50'  E,  'Awerta 
oecessary  is  the  other  mode  of  interpreta-  S.  15  E. 

tion,  which  regards  it  as  an  adjective,  in  '  Onomast  art.  Aorabi,  'AxpaPfitly. 

the  meaning  ^o/f,  prosperous.    See  gene-  '  Onomast,  art.  Edomia. —  We  visited 

rally,  Beland's  Dissenat  MiscelL  I.  3.  p.  both  'Akrabeh  and  Daumeh  in  1852  ;  see 

143.  Vol  IIL  Sect  VIL  under  May  11th  and 

•  This  implies  another  ancient  Beth  12th 

Dagon,  of  which  we  have  no  account.  '  Our  notes  do  not  contain  the  name  of 

Comp.  above,  p.  232,  n.  2.  the  priest :  but  he  is  probably  the  same 

*  See  Vol.  I.  p.  536.  Si-Limcb.  who  wTOte  t-i  De  Sacy  and  others 
'  Irby  and  Mangles  p.  329.  [100].—  in  lMi.*<,  1S20,  and  182G.    See  Ni-tices  et 

From  Mount  Gerizim  we  took  the  fol-  Extr.  des  Mss.  etc.  Tom.  XXL  pp.  15,  17, 

lowing  bearings :  Xabulua,  the  west  end  234. 

iii.  102-104 


June  14.1 


VISIT  TO  THE  SAMARITANS, 


281 


ter.  The  priest  wore  an  external  robe  of  red  silk,  witli  a  white 
turban  ;  the  others  had  mostly  red  turbans.  In  other  particu- 
lars their  dress  was  similar  to  the  usual  costume  of  the  country. 
Their  common  language  of  intercourse,  among  themselves  and 
with  others,  is  the  Arabic.  They  were  very  ci\'il  and  polite  ; 
answered  readily  all  our  inquiries  respecting  themselves,  their 
customs,  and  their  faith  •  and  asked  many  questions,  especially 
the  priest  respecting  America,  and  particularly  whether  there 
were  any  Samaritans  in  that  country.  We  did  not  understand 
them  as  believing,  that  other  colonies  of  Samaritans  actually 
exist  there  or  elsewhere  ;  but  they  seemed  to  have  the  idea  that 
such  a  thing  was  possible,  and  were  anxious  to  learn  the  true 
stat3  of  the  case. 

The  priest  said,  they  have  many  books  of  prayers,  commen- 
taries, and  the  like^  in  their  ancient  language  and  character ; 
which  character  they  call  el-'Ebry  (the  Hebrew),  in  distinction 
from  that  used  by  the  Jews,  which  they  caU  el-Kashury. 
They  have  a  copy  of  the  first  volume  of  Walton's  Polyglott ; 
and  in  the  course  of  conversation,  the  priest  acknowledged  to  us 
the  correctness  of  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch  contained  in  it. 
They  complained,  as  usual,  of  the  Jewish  corruptions  of  the 
text  ;  and  dwelt  upon  the  superior  purity,  both  of  their  text 
and  of  their  observance  of  the  law. 

After  considerable  conversation,  the  priest  at  length  rose  and 
opened  the  door  of  their  Keniseh,  (the  Arabic  word  for  both 
church  and  sjTiagogue,)  and  we  all  entered,  taking  off  our  shoes. 
It  is  a  small  plain  arched  room,  with  a  recess  on  the  left  hand 
at  entering,  where  their  manuscripts  are  kept,  before  which  a 
curtain  is  suspended.  We  noticed  no  figure  of  a  dove  or  of  other 
objects.  We  inquired  after  the  noted  manuscript,  which  they 
professed  was  now  3460  years  old  ;  referring  it  to  Abishua  the 
son  of  Phinehas.'  The  priest  brought  out  a  manuscript  from 
the  recess,  rolled  on  two  rods  in  the  usual  J ewish  form  ;  but  it 
turned  out  to  be  written  in  a  modern  hand  and  on  new  parch- 
ment. When  this  was  pointed  out,  the  old  man  laughed,  and 
produced  another,  which  he  and  the  rest  aU  said  was  the  true 
one.  It  was  certainly  very  much  worn,  and  somewhat  tattered 
with  use  and  much  kissing,  and  here  and  there  patched  with 
shreds  of  parchment  ;  but  the  handwriting  appeared  to  me  very 
similar  to  the  former,  and  the  vellum  seemed  in  hke  manner  not 
ancient.  Of  course  we  were  not  permitted  to  handle  or  touch  it ; 
and  whatever  may  be  its  real  age,  it  is  very  probably  the  manu- 
script which  has  usually  been  shown  to  former  travellers  and  ex- 
cited their  wonder.    They  professed  to  have  about  a  hundred 

'  1  C'hron.  6,  3.  4.  This  manuscript  is  often  mentioned  in  their  letters ;  e.  g.  De 
Sacy  Corresp.  p.  1 25,  and  Note. 

Vol.  II.— 24*  iii.  104, 105 


282 


KABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


manuscripts  ;  and  the  priest  said,  tliat  he  employs  himself  in 
■writing  out  copies  of  the  law.  When  asked  if  they  would  seU  a 
copy,  the  answer  was  :  Yes,  for  fifty  thousand  piastres. 

The  Samaritans  are  now  reduced  to  a  very  small  community  ; 
there  being  only  thirty  men  who  pay  taxes,  and  few,  if  any,  who 
are  exempt  ;  so  that  their  whole  number  cannot  be  reckoned  at 
over  one  hundred  and  fifty  souls.  One  of  them  is  in  affluent 
circumstances  ;  and  having  been  for  a  long  time  chief  secretary 
of  the  Mutesellim  of  Nabulus,  became  one  of  the  most  important 
and  powerful  men  of  the  province.  He  had  recently  been  su- 
perseded in  his  infiu^ce  with  the  governor  by  a  Copt  ;  and  now 
held  only  the  second  place.  He  was  called  el-'Abd  es-Samary. 
The  rest  of  the  Samaritans  are  not  remarkable  either  for  their 
wealth  or  poverty.  The  physiognomy  of  those  we  saw  was  not 
Jewish  ;  nor  indeed  did  we  remark  in  it  any  peculiar  character, 
as  distinguished  from  that  of  other  natives  of  the  country.  They 
keep  the  Saturday  as  their  Sabbath  with  great  strictness,  aUow- 
ing  no  labour  nor  trading,  not  even  cooking  nor  hghting  a  fire,  but 
resting  from  their  employments  the  whole  day.  On  Friday  even- 
ing tliey  pray  in  their  houses  ;  and  on  Saturday  have  public 
prayers  in  their  synagogue  at  morning,  noon,  and  evening.  They 
meet  also  in  the  synagogue  on  the  great  festivals,  and  on  the 
new  moons  ;  but  not  every  day.  The  law  is  read  in  pubKc,  not 
every  Sabbath  day,  but  only  upon  the  same  festivals. 

Three  times  a  year  they  go  up  to  Mount  Gerizim  (Jebel  et- 
Tur)  in  solemn  procession  to  worship  ;  and  then  they  begin 
reading  the  law  as  they  set  ofi",  and  finish  it  above.  These  seasons 
are  :  The  feast  of  the  Passover,  when  they  pitch  their  tents  on 
the  mountain  all  night,  and  sacrifice  seven  lambs  at  sunset  ;  the 
day  of  Pentecost ;  and  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  when  they  so- 
journ there  in  booths  built  of  branches  of  the  arbutus.'  They 
still  maintain  their  ancient  hatred  against  the  J ews  ;  accuse 
them  of  departing  from  the  law  in  not  sacrificing  the  passover, 
and  in  various  other  points,  as  well  as  of  corrupting  the  ancient 
text  ;  and  scrupulously  avoid  all  connection  with  them.  If  of 
old  "  the  Jews  had  no  dealings  with  the  Samaritans,"^  the  latter 
at  the  present  day  reciprocate  the  feeling  ;  and  neither  eat  nor 
drink,  nor  marry,  nor  associate  with  the  Jews ;  but  only  trade 
with  them. 

'  Ex.  23,  14—17.  For  many  years  at  oflfer  sacrifices  on  the  mountain,  and  per- 
the  cl<  .se  of  the  last  century  and  the  begin-  fbrmed  their  rites  only  in  the  town.  Yet 
ninp  of  tlie  present,  the  Samaiitans  were  from  their  letter  in  1820,  it  would  appear, 
unable  to  pertbrm  their  devotions  on  Mount  that  they  had  already  been  able  to  resume 
Gerizim,  on  account  of  the  exactions  and  their  pilgrimages  to  the  simimit  of  Gerizim- 
oppres-^ions  of  the  government  and  Sheikhs.  De  Sacy  Corresp.  des  Samar.  pp.  12(J,  157, 
Writing  to  France  in  1810,  they  say  that  158. 
for  twenty-five  years  they  had  ceased  to       '  John  4,  9. 

iii.  105-107 


June  14.] 


THE  SAMARITANS.     JACOB'S  WELL. 


^83 


We  inquired  of  the  Samaritans  respecting  Jacob's  well. 
They  said  they  acknowledged  the  tradition,  and  regarded  it  as 
having  belonged  to  the  patriarch.  It  lies  at  the  mouth  of  the 
valley,  near  the  south  side  ;  and  is  the  same  which  the  Christians 
sometimes  call  Bir  es-Samiriyoh, '  Well  of  the  Samaritan  woman.' 
They  acknowledge  also  the  tomb  near  by  as  the  place  of  J oseph's 
burial ;  though  the  present  building  is  only  a  Muhammedan 
Wely.' 

Late  as  it  was,  we  took  a  Christian  guide,  our  first  old  man 
not  having  again  made  his  appearance,  and  set  off  for  Jacob's 
well.  We  now  passed  down  on  the  north  the  fountain  in  the 
valley  and  the  enclosed  gardens  below  ;  so  that  we  came  to  the 
opening  of  the  valley  on  the  north  side.  Our  guide  had  professed 
to  know  all  about  the  well ;  but  when  we  had  got  thus  far,  he 
could  not  teU  where  it  was.  We  met,  however,  a  Muhammedan, 
who  also  acknowledged  the  tradition  respecting  Jacob's  well  and 
Joseph's  tomb.  He  led  us  by  the  latter,  wliich  stands  in  the 
middle  of  the  mouth  of  the  valley  ;  and  then  to  the  well,  situa- 
ted south  of  the  tomb  and  just  at  the  base  of  Gerizim,  below 
the  road  by  wliich  we  had  passed  along  this  morning.  We  were 
thirty-five  minutes  in  coming  to  it  from  the-city.  The  well  bears 
evident  marks  of  antiquity,  but  was  now  dry  and  deserted  ;  it 
was  said  usually  to  contain  living  water,  and  not  merely  to  be 
filled  by  the  rains.  A  large,  stone  was  laid  loosely  over,  or  rather 
in,  its  mouth  ;  and  as  the  hour  was  now  late  and  the  twilight 
nearly  gone,  we  made  no  attempt  to  remove  the  stone  and  ex- 
amine the  vaulted  entrance  below.  We  had  also  no  line  with  us 
at  the  moment,  to  measure  the  well ;  but  by  dropping,  in  stones, 
we  could  perceive  that  it  was  dzzp.^  Adjacent  to  the  well  are 
the  ruins  of  an  ancient  church,  forming  mounds  of  mbbish ; 
among  which  we  remarked  three  granite  columns.^ 

What  we  thus  could  not  do,  had  however  been  done  long 
before  by  Maundrell.  He  describes  the  well  as  covered  by  an 
old  stone  vault,"  into  which  he  descended  by  a  narrow  hole  in  the 
roof,  and  there  found  the  proper  mouth  of  the  well  with  a  broad 
flat  stone  upon  it.  He  removed  the  stone  and  measured  the  well. 
"  It  is  dug  in  a  firm  rock,  and  contains  about  three  yards  in 

'  We  heard  nothing  of  the  tombs  of  AVetstein  Kov.  Test,  in  Act.  1.  c.  Hieron. 

Eleazar,  Ithamar,  Phinehas,  and  others,  Ep.  86,  Epitaph.  Paula,  p.  677,  "  atque 

■which  the  Samaritans  have  formerly  pro-  inde  [Sichem]  divertens  vidit  duodecim 

fessed  to  show  at  Nabulus.    See  De  Sacy  patriareharum  sepulchra  "  Yet  a  different 

Corresp.  des  Samar.  pp.  181,  210,  etc. —  tradition  is  also  preserved  by  Josephus, 

In  the  address  of  Stephen,  Acts  7,  16,  the  which  makes  them  to  have  been  buried  at 

twelve  sons  of  Jacob  are  spoken  of  as  Hebron ;  Antiq.  2.  8.  2. 

buried  at  Shechem  ;  and  historical  notices  '  John  4,  11. 

of  a  Jen  isli  tradition  to  the  same  effect,  '  For  a  subsequent  visit  to  the  well,  see 

are  found  iu  the  Rabbins  and  in  Jerome  ;  in  Vol.  in.  Sect.  Ill,  under  Apr.  23d,  1852. 
see  Lightfoot  Hor.  Heb.  in  Act.  7,  16. 

iii.  107,  108 


284 


NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


diameter,  and  thirty-five  in  depth  ;  five  we  found  full  of  water."' 
It  was  near  the  end  of  March  when  Maundrell  thus  found  fifteen 
feet  of  water  in  the  well.  In  April,  1839,  the  Rev.  S.  Calhoun 
found  the  well  to  be  only  seventy-five  feet  deep  below  the  vault, 
with  ten  or  twelve  feet  of  water.  Tliis  measurement  was  verified 
by  Dr  Wilson  in  April,  1843  ;  but  at  that  time  the  bottom  was 
scarcely  covered  with  water.*  According  to  Bonifacius  about 
1555,  there  was  then  an  altar  in  this  vault,  on  which  mass  was  cele- 
brated once  a  year  ;  but  Quaresmius  in  the  next  century  remarks, 
that  this  practice  had  been  already  discontinued  many  years  by 
the  Latins  ;  although  the  altar  still  existed  in  the  vault,  where 
the  Greeks  sometimes  yet  read  mass.^ 

This  tradition  respecting  both  Jacob's  weU  and  Joseph's  tomb, 
in  which  by  a  singular  coincidence  Jews  and  Samaritans,  Chris- 
tians and  Muhammedans,  all  agree,  goes  back  at  least  to  the 
time  of  Eusebius  in  the  early  part  of  the  fourth  century.  That 
writer  indeed  speaks  only  of  the  sepulchre  ;  but  the  Bourdeaux 
pilgrim  in  A.  D.  333,  mentions  also  the  well ;  and  neither  of 
these  writers  has  any  allusion  to  a  church.^  But  Jerome  in  his 
letter  on  Paula,  which  is  referred  to  A.  D.  404,  makes  her  visit 
the  church  erected  at  the  side  of  Mount  Gerizim  around  the  weU 
of  Jacob,  where  our  Lord  met  the  Samaritan  woman.*  The 
church  would  seem  therefore  to  have  been  built  during  the  fourth 
century  ;  though  not  by  Helena,  as  is  reported  in  modem  times. 
It  was  visited  and  is  mentioned,  as  around  the  well,  by  Antoninus 
Martyr  near  the  close  of  the  sixth  century  ;  by  Arculfus  a  cen- 
tury later,  who  describes  it  as  buUt  in  the  form  of  a  cross  ;  and 
again  by  ^t.  Wilhbald  in  the  eighth  century.''  Yet  Saawulf  about 
A.  D.  1103,  and  Phocas  in  1185,  who  speak  of  the  well,  make 
no  mention  of  the  church  ;  whence  we  may  conclude  that  the 
latter  had  been  destroyed  before  the  period  of  the  crusades.* 
Brocardus  speaks  of  ruins  around  the  well,  blocks  of  marble  and 
columns,  which  he  held  to  be  the  ruins  of  a  town,  the  ancient 
Theboz  ;  they  were  probably  those  of  the  church,  to  which  he 
makes  no  allusion.'    Other  travellers,  both  of  that  age  and  later, 

'  Maundrell,  March  24.  extructam  circum  pnteum  Jacob  intravit 

"  Lands  of  the   Bible   II.  p.  55  sq.  Ecclesiam,"  etc. 
Comp.  Narrat.  of  the  Scotch  Deputation       '  Anton.  Mart.  Itin.  6.  Adamnanus  2. 

in  1829,  June  20th.  21.    St.  WiUib.  Hodocpor.  22.  p.  378.  ed. 

'  "  Tantuni  in  ore  putei  remanet  altare ;"  Mabill.     See  these  writers  cited  in  full, 

Bonifacius,  quoted  by  Quaresmius,  11.  p.  Reland  Palaest.  p.  1007  sq. 
801,  col.  a.  b.  "  Sajwulf  Peregrinat.  p.  269.  Phocas  do 

*  Liglitfoot  Hor.  Heb.  in  Act.  7,  16.  Locis  Sanct.  13.  Reland  1.  c. 

'  Onoinast.  art.  Sichcm.  Itiner.  Hieros.       "  Brocardus  c.  7.  p.  1 77.  Comp.  Marin, 

ed.  Wess.  p.  587  sq.  Sanut.  p.  248,  who  also  mentions  the  tomb 

"  Hieron.  Ep.  86,  Epit.  Paulae,  p.  676.  of  Joseph, 
ed.  Mart.    "  Et  ex  latere  montis  Garizim 
iii.  109,  110 


June  14.] 


Jacob's  well. 


285 


speak  of  the  cliurcla  only  as  destroyed,  and  tlie  well  as  already 
deserted.' 

Before  the  days  of  Eusebius,  there  seems  to  be  no  historical 
testimony  to  show  the  identity  of  this  well,  with  that  which  onr 
Saviour  visited  ;  and  the  proof  must  therefore  rest,  so  far  as  it 
can  be  made  out  at  all,  on  circumstantial  evidence.  I  am  not 
aware  of  anything  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  that  goes  to  con- 
tradict the  common  tradition  ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  I  see 
much  in  the  circumstances,  tending  to  confirm  the  supposition, 
that  this  is  actually  the  spot  where  our  Lord  held  his  conversa- 
tion with  the  Samaritan  woman.  Jesus  was  journeying  from 
Jerusalem  to  GaUlee,  and  rested  at  the  well,  while  "  liis  disciples 
were  gone  away  into  the  city  to  buy  meat."*  The  well  therefore 
lay  apparently  before  the  city,  and  at  some  distance  from  it. 
In  passing  along  the  eastern  plain,  Jesus  had  halted  at  the  well, 
and  sent  his  disciples  to  the  city  situated  in  the  narrow  valley, 
intending  on  their  return  to  proceed  along  the  plain  on  his  way 
to  Galilee,  without  himself  visiting  the  city.  All  this  corres- 
ponds exactly  to  the  present  character  of  the  ground.'  The 
well  too  was  Jacob's  well,  of  high  antiquity,  a  known  and  ven- 
erated spot ;  which,  after  having  aheady  Hved  for  so  many  ages 
in  tradition,  would  not  be  likely  to  be  forgotten  in  the  two  and 
a  half  centuries,  intervening  between  St.  John  and  Eusebius. 

A  very  obvious  question  presented  itself  to  us  upon  the  spot, 
viz.  How  it  can  be  supposed,  that  the  woman  should  have 
come  from  the  city,  now  half  an  hour  distant,  with  her  water- 
pot,  to  draw  water  from  Jacob's  well,  when  there  are  so  many 
fountains  just  around  the  city,  and  she  must  have  also  passed 
directly  by  a  large  one  at  mid-disiance  ?  But,  in  the  first  place, 
the  ancient  city  probably  lay  in  part  nearer  to  this  well  than 
the  modern  one  ;  and  then  too  it  is  not  said,  that  the  woman 
came  thither/rom  the  city  at  all.  She  may  have  dwelt,  or  have 
been  labouring,  near  by  the  well ;  and  have  gone  into  the  city 
only  to  make  her  wonderful  report  respecting  the  stranger  pro- 
phet.'' Or,  even  granting  that  her  home  was  in  the  city,  there 
would  be  nothing  improbable  or  unusual  in  the  supposition,  that 
the  inhabitants  may  have  set  a  pecuHar  value  on  the  water  of 
this  ancient  well  of  J acob,  and  have  occasionally  put  themselves 
to  the  trouble  of  going  thither  to  draw.  That  it  was  not  the 
ordinary  public  well  of  the  city,  is  probable  from  the  circum- 

-  So  Will,  de  Baldensel  in  Basnage  northwards,  ascends  and  crosses  the  ridge 

Thesaiir.  IV.  p.  S.'iS.    Sir  J.  Maurideville  of  Mount  Ebal  at  a  point  west  of  the  town, 

p.  105.  Lond.  1839.     Lud.  de  Suchem.  But  there  is,  and  doubtless  was,  also  a 

Itin.  p.  93.  Reissb.  p.  8.50.  Cotoidc.  p.  road  along  the  plain. 

337.    Quarosraius  II.  p.  801.  etc.  etc.  '  John  4,  7.  28.  29.    "Woman  of  Sa- 

'  'lolin  4,  3-8.  maria"  is  here  only  equivalent  to  "  a  Sa- 

'  The  present  usual  road  from  Nilbulus  maritan  woman,"  one  of  the  Samaritans. 

iii.  ]10.  Ill 


286 


NABULUS, 


[Sec.  XIV. 


stance,  that  there  was  here  no  public  accommodation  for  drawing 
water. ' 

More  difficult  is  it  to  account  for  the  fact,  that  a  well  should 
ever  have  been  dug  here  at  all,  on  a  spot  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  so  .many  natural  fountains ;  and  irrigated,  even  at 
the  present  day,  by  rills  of  running  water,  brought  down  from 
the  source  higher  up  the  valley,  and  of  sufficient  volume  to 
drive  a  mill.  I  can  solve  this  difficulty  only  by  admitting,  that 
this  is  probably  the  actual  well  of  the  patriarch  ;  and  that  it 
was  dug  by  him  in  some  connection  with  the  possession  of  the 
"  parcel  of  ground,"  bought  of  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem  ; 
which  he  gave  to  his  son  J oseph,  and  in  which  Joseph  and  possi- 
bly his  brethren  were  buried.'^  The  practice  of  the  patriarchs 
to  dig  wells  wherever  they  sojourned,  is  weU  known  and  if 
Jacob's  field,  as  it  would  seem,  was  here  before  the  mouth  of  the 
valley  of  Shechem,  he  might  prefer  not  to  be  dependent  for 
water  on  fountains,  which  lay  up  that  vaUey  and  were  not  his 
own.  Or,  very  possibly,  the  fountain  itself  may  be  of  later 
date  ;  the  effect  of  earthquakes,  to  which  the  land  is  subject. 

I  think  we  may  thus  rest  with  confidence  in  the  opinion,  that 
this  is  Jacob's  well,  and  here  the  parcel  of  ground  which  Jacob 
gave  to  his  son  Joseph.  Here  the  Saviour,  wearied  with  his 
journey,  sat  upon  the  well,  and  taught  the  poor  Samantan 
woman  those  great  truths,  which  have  broken  down  the  separa- 
ting wall  between  Jews  and  Gentiles:  "God  is  a  spirit ;  and 
they  that  worship  him,  must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth." 
Here,  too,  as  the  people  flocked  from  the  city  to  hear  him,  he 
pointed  his  disciples  to  the  waving  fields  which  decked  the  noble 
plain  around,  exclaiming  :  "  Say  not  ye,  There  are  yet  four 
months,  and  then  cometh  harvest  ?  Behold,  I  say  unto  you, 
Lift  up  your  eyes,  and  look  on  the  fields ;  for  they  are  white 
already  to  harvest !  "  * 

It  was  half  past  8  o'clock  when  we  returned  to  our  tent ; 
wearied  indeed  in  body,  but  refreshed  in  spirit,  as  we  read  anew, 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  very  scenes,  the  account  of  our  Saviour's 
visit  and  sublime  teaching.' 

1^1  our  interview  with  the  Samaritans,  we  had  forgotten  to 
inquire  respecting  the  general  statistics  of  Nabulus  ;  and  we 
had  no  other  acquaintance  on  whose  information  we  could  de- 
pend. The  only  Christians  here  are  Greeks,  numbering  120 
taxable  men,  or  about  500  souls.    There  is  a  Greek  bishop  of 


»  John  4,  11. 

»  Gen.  33,  19.  Josh.  24,  32.  John  5, 
5.  Acts  7,  1.5.  16.  Corap.  Lightfoot 
Hor.  Heb.  in  Act.  7,  16.  See  also  above, 
p.  283.  n.  1. 

iii.  112.  113 


'  Gen.  21,  25.  30.    26,  15.  18-32. 
*  John  4,  20-24.  30.  35. 
'  We  visited  Nabulus  again  in  1852; 
see  Vol.  III.  Sect.  Ill,  under  Apr.  23. 


Jtoe  14.] 


8HECHEM,  HISTORY. 


287 


Nabulus  ;  but  he  resides  in  the  convent  at  Jerusalem.'  The 
Samaritans  count  some  150  souls,  as  we  have  seen  ;  and  there 
were  aaid  to  be  about  as  many  Jews.  From  various  data,  we 
were  led  to  estimate  the  whole  population  at  about  8000  souls  ; 
all  Muhammedans,  with  the  exceptions  above  specified.  The 
present  governor  of  the  province  of  Nabulus  was  a  son  of  Hu- 
sein,  the  former  Mudir  of  'Akka.* 


It  would  be  useless  to  spend  time  here,  in  showing  that  the 
Nabulus  of  the  present  day  is  the  Neapohs  of  the  Koman  age  ; 
or  that  the  latter  appellation  took  the  place  of  the  more  ancient 
name  Shechem.  It  is  one  of  the  very  few  foreign  names  im- 
posed by  the  Romans  in  Palestine,  which  have  survived  to  the 
present  day.  The  historical  testimonies  to  the  general  identity 
of  Neapolis  and  Sichem  are  hardly  less  definite  and  numerous, 
than  in  the  case  of  ^lia  and  Jerusalem  f  while  the  situation 
of  Nabulus  in  the  mountains  of  Ephraim  and  beneath  Mount 
Gerizim,  of  which  tradition  has  never  lost  sight,  corresponds 
entirely  to  the  ancient  accounts  of  the  position  of  Shechem. 

Shechem  was  a  very  ancient  place,  though  we  do  not  find  it 
mentioned  as  a  city,  until  the  time  of  Jacob.  Abraham  indeed 
first  came,  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  unto  the  place  of  Shechem, 
unto  the  oaks  of  Moreh  and  Jacob  on  his  return  from  Padan- 
Aram,  came  to  Shalira,  a  city  of  Shechem,  "  and  pitched  his 
tents  before "  (east  of)  the  latter  city.  This  corresponds  to  the 
present  village  of  Siilim,  which  lies  east  of  Nabulus  across  the 
great  plain.  In  this  plain  the  patriarch  encamped,  and  pur- 
chased the  "  parcel  of  ground,"  still  marked  by  his  well  and  the 
traditional  tomb  of  Joseph.'  It  was  here  that  Dinah  was 
defiled  by  Shechem  the  son  of  Hamor,  prince  of  the  country ; 
and  the  city  Shechem  with  its  gates  is  spoken  of,  named 
probably  after  that  prince.  It  would  seem  not  then  to  have 
been  large  ;  inasmuch  as  the  two  sons  of  Jacob  were  able  to 
overcome  and  to  slay  all  the  males.^  Jacob's  field,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  a  permanent  possession ;  and  the  patriarch,  even  when 
residing  at  Hebron,  sent  his  fiocks  to  pasture  in  this  neighbour- 
hood. It  was  on  a  visit  to  them  in  this  region,  that  Joseph  was 
Bold  by  his  brethren.' 

'  .See  Vol.  I.  p.  42.5.  lOGS.    Hieron.  Ep.  86,  Epitaph.  Pauloc,  p. 

'  There  are  said  to  be  leprous  persons  676,  "Transivit  Sichem, — quiB  nunc  Nea- 

at  N.ibulus,  as  well  as  at  .lerusalem  ;  but  polls  appellatur,"  etc.    See  also  other  au- 

■we  did  not  here  meet  with  them.    Pax-  thorities,  Reland  Pal.  p.  1004  sq. 

ton's  Letters,  xv.  p.  173.  Load.  ^  Gen.  12,  6. 

'■'  Jo.sephus  has  usually  Sichem;   but  *  Gen.  3.3,  18.  19.    See  above,  p.  279. 

also  once  N'eapolis,  B.  J.  4.  8.  I.    Epiplia-  n.  1 ;  al,*o  p.  286. 

nius  adv.  Haer.  lib.  iii.  p.  105.'"), 'Ev  SiiciVois,  "  Gen.  34,  1.  2.  20.  24.  25. 

roin'  tariv,  iv  ry  vuvl  NtoWAei.     ib.  p.  '  Gen.  37,  12—14. 

iii.  113.  114 


288 


NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XrV. 


On  the  return  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt,  after  they  had 
passed  over  Jordan,  they  were  directed  to  set  up  great  stones 
and  build  an  altar  on  Mount  Ebal ;  and  to  station  six  of  the 
tribes  upon  Mount  Gerizim  to  bless  the  people,  and  six  upon 
Mount  Ebal  to  curse.'  Between  these  two  mountains,  accord- 
ing to  Josephus,  lay  >Shechem,  having  Ebal  on  the  north  and 
Gerizim  on  the  south.^  In  the  division  of  the  land,  Shechem 
fell  to  the  lot  of  Ephraim,  but  was  assigned  to  the  Levites  and 
made  a  city  of  refuge.^  Here  Joshua  met  the  assembled  people 
for  the  last  time.^  In  the  days  of  the  Judges,  Abimelech 
treacherously  got  possession  of  the  city,  which  gave  occasion  for 
the  beautiful  parable  of  Jotham,  delivered  from  Mount  Gerizim  ; 
in  the  end  the  people  proved  treacherous  to  the  usurper,  and 
the  city  was  destroyed  by  him.^  At  Shechem  all .  Israel  came 
together  to  make  Rehoboam  king  ;  here  the  ten  tribes  rebelled  ; 
and  the  city  became  for  a  time  the  royal  residence  of  Jeroboam.' 
We  hear  nothing  more  of  it  before  the  exile  ;  during  which  it 
seems  still  to  have  been  inhabited.^ 

After  the  exile,  Shechem  is  mainly  known  as  the  chief  seat 
of  the  people,  who  thenceforth  bore  the  name  of  Samaritans. 
Of  the  origin  of  this  people  we  have  no  ancient  account,  except 
in  the  Scrij^tures  and  in  Josephus.  It  appears  that  after  the 
carrying  away  captive  of  the  Israelites  from  Mount  Ephraim 
and  the ,  region  of  Samaria  by  the  Assyrian  Shalmaneser,  the 
same  monarch  brought  men  from  Babylon,  and  from  other 
eastern  countries,  "  and  jjlaced  them  in  the  cities  of  Samaria 
instead  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  they  possessed  Samaria 
and  dwelt  in  the  cities  thereof"^  Visited  and  disturbed  by  lions, 
this  people  appUed  to  the  king  of  Assyria  for  one  of  the  Israel- 
itish  priests,  to  teach  them  the  manner  of  the  God  of  the 
land  ; "  and  one  was  sent  accordingly,  and  took  up  his  abode  at 
Bethel,  the  former  scene  of  Jeroboam's  idolatry.  So,  "  they 
feared  the  Lord,  and  served  their  own  gods,"  each  his  own 
national  idols  ;  "  and  made  unto  themselves  of  the  lowest  of 
them  priests  of  the  high  places."  This  continued  to  be  the 
case  down  to  the  time  when  the  scriptural  account  was  written  ; 
and  it  was  this  people,  according  to  Josephus,  who  were  called 
in  Hebrew  Cutheans,  and  in  the  Greek  language  Samaritans.' 

'  Dent.  27,  1-13.    The  altar  in  verse  '  Judg.  9,  1-49. 

4,  according  to  the  present  Hebrew  text,  ^  1  Kings  12,  1.  12—16.  25. 

was  to  be  on  Ebal.    The  Samaritan  text  '  Jer.  41,  5. 

reads  here  Gerizim  ;  and  this  is  the  main  '  2  Kings  17,  3.  6.  24.    Joseph.  Antiq. 

point,  in  which  they  charge  the  Jews  with  9.  14.  1,  3.  ib.  10.  9.  7. — The  Samaritni.s 

corrupting  the  text.  themselves  aftcnvards  refer  their  tnuispor- 

'  Joseph.  Ant.  4.  8.  44.  Comp.  Judg.  tation  into  the  land  to  Esar-haddoii,  L/ru 

9,  7.  4,  2.    This  may  have  been  a  later  euiigra- 

'  Josh.  20,  7.    21,  20.  21.  tion. 

*  Josh.  24,  1.  25.  "  2  Kings  18,  25-34. 41.  Joseph.  Ant.  L  c. 
iii.  114-116 


ORIGDT  OF  THE  SAMABTTAyS. 


289 


According  to  these  accounts,  it  appears  that  the  Samaritans 
were  originallT  foreigners,  having  nothing  in  common  with  the 
Jews;  and  not  a  mixed  race,  as  is  commonlr  assumed,  except  so 
fer  as  a  comparatively  few  straggling  Israelites  of  the  lower 
classes  may  not  improbably  have  remained  in  their  homes.' 
The  introduction  of  the  Pentateuch  among  them  is  sufficiently 
accounted  for,  by  the  return  of  the  Israelitish  priest  to  Bethel, 
and  the  partial  renewal  of  the  Israelitish  worship.  When  the 
Jews  returned  imder  Zerubbabel  from  their  exile,  and  began  to 
rebuild  Jerusalem  and  their  temple,  the  Samaritans  also  desired 
to  aid  them  ia  the  work  :  Let  us  bmld  with  you  ;  for  we  seek 
your  God  as  ye  do  ;  and  we  do  sacrifice  imto  him  since  the  days 
of  Esar-haddon."*  It  was  the  refusal  of  the  Jews  to  admit 
them  to  this  privilege,  that  gave  rise  to  the  subsequent  hatred 
between  the  two  races  ;  and  from  that  moment  the  Samaritans 
did  all  they  could,  to  hinder  the  rebuilding  both  of  the  temple 
and  the  city.^ 

It  was  the  same  refusal,  probably,  and  subsequent  acts  of 
mutual  hatred,  that  stimulated  the  Samaritans  to  erect  a  temple 
of  their  own  upon  Mount  Gerizim.  The  immediate  occasion 
appears  to  have  been  the  circumstance  related  by  Xehemiah, 
that  a  son  of  Joiada  the  high  priest  had  become  son-in-law  to 
Sanballat,  and  had  on  this  account  been  expelled  from  Jerusa- 
lem.* According  to  Josephus,  this  person  was  Manasseh,  a 
brother  of  the  high  priest  Jaddus,  and  was  expelled  as  having 
married  the  daughter  of  Sanballat,  the  Persian  governor  of 
Samaria  imder  Darius  Codomanus  and  Alexander  the  Great, 
about  330  B.  C.  some  eighty  years  later  than  the  time  of  Xehe- 
Tniah  '  The  same  writer  relates,  that  Manasseh  withdrew  to 
the  Samaritans.;  and  that  Sanballat,  his  father-in-law,  having 
joined  Alexander  the  Great  before  Tyre,  obtained  from  that 
monarch  permission  to  erect  a  temple  on  Mount  Gerizim,  in 
which  he  constituted  Manasseh  high  priest.'  Sichem,  at  the 
foot  of  Gerizim,  now  became  the  metropolis  of  the  Samar- 
itans, and  was  inhabited  by  apostate  Jews ;  and  according  to 
J(^phus,  if  a  Jew  at  Jerusalem  was  called  to  an  account  for 
eating  unclean  food,  or  for  broking  the  Sabbath,  or  for  any 

'  The  ccmmaa  view  b  perfaapa  moet  seem  most  probabh-  to  be  a  dmmcJogksl 

■tnag^  OaXed  bj-  De  Sacj,  Coire^  its  emr  on  the  part  of  Joeepfans;  ance  h  ia 

Samariuio^  p.  ^  ia  Xodces  et  £xtr.  des  bardty  sappoeable,  diat  the  Teiv  same  fact, 

MsB.       la  BiUkdi.  da  Km,  Tom  \1L  with  tb?  like  circumstances,  ^boold  occur 

For  d»e  oppoate  fiew,  see  Hengstenberg  at  two  di^rent  times  to  difierent  persons 

Andteotte  d«s  Pentat.  L  p.  1  £q.  bearing  the  same  names.    Hence  too  the 

*  Ezra  4.  2.  building  of  the  temple  oo  Gerizim.  is  pr«>- 

*  Ezra  c.  -t.  Xebem.  cc  -L  6.  Joeeph.  bablj  to  be  ]Jaced  ^rUer  than  the  time  of 
Ant.  11.  i.  9.  Alexander. 

*  yeh.  13,  2«.  •  Josei*.  Ant  IL  8.  2,  t 

*  Joseph.  Ant.  11.  X.  2.    This  voold 

Vol.  n.— 25  iiL  116, 117 


290 


NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


similar  crime,  he  fled  to  the  Sichemites,  declaring  himself  to  be 
unjustly  accused.' 

The  mutual  hatred  continued  to  increase,  each  party 
contending  for  the  sanctity  of  their  own  temple  ;^  though  the 
Jewish  historian,  with  apparent  justice,  accuses  the  Samaritans 
of  professing  to  he  Jews  and  descended  from  Joseph,  when  this 
might  tend  to  their  advantage  ;  or  of  disclaiming  all  kindred 
and  connection  with  them,  when  this  would  better  serve  their 
turn.^  Broils  sometimes  ensued  and  at  length  the  temple  on 
Gerizim  was  destroyed  by  John  Hyrcanus,  about  129  B.  C. 
having  stood,  according  to  Josephus,  about  two  hundred  years.* 
The  broils  continued,  and  the  hatred  increased.  Under  the 
procurator  Coponius,  who  followed  Archelaus,  a  Samaritan  en- 
tered Jerusalem  secretly,  and  polluted  the  whole  temple,  by 
scattering  in  it  human  bones.*  The  name  Samaritan  had  now 
become  among  the  Jews  a  by-word  and  term  of  reproach  ;  and 
all  intercourse  with  them  was  avoided.  Of  this  we  find  various 
traces  in  the  New  Testament.  Jesus  himself  was  called  a 
Samaritan  in  scorn  ;  and  the  seventy  disciples,  when  first  sent 
out,  were  not  to  go  to  the  cities  of  the  Samaritans,  since  they 
did  not  belong  to  the  house  of  Israel.^  They  stUl  clung  to  their 
worship  on  Mount  Gerizim  ;  and  lived  in  expectation  of  a 
Messiah.'  In  consequence  of  this  hatred,  and  in  allusion  to  this 
idolatry,  the  town  of  Sichem  probably  received  among  the 
Jewish  common  people  the  by-name  Sychar,  which  we  find  in 
the  Gospel  of  St.  John  ;  while  Stephen,  in  addressing  the  more 
courtly  Sanhedrim,  employs  the  ancient  name.'  Yet  many  of 
the  Samaritans  believed  on  Christ  in  Sichem  itself ;  and  after- 
wards, churches  were  gathered  in  their  towns  and  villages  by 
the  apostles." 


\iv  rSre  ri^v  Si'/fiua  ex""'''^^'  Kiifi^irqv  Trphs    Testam.  XII  Patriarch,  p.  564. 


8.  7.— Comp.  Jahn  Bibl.  Ai-chteoL  Th.  II.    Sychar  {2vxap)  might  come  from  Heb. 


^  Jolin  4,  20.  2.5. 

'  John  4,  5.  Acts  7,  16. — This  name 


Bd.  11.  p.  303. 

'  Jos.  Ant.  12.  1.  1.    ib.  13.  3.  4. 

'  Jos.  Ant.  9.  14.  3.     Thus  towards 


^  18  ;  or  also  from  t3  -  drunkard,  in  ullu- 
.sion  to  Is.  28,  1.  7.  Comp.  Sirae.  .50,  26. 
Test.  XII  I'atr.  p.  5G4,  iarai  yap  kith  (n'j/xe- 
pov  SiKiifj,  Kfyo/xfinri  ir6Kis  aavvfrav.  The 
Jew.s  were  fond  of  such  slight  like-sounding 
perversions  of  proper  names ;  so  the  change 


"ij5"Zj  falsehood,  spoken  of  idols,  Hab.  2, 


Alexander  they  professed  to  be  Hebrews, 


ib.  11.  8.  6.  With  Antiochus  they  claimed 


to  be  Medes  and  Persians,  and  asked  per- 


mission to  dedicate  their  temple  to  Jupiter 


Hellenius;  ib.  12.  5.  5.  Comp.  2  Mace. 
6,2. 

*  Jos.  Ant.  12.  4.  1.  ib.  13.  3.  4.  ib.  13. 
10.  2.  ib.  14.  6.  2. 

'  Ibid.  13.  9.  1.    B.  J.  1.  2.  6. 

•  Jos.  Ant  18.  2.  2.  Comp.  20.  6.  1. 

'  John  8,  48.  4,  9.  27.  Matt.  10,  .5. 
Luke  17,  16.  18.    See  also  Sirac.  50,  25. 


between  1^21  brs  Beelzebub,  2  K.  1,  2.  3, 
and  he(\(iPov\  Beelzebnl,  applied  in  the 
X.  T.  to  Satan,  Matt.  10,  25.  etc.  So  too 
Betftaven  for  Bethel,  Hos.  4,  15.  5,  8 ; 
comp.  Amos  5,  5.  See  Relaud  Dissert 
Miscell.  I.  p.  140  sq.  Hengstenb.  Anth.  dea 
Pentat.  I.  p.  25  sq. 


John  4,  39-42.  Acts  8,  5-25.  9,  31. 


iii.  117-119 


mSTORT.  XEAPOLIS. 


291 


Xot  long  after  the  times  of  the  Xew  Testament,  the  city  of 
Sichem  received  the  new  name  of  N eapolis.  which  remains  to 
the  present  dav  in  the  Arabic  form  Nabulus.  This  took  place 
apparently  tmder  Vespasian :  for  the  coins  of  the  city,  of  which 
there  are  many  firom  Titus  to  Tolusianns,  bear  the  inscription 
"  Flavia  Neapolis  ; "  the  former  epithet  being  adopted  in  honour 
of  Flavins  Vespasian,  probably  in  consequence  of  some  benefit 
conferred  by  him.'  The  name  Neapolis  is  already  mentioned  by 
Josephus.  and  also  by  Pliny,  who  died  A.  D.  79  :  and  both 
these  writers  affirm,  that  the  place  was  before  called  Mabortha 
or  Mamortha  by  its  inhabitants  :  a  circumstance  of  which  there 
seems  to  be  no  further  historical  trace,  and  no  very  satisfactory 
Bolution.* 

There  is  also  a  question,  whether  Xeap^lis  occupied,  or  now 
occupies,  precisely  the  same  spot  as  Sichem  ;  though  the  tact  of 
their  general  identity  does  not  appear  to  be  doubtful'  The 
diffictilty  has  apparently  arisen,  from  what  seems  to  have  been  a 
mere  hypothesis  cnrrent  in  the  days  of  Eusebius,  when  the  rage 
for  pilgrimages  and  the  finding  out  of  scriptural  places  was  just 
beginning.  At  that  time  Sychar  and  Sichem  were  regarded  as 
two  distinct  places,  and  both  of  them  different  from  Xeapjlis. 
Etisebius  says  expressly,  that  Sychar  lay  before  (east  of)  Xeapo- 
lis  by  the  field  of  Joseph  with  Jacob's  well ;  while  Sichem  was 
pointed  out  as  a  deserted  place  in  the  snbtirbs  of  Neapolis, 
where  was  also  Joseph's  tomb.*  The  Bourdeaux  pilgrim  in  the 
■ame  age  (A.  D.  333)  is  more  specific.  According  to  him,  by 
Keapohs  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Gerizim  lay  the  place  called 
Sichem,  where  was  the  montmient  of  Joseph :  and  at  one 
Boman  mile  further  was  Sychar,  whence  the  Samaritan  woman 
eame  to  draw  water  at  Jacob's  well' 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remark  upon  the  confusion  and 
inconsistency  of  all  this,  and  how  strongly  it  savours  of  the 

make  out  at  it  Fl^rut  Xe^pdu,  Tfaidh 
ns  not  a  metzopoGs.  See  Haidnin  XmB- 
mor.  antiq.  papQlonmi  et  aritiuiu  Sfantr. 
p.  %M.  CdUnas  C<dlecta]m  Hist.  Samar. 
p.ia  Bdamd Dissert. MiiceILL  p.  137  sq. 

*  See  abo««,  p.  ^7.  n.  3. 

*  OnomasL  arts.  Sdtmr,  Sidtem.  See 
also  aits.  Xxaa,  TirMmHut.  Bdand 
Palast.  p.  lOOL 

*  Itin.  HienHoL  ed.  Wesefing.  p.  oS7, 
"  Xe^oU. — ^Inde  ad  pedem  BMotis  ipans 
locos  est,  cm  amncB  Sedum;  inde  po- 
ains  est  HMMiumeutam,  nU  pcritns  est 
Jaseph  in  TiDa,  qnam  de^  ei  Jacob 
pater  ejus. — Inde  paasos  auDe,  locos  est 
cm  Domen  Secfaar,  node  deseendit  maSet 
Samazitaoa  ad  eondem  loeom,  obi  Jacob 
piilyum  Ibdit,^  etc. 

iiL  119.  120 


'  For  AiB  cMMlian  of  cities  adi^^ii^g,  die 
oauies  of  Aor  benelaetar  on  esin^  see 
abofe,  fL  60  and  a.  3.  For  die  cans 
of  XeapoEs,  fee  Eckbd  Doctr.  Xom- 
mor.  m.  p.  433  sq.  ySkmmek  MedaiBea 
Antiiioeis  Tom.  Y.  p.  499.  Soffl  YIH  p. 
344  aq. 

*  Joe.  B.  J.  4.  &  L,  tmfk  tV  NcmJUv 

PEn.  H.  X.  a.  13,  "  Keaptfs,  que  ante 
ManKodn  dieebotnr.*  Haidnin  profesees 
togrre  a  coin  of  Mareos  Anidos  vidi  the 
ra^i^:  NEA.  KHTFOnQA.  MWSIA, 
(to  which  be  pfcfixes  Mu)  vhidti  last  vmd 
MOPeiA  Celiarins  and  Reland  take  for  the 
Bann*  Mamovtha,  and  attBOipt  to  ^"^p^*™ 
it  Bat  I  find  no  each  iaauiptioa  among 
aQ  die  coins  in  FrHul  and  ^Im'm™!!  ;  and 
ttoe  certainlj  is  mo  M^iriit  gimmd  to 


292 


NABULUS. 


[Sec  XIV. 


spirit  of  tlie  age.  Nor  did  this  hypothesis  continue  long.  Je- 
rome, who  had  more  of  critical  acumen  than  most  of  his 
cotemporaries  ;  and  who  in  liis  version  of  the  Onomasticon,  had 
contented  himself  with  simply  translating  Eusebius'  account  of 
a  distinct  Sychar  and  Sichem  ;  comes  out  boldly  in  other  places, 
and  pronounces  Sychar  to  be  merely  an  erroneous  reading  for 
Sichem,  which  latter  he  declares  to  be  identical  with  Neapolis.* 
From  that  time  onwards,  this  identity  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  again  drawn  in  question.  Yet  in  all  probability,  the 
ancient  city  was  much  larger  than  the  Neapolis  of  Eusebius  ; 
and  there  is  nothing  incredible  in  the  idea,  that  a  portion  of  its 
ruins  may  still  be  seen  on  the  east  of  the  latter  place,  stretching 
down  for  some  distance  towards  Jacob's  well,  or  even  near  to  it. 
Jerusalem  itself  extended  anciently  much  further  north  and 
south,  than  at  the  present  day.  That  such  ruins  should  now 
have  disappeared  around  Nabulus,  is  not  surprising ;  the  stones 
would  very  naturally  be  used  in  the  structures  of  the  modern 
city.* 

Indeed,  if  we  may  credit  the  accounts  of  Josephus,  the 
Neapolis  of  his  day  appears  to  have  had  a  population  far  greater 
than  that  of  the  present  city  ;  and  the  people  continued  long  to 
be  known  chiefly  by  the  name  of  Samaritans.  So  early  as  the 
time  of  Pilate,  we  read  of  a  tumult  and  sedition  excited  among 
them  by  an  adventurer,  who  persuaded  the  common  people  to 
follow  him  to  the  summit  of  Mount  Gerizim,  where  he  proposed 
to  show  them  the  golden  vessels  which  Moses  in  ancient  times 
had  buried  there.  But  Pilate  ordered  troops  to  attack  this 
multitude  ;  and  having  dispersed  them,  caused  many  of  the 
leaders  to  be  put  to  death.  The  Samaritans  complained  of  him 
before  Vitellius,  then  proconsul  of  Syria  ;  and  this  was  the 
occasion  of  Pilate's  being  deposed  and  sent  to  Rome.'  In 
general,  the  Samaritans  would  seem  to  have  been  no  less  hostile 
to  the  Romans,  than  were  the  Jews  themselves.  While  Vespa- 
sian was  engaged  in  subduing  various  portions  of  the  country,  a 
great  multitude  of  the  Samaritans  collected  and  posted  them- 
selves upon  Mount  Gerizim.  Vespasian,  anticipating  their 
movements,  sent  against  them  Cerealis  with  a  body  of  troops ; 

'  "  Transivit  Sichem,  non  ut  plerique       '  Maundrell  mentions  "  some  pieces  of  a 

errantes  legnnt  Sichar,  qua:  nunc  Neapolis  very  thick  wall  still  to  he  seen  not  very  far 

appellatur ; "  Ep.  8G,  Epit.  Paulse,  p.  C76.  from  hence,"  i.  e.  from  the  well ;  March  24. 

ed.  Mart. — "  Hebraice  Sichem  dicitur,  ut  Schubert  speaks  of  the  "  supposed  walls 

Johannes  quoque   Evangelista  testatur;  of  ancient  Sichem"  as  visible  in  several 

licet  vitiose,  ut  Sichar  legatur,  error  inole-  places  between  the  present  citj'  and  Jacob's 

vit ;  "  Qucest.  in  Gen.  cap.  xlviii.  no.  22. —  well;  Reise  III.  p.  153.    We  were  not 

It  may  be  proper  to  remark,  that  this  able  to  make  out  anything  of  this  sort ; 

opinion  of  Jerome  as  to  the  re;uling  Sychar,  and  saw  only  the  niius  of  the  church  and 

is  contradicted  by  all  the  Greek  mauu-  of  the  hamlet  Belit. 
Bcripts  of  the  N.  T.  '  Joseph.  Ant.  18.  4.  1,  2. 

iii.  120-122 


HISTOBT.     THE  SAltARITAXS. 


293 


who  ultimately  surrounded  them,  and  having  in  vain  proposed 
terms  of  submission,  attacked  them  and  slew  to  the  numl>er  of 
eleven  thousand  six  hundred  persons.'  Whether  the  city  itself 
was  destroyed  or  rebuilt  by  Vespasian,  we  are  not  informed. 

The  Samaritan  worship  would  appear  to  have  long  continued 
predominant  at  Xeapolis  ;  for  upon  the  coins  of  the  subsequent 
centuries,  we  find  Mount  Gerizim  with  its  temple  depicted  as 
the  symbol  of  the  city.  There  is  indeed  no  historical  testimony, 
that  the  former  temple  was  ever  rebuilt ;  yet  there  was  doubt- 
less an  altar,  or  some  kind  of  structure,  where  their  worship 
was  held.  The  Samaritans  are  not  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  Jewish  war  and  catastrophe  tmder  Adrian  :  but  under 
Septimius  Severus,  about  A.  D.  200.  they  apj-ear  to  have  made 
common  cause  with  the  Jews  against  that  emperor  :  and  Xe- 
apoUs  was  deprived  by  him  of  its  rights  as  a  city.*  In  that 
and  the  following  centuries,  the  Samaritans  were  spread  exten- 
sively not  only  in  Egypt  and  the  east,  but  als>D  in  the  west  as 
far  as  to  Rome  itself :  where  they  had  a  synagogue  va  the  time 
of  Theodoric,  after  A.  D.  493.^  Their  occupation  appears  to 
have  been  chiefly  that  of  merchants  and  money  changers,  much 
like  the  Jews.* 

There  had  already  been  converts  to  the  CTiristian  faith  in 
Neap«:'lis  under  our  Saviour  :  and  in  all  probability  a  church  had 
been  gathered  here,  during  the  ministry  of  the  apostles.'  The 
celebrated  Justin  Martvr.  who  suffered  at  Eome  about  A.  D. 
163,  was  a  native  of  this  city.*  It  also  became  early  the  seat 
of  a  Christian  bishop.  The  name  of  Grermanus.  bishop  of 
Neapolis,  appears  among  the  subscriptions  to  the  councils  of 
Ancyra  and  Xeoctesarea  A.  D.  314.  and  to  that  of  Xicea  A.  D. 
325  ;  while  the  names  of  foiu-  others  are  also  preserved,  the  last 
of  whom.  John,  was  a  signer  at  the  synod  of  Jerusalem  A.  D. 
536."    The  general  condition  of  the  city  in  the  tourth  and  fifth 

'  Joee^  B.  J.  3.  7.  S2.  *  See  the  edict  of  Jn^udan, 

*  Eoaeb  ChroQ.  "  Jadstcom  et  Samari-  upyi^wpmTiMmw  rmmJJm  f/idimr,  vhae  it 

ticam  belhim  motmn  est'    ^putian.  in  is  said :  Ei  fpf^^«iii  pcfm  avrav  raS 

Sept.  Ser.  c  16,  ** NeapoGtaais  Pafaesd-  ^fnT^f^l  imS  ji  iim)fmf'm\ 

neBsboB  jos  civitatis  tnfi^  qnod  poro  Xigre  mirm,  atr  "yniniyrlmi  »a)>>Cn.  Cdbiiui^ 

[Seven  jemalo]  £n  in aniiisfbenBt.*  "nus  L  c  pp.  23, 

ri>ht  was  probaUr  restoRd ;  for  the  same       ^  J<^  i,  39-43.    Acts  8,  3S.   9,  3L 

writer  remarks,  c  15.  "  Pabpstinii  pcesam  13,  3. 

renuat,q[aamobeaiisaamXigriiiiaiiaazit''      *  ApoL2.pL41,'U— ttw  ari^Aa— fat 

See  CeDara  CoOectan.  Hist.  Samar.  L  7.  Kau  riXe^   iapUs  rfs  UmJiatarir^s. 

p.  22.  Enseb.  Hist.  Eet  4.  If . 

'  This  appean  from  die  laws  of  the       '  LabW  ConciL  g<QieraL  CoIL  Tom.  L 

Cod.  TTieodos.  eqwdaDy  X\"L  iAVllL  pp.  1475,  1«8.    Tom.  IL  pt  51.  Tom. 

de  Jodsk.   CtriiroBi,  et   S«mamani> :  V.  p.  286.  See  gaxenSbr,  Le  Qnien  Oneaa 

XVm  de  Xoricnlains;  CXXIX,  CXLIV,  Chr.  m.  coL  647  sq.    Reland  Pakest  p. 

de  Sunarids.    CeUanns  L  c  pp.  16.  22,  1009.  See  abo^  XoL  L  p.  3S3w  ^tafoEs 

23,  25. — For  the  sTnagogoe,  see  Caaaodor.  stands  also  in  d>e  Greek  ecdiesasical 

Tariar.  Epist.  lib.'lIL  4ol    CeOariK,  L  c.  XotiiHe;  see  Belaid  PaL  pp.  215.  220. 
pt  23. 

ToL  n.— 25*  fii,  122. 123 


594 


NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


centuries,  as  reported  by  Eusebius,  the  Bourdeaux  pilgrim,  and 
Jerome,  we  have  already  seen.'  Nearly  a  century  later,  the 
hatred  of  the  Samaritans  broke  out  against  the  Christians,  and 
gave  rise  anew  to  scenes  of  tumult  and  slaughter. 

The  historian  Procopius  relates,  that  under  the  reign  of 
Zeno  (after  A.  D.  474)  a  tumult  arose  at  Neapohs,  in  which  the 
Samaritans  rushed  in  great  numbers  into  the  church,  where  the 
Christians  were  celebrating  the  festival  of  Pentecost,  killed 
many,  maimed  the  bishop  Terebinthus  by  cutting  off  his  fin- 
gers, and  committed  other  horrible  atrocities.  The  bishop  him- 
self repaired  to  Constantinople,  and  made  complaint  to  the 
emperor  ;  who  immediately  took  measures  to  punish  the  guilty. 
The  Samaritans  were  driven  from  Mount  Gerizim,  which  was 
made  over  to  the  Christians  ;  and  Zeno  erected  there  a  church 
in  honour  of  the  virgin,  which  he  surrounded  by  what  in  ap- 
pearance was  a  wall,  though  in  reality  only  a  fence  f  stationing 
a  strong  garrison  below  in  the  city,  but  only  a  small  guard  at 
the  church  above. 

The  Samaritans  smothered  their  indignation  for  a  time 
but  it  broke  out  again  under  Anastasius  and  Justinian.  Dur- 
ing the  reign  of  the  former,  a  band  of  this  people,  under  the 
guidance  of  a  woman,  ascended  Mount  Gerizim  from  a  diiSferent 
side,  seized  upon  the  church,  and  slew  the  guard  ;  but  the 
troops  in  the  city  were  able  to  prevent  their  being  supported  by 
the  inhabitants,  and  the  ringleaders  were  seized  and  pimished. 
In  respect  to  the  troubles  under  Justinian,  Procopius  only 
remarks,  that  this  emperor  erected  outside  of  the  former  wall  or 
fence  around  the  church  on  Mount  Gerizim,  a  second  wall, 
which,  while  it  left  the  appearance  of  the  work  unchanged, 
rendered  it  wholly  impregnable.  This  was  probably  the  fortress, 
the  ruins  of  which  are  still  seen  upon  the  mountain,  bearing 
every  mark  of  a  Roman  origin.''  The  emperor  also  caused  the 
five  Christian  churches,  destroyed  by  the  Samaritans  in  the  city 
itself,  to  be  rebuilt. 

The  Samaritan  insurrection  under  Justinian,  is  more  fully 
described  by  CyrU  of  Scythopolis  in  his  hfe  of  St.  Sabas. 
According  to  him,  the  whole  race  of  the  Samaritans  in  Palestine 
rose  upon  the  Christians,  in  May,  A.  D.  529,  the  third  year  of 
Justinian's  reign.  They  perpetrated  many  atrocities,  plunder- 
ing and  burning  churches,  torturing  Christians  to  death,  and 
setting  on  fire  whole  villages,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Ne- 

'  Pages  291,  292.  drive  out  the  Christians  from  Ciesarea. 

'  Teix<o'o/i€i'os  fh  ifphv  toOto  S^d-ey  Reland  Pal.  p.  673. 
h&yif,  t!)     i\i)3ts  i.iroTpiyx<l><ra-i-  *  Procop.  de  iEdific.  Justin.  5.  7.  Id. 

•  According  to  the  Chronicoii  Paschale,  Historia  Arcana  (Anccdot.)  §  11. — See 

A.  D.  48-t,  tlio  Samaritans  under  a  leader  above,  p.  277  sq. 
Justuaa,  made  au  attempt  m  that  year  to 
iii.  123-125 


JlWK  14.] 


HISTORY.     THE  SAMABITANS, 


295 


apolis,  their  head  quarters.  Here  they  put  the  bishop  Ammo- 
nas  to  death,  and  set  up  a  leader  of  their  own,  Julian,  whom 
they  crowned  as  king.  The  emperor  immediately  sent  troops 
against  them  ;  a  battle  took  place  ;  and  Julian  with  an  im- 
mense nimiber  of  the  Samaritans  was  slain.  The  holy  Sabas 
now  repaired  to  Constantinople  in  the  name  of  the  Christians  of 
Palestine,  to  ask  for  a  remission  of  tribute  on  account  of  the 
devastations  of  the  Samaritans,  and  protection  against  their 
future  machinations.  The  emperor  granted  all  his  requests  ; 
remitted  the  tribute  ;  ordered  the  churches  to  be  rebuilt  ;  and 
by  an  edict  took  away  from  the  Samaritans  all  their  synagogues, 
and  declared  them  incapable  of  holding  any  public  employment, 
or  of  acquiring  property  by  inheritance  or  by  gift  among  them- 
selves. '  This  testimony  is  borne  out  also  by  the  laws  of  Jus- 
tinian.* The  same  general  account  is  likewise  given  by  The- 
ophanes  and  Eutychius  ;  from  the  former  of  whom  it  appears, 
that  many  of  the  Samaritans  fled  to  Chosroes  king  of  Persia, 
who  was  induced  by  their  persuasion  not  to  make  peace  with 
Justinian.'  MSny  also  became  Christians.*  From  that  time 
onwards,  the  existence  of  the  Samaritans  is  rarely  mentioned  in 
history. 

On  the  invasion  of  the  Muhammedans,  and  while  the  siege 
of  Jerusalem  was  going  on,  Xeapolis,  Sebaste,  and  other  smaller 
towns,  were  brought  under  the  power  of  the  conquerors.'  From 
that  time  until  the  crusades,  we  hear  nothing  further  of  Xeapohs  ; 
except  the  slight  notices  of  the  few  pilgrims,  who  mention  only 
Jacob's  well  and  Mount  Gerizim.'  Immediately  after  the  cap- 
ture of  J erusalem  by  the  crusaders,  some  of  the  chiefs  from  the 
mountains  of  Samaria  around  Xeapohs  came  to  the  Christian 
camp,  bringing  presents,  and  inviting  the  Franks  to  take  posses- 
sion of  those  towns  ;  which  was  done  by  Tancred  without 
resistance."  In  A.  D.  1113  Xeapolis  was  laid  waste  during  a 
temporary  incursion  of  the  Saracens.-  Under  king  Baldwin  II 
in  A.  D.  1120,  an  assembly  of  prelates  and  nobles  was  held  at 

'  Cjril!.  Sovthop.  Vita  St  Sab«  §  70       *  Abulfe-la  Annales  ed  Adler  Tom.  L 

sq.  in  Corclerii  Eccles.  Gnec.  Monum.  Tom.  p  229.  Hafoiae  17S9.  -t 
m.  p.  339  sq.  Eeland  PaL  p.  6Ti.   Le       «  See  above,  p.  284.    Reland  Pal.  p. 

Qnien  Oriens  Chr.  IIL  p.  190  sq.  1007  sq. — ^Neapolis  is  also  found  in  the 

'  Cellarii  Collectanea  Hist.  Samar.  XL  Latin  ecclesiastical  Xotitia  appended  to  the 

11.  p.  25.    Procop.  Histor.  Arcan.  Xotes  work  of  William  of  Tyre,  refemasr  to  tlie 

p.  131.  ed  Paris,  pp.  405,  406,  ed.  Bonn.  period  before  the  crusades :  Reland  PaL  p. 

'  risi^cls  xrrh  'iofLOftirir  ■rpo<pv-f6rTtev  227.    But  in  another  very  corrapt  one, 

OOT^,  Theophanis  Chronogr.  p.  152,  ed.  referring  evidently  to  the  time  of  the 

Paris.      Entyehii  Annales  XL   p.    156.  crusades,  it  is  omitted  ;  Reland  ib.  p  222. 

Oxon.  1653.  Coinp.  Reland  PaL  p.  673. —  Both  these  Xotitiae  are  obviously  made  np 

Theophanes  places  this  war  in  A.  D.  54S  ;  of  heterogeneous  materials 
but  his  account  and  that  of  Cyril  probably       '  WilL  Tyr.  9.  20.    Gmbert  Abbot  14 

refer  to  the  same  eventa  p.  540. 

*  Chron.  PaschaL    Also  Procop.  Notes       '  Fulcher.  Camot  40.  p.  424. 
p.  131,  ed.  Par.  p.  406,  ed  Bonn. 

uL  125,  126 


296 


NABULUS. 


[Skc  XIV. 


Neapolis  to  consiilt  upon  the  state  of  the  country,  then  visited 
with  the  judgments  of  God  for  the  sins  of  the  people,  and 
sufferincr  not  only  from  the  assaults  of  the  common  enemv,  but 
also  frcim  frequent  earthquakes,  and  from  the  plague  of  locusts 
and  mice  during  four  successive  years.  The  decisions  of  this 
assembly  were  directed  against  the  enormous  lewdness  and  other 
vices  prevalent  among  the  crusaders  ;  and  copies  of  them  were 
everywhere  deposited  in  the  churches.' 

Xeapohs  was  not  itself  made  a  Latin  bishopric,  but  belonged 
probably  to  that  of  Samaria  ;  and  the  property  of  it  was  as- 
signed to  the  abbot  and  canons  of  the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepul- 
chre.^ The  city  did  not  escape  the  calamities  of  those  days. 
In  A.  D.  1184  it  was  plundered  by  Saladin  after  his  repulse 
from  Kerak.^  It  renmined  however  in  the  hands  of  the  Chris- 
tians ;  for  two  years  later,  A.  D.  1186,  Count  Eaymond  and  the 
priests  and  barons  who  opposed  the  usurpation  of  Sibylla  and 
her  husband  Guy  of  Lusignan,  made  it  their  rendezvous.* 
Immediately  after  the  fatal  battle  of  Hattin  in  1187,  Neapolis 
was  laid  waste,  and  the  holy  places  around  i4  polluted,  with 
many  atrocities,  by  a  portion  of  the  troops  of  Saladin.^  In  A.  D. 
1242  it  appears  again  to  have  faUen  into  the  hands  of  the 
Christians  ;  but  two  years  later  was  captured  by  Abu  'Aly,  the 
colleague  of  Bibars."  Since  that  time  it  has  remained  in  the 
hands  of  the  Muhammedans,  apparently  without  great  change  ; 
and  is  mentioned  by  aU  travellers  who  have  passed  by  the  direct 
route,  between  Jerusalem  and  Xazareth  or  'Akka. 

It  is  singular  that  the  Christian  historians  of  the  crusades, 
appear  to  make  no  allusion  whatever  to  the  existence  of  the 
Samaritans  at  Nabulus  ;  they  probably  regarded  them  as  Jews, 
of  whom  in  like  manner  they  make  little  mention.  The  Jewish 
traveller  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  in  the  last  half  of  the  twelfth 
century,  was  the  first  to  bring  them  again  into  notice.  He 
speaks  at  Xabulus  of  the  Cutheans,  who  amounted  to  about  one 
hundred  persons,  and  were  called  Samaritans  ;  they  professed  to 
be  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  and  had  priests  descended  from  the 
family  of  Aaron.  He  describes  them  much  as  they  are  at  the 
present  day  ;  they  had  their  synagogue,  and  sacrificed  on  Mount 
Gerizim  on  the  day  of  the  passover  and  other  festivals.'  Ara- 


'  WiU.  Tvr.  12.  13.  Wilken  Gesch.  der 
Kr  I.  p.  310.  IL  p.  4.57  sq  — The  acts  of 
this  asseinblv  are  contaLn?(i  in  Mansi  Con- 
ciL  Tom.  X.XI.  pp.  261-266. 

'  Jac.  de  Titr.  58.  p.  1078.  Notitia  in 
Reland  Pal.  p.  222. 

>  Bohiiedd.  Vit  Salad,  p.  59.  AbulC 
Annal.  A.  H.  580. 

♦  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  IIL  iL  p.  252. 

iiL  126-128 


'  R.id.  Coggesh.  in  Martene  et  Dnrand 
Tom.  V.  p.  560  sq.  Mejr  ed-Diu  in  l  undgc 
des  Or  III  p.  81.    Wilken  ibid,  p  2^4. 

"  Makrizi  in  Wilken  Comment  de  BelL 
Cruc.  p.  204. 

'  Benj.  of  Tnd.  I.  p  66-68.  Benjamin 
asserts,  that  in  his  day  there  were  also  two 
hondrcd  Samaritans  in  Csesarea ;  ib.  p.  65. 


JUSE  14.] 


HISTORY.     THE  SAMARITANS. 


297 


bian  writers  of  the  same  period  speak  also  of  the  Samaritans, 
whom  they  confound  with  the  Jews.' 

The  first  Christian  travellers  who  appear  to  have  noticed  this 
people,  are  William  of  Baldensel  in  A.  D.  1336,  and  Sir  John 
Maundeville  about  the  same  time  ;  the  former  describes  the 
Samaritans  as  a  singular  sect,  differing  alike  from  Christians, 
Jews,  Saracens,  and  Pagans  ;  and  distinguished  from  all  by 
their  red  turbans,  as  at  the  present  day.''  The  pilgrims  of  the 
following  centuries  appear  seldom  to  have  taken  this  route  ;  and 
I  find  no  further  mention  of  the  Samaritans  until  Coto\dcus  in 
A.  D.  1598,  who  speaks  of  them  as  a  sect  of  the  Jews,  but 
without  afibrding  any  particulars  concerning  them.'  Delia 
Valle,  in  the  early  part  of  the  next  (seventeenth)  centurv-,  was 
the  first  to  give  some  account  of  them  ;  Maundrell  in  A.  D. 
1697  visited  and  describes  them  ;  and  Morison  also  slightly 
mentions  them  in  the  following  year.*  During  the  eighteenth 
century,  they  appear  to  have  been  noticed  by  very  few  if  any 
travellers ;  indeed  almost  no  Frank  passed  on  this  route. 
Within  the  present  century  they  have  again  been  brought  more 
into  notice  ;  although  few  travellers  have  taken  the  pains  to 
visit  them.^ 

A  greater  interest  however  has  been  excited  in  behalf  of 
the  Samaritans,  and  more  information  acquired  respecting  them, 
in  consequence  of  their  correspondence  with  several  learned  Eu- 
ropeans, and  the  publication  of  their  copies  of  the  Pentateuch. 
The  existence  of  the  Pentateuch  among  them  appears  to  have 
been  early  known  to  scholars  ;  and  Julius  ScaHger,  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  was  the  first,  according  to  De  Sacy,  to  point 
out  the  importance  of  obtaining  copies  of  it  in  Europe.*  This 
wish  was  first  fulfilled  by  the  traveller  Delia  Valle  in  A.  D. 
1616.  When  at  Constantinople  on  his  way  to  the  east,  he  was 
commissioned  by  De  Sancy,  then  French  ambassador  in  that 
city,  to  purchase  Samaritan  manuscripts  ;  and  after  attempting 


'  So  the  Arabian  geographer  Yakut 
about  A.  D.  1200;  see  Schultens  Ini 
geogr.  in  Vit.  Salad,  art  Neapolix.  Abul- 
feda  Tub.  Syr.  p.  8.5.  Mejr  ed-Din  in 
Fundgr.  de3  Or.  II.  p.  139. 

'  GuiL  de  Baldensel  Ho-Joepor.  p  35.3, 
in  Canisii  Thesanr.  ed.  Basnage,  Tom.  IV. 
Sir  J.  Maundeville  gives  much  the  same 
account;  p.  108.  Lond.  1839. — See  above, 
p.  281. 

'  Cotovic.  Itin.  p.  342. 

♦  Delia  VuUe  Voyages  Tom.  II.  p.  103 
sq.  Paris  174.5.  Manndrell  March  2-t 
Morison  Relation,  eto.  pp  234,  240. — It  is 
perhaps  worth  oserving,  that  Quaresmius, 
who  lived  severnl  years  in  Palestine,  and 


devoted  two  folio  volumes  to  an  "  historical, 
theological,  and  moral  elucidation  "  of  the 
Holy  Land,  in  which  he  describes  Nabulus 
and  recounts  the  ancient  history  of  the 
Samaritans,  makes  nevertheless  not  the 
slightest  allusion  to  their  present  existence. 

'  Dr  Clarke  speaks  of  the  Samaritans, 
but  only  from  Benjamin  of  Tudela  and 
Maundrell;  p  511  sq.  4to.  Buckingham 
does  the  same,  also  without  having  seen 
them  ;  p.  528  sq.  Within  the  last  twenty 
years  they  have  been  visited  by  Messrs 
Jowett  and  Fisk,  Connor,  EUiott,  and 
others. 

'  De  Sacy  Corresp.  des  Samar.  p.  7,  in 
Notices  et  Extr.  Tom.  XII. 

iii.  128, 129 


298 


NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


it  in  vain  at  Cairo,  Gaza,  and  Nabulus,  lie  was  able  to  procure 
at  Damascus  two  copies  of  the  Pentateuch.  One,  on  parch- 
ment, exhibiting  the  Hebrew  text  in  Samaritan  characters,  he 
transmitted  to  the  ambassador  ;  the  other,  on  paper,  containing 
the  Samaritan  version,  he  retained  for  himself.'  The  former  was 
sent  by  De  Sancy  to  the  library  of  the  Oratoire  in  Paris,  and 
was  published  by  J.  Morin  in  the  Paris  Polyglott ;  the  latter 
was  loaned  by  Delia  Valle  to  the  same  editor,  and  appeared  also 
in  the  same  work.''  Both  were  afterAvards  reprinted  with  slight 
corrections  in  the  London  Polyglott.  The  munificence  of  arch- 
bishop Usher  was  able  to  procure,  not  long  after,  no  fewer  than 
six  additional  manuscripts  of  the  Hebrew-Samaritan  Pentateuch  ; 
another  was  sent  to  England  by  Robert  Huntington  about  A.  D. 
1672  ;  and  the  number  continued  to  increase,  so  that  Ken- 
nicott  was  able  to  collate,  for  his  great  work,  not  less  than  sixteen 
manuscripts  more  or  less  complete.  Of  these,  six  are  in  the 
Bodleian  Library,  and  one  in  the  British  Museum.^ — The  Sa- 
maritan-Arabic version  of  Abu  Sa'id  has  never  yet  been  fully 
printed  ;  bat  lies  in  seven  manuscripts  in  the  hbraries  of  Rome, 
Oxford,  Paris,  and  Leyden.*  The  general  merits  of  all  these 
copies  of  the  Pentateuch,  have  been  investigated  by  able 
scholars.' 

Long  before  the  wish  of  the  elder  Scahger  had  thus  been 
fulfilled,  in  the  acquisition  and  publication  of  the  Samaritan 
Pentateuch,  his  son  Joseph  Scahger  had  attempted  to  open  a 
direct  correspondence  with  that  people  themselves  ;  and  had 
written  to  their  communities  in  Nabulus  and  Cairo.  Answers 
were  sent  from  both  these  places  ;  but  although  dated  in  the 
year  998  of  the  Hejra,  A.  D.  1589,  they  never  reached  Scaliger, 
who  died  A.  D.  1609.  After  passing  through  several  hands, 
they  came  into  the  possession  of  J.  Morin,  who  made  a  Latin 
translation  of  them,  which  was  published  after  his  death.^  The 

■  Delia  Valle  Voyages  Tom.  H.  p.  105  horn's  Einleit.  ins  A.  T.  Vol  I.  p.  595. 

sq.  128  sq  Paris  1745.  '  See  Gesenius  Comment,  de  Pentat. 

'  De  Sacy  Corresp  des  Samar.  1.  c.  p.  Samaritani  Origine,  Indole,  etc.  Halffi 
8.  Cellarins  Collect.  Hist.  Samar.  p.  46.  1815.  4.  On  the  Samaritan  version,  see 
See  the  correspondence  between  Morin  and  ibid.  pp.  18,  19.  Bertholdt  Einleit.  II.  pp. 
P.  dilla  Viille  in  the  little  work  published  608-012.  The  Siimaritan-Ai-abic  version 
anonyrnously  by  R.  Simon  :  "  Antiquitates  is  fully  treated  of  by  De  Sacy,  Comment  de 
EcclesL-E  Orientalis,"  Lond.  1682.  8.  pp.  Versione  Sam.  Arabica  libror.  Mosis,  in 
156-205.  Also  the  Life  of  J.  Morin,  in  Eichhom's  AUgem.  Biblioth.  der  bibl.  Li- 
the same  volume,  p.  18  sq.  terat.    Th.  X.  pp.  1-176.    Enlarged  and 

"  See  Kcnnicott  Diss  General,  ed.  Brans  reprinted  in  Memoires  de  TAciid  des  luscr. 

p.  259  sq.    De  Rossi  Var.  Lect  in  V.  T.  ct  des  Belles  Lettres  Tom.  XLIX.  pp.  1- 

Tom   I.  p.  civil.    Bertholdt's  Eiul.  II.  p.  1!)!). — On  the  value  of  the  Samaritan  Pe«- 

476  sq  tateuch  in  general,  see  also  Hengstouberg 

*  Van  \loten  Specimen  philol.  cont.  Autlient.  des  Pentat.  I.  p.  1  sq. 

Descr.  Codicis  Ms.  Vers.  Sam.  Arabicse  "  In  the  work  above  mentioned,  pub- 

Pentat   Lugd.  Bat  1803.  4.    The  per-  lished  by  R.  Simon  :  Antiquitates  Eccleai» 

tions  published  are  enumerated  in  Eich-  Orientalis,  Lond.  1682.  8. 
iii.  129.  130 


Juys  14.] 


THE  SAMARITAN  PENTATEUCH. 


299 


originals  are  in  the  Royal  Library  at  Paris  ;  and  the  text,  with 
a  more  accurate  version,  has  been  published  by  De  Sacy.' 

In  A.  D.  1671,  Robert  Huntington,  who  was  then  chaplain 
of  the  Enghsh  Factory  at  Aleppo,  and  died  in  1701  as  bishop 
of  Raphoe  in  Ireland,  visited  the  Samaritans  at  Nabulus  on  his 
way  to  Jerusalem.  They  appear  to  have  received  from  him, 
through  some  misapprehension,  the  impression,  that  there  were 
Samaritans  in  England  ;  and  he  proposed  to  them  to  write  to 
their  brethren  in  that  country,  giving  a  summary  of  their  doc- 
trines and  rites,  and  to  transmit  at  the  same  time  a  copy  of 
their  law.  A  manuscript  of  the  Pentateuch  was  accordingly 
put  into  his  hands,  and  a  letter  sent  after  him  to  Jerusalem  ; 
both  of  which  he  forwarded  to  England.  The  letter  was  an- 
swered by  Thomas  Marshall,  Rector  of  Lincoln  College,  Oxford  ; 
and  the  correspondence  thus  commenced,  continued  until  A.  D. 
1688,  chiefly  through  Huntington  at  Aleppo.  This  correspond- 
ence, extending  to  six  letters  from  the  Samaritans,  so  far  as  it 
has  been  preserved  in  passing  piecemeal  through  various  hands, 
has  been  first  fully  publi.shed  by  De  Sacy.^ 

In  the  mean  time,  another  correspondence  had  been  com- 
menced with  the  Samaritans  of  Nabulus,  by  the  celebrated 
Ludolf  Taking  advantage  of  the  return  of  a  JeAvish  agent  to 
Palestine  in  A.  D.  1684,  he  sent  by  him  a  letter,  written  in 
Hebrew  with  Samaritan  characters ;  and  received  from  the 
Samaritans  two  letters  in  reply,  in  the  same  language  and  char- 
acter, dated  in  1685.  These  were  soon  published  by  Cellarius.' 
Ludolf  wrote  again,  and  received  another  letter  in  1691,  which 
was  not  published  until  long  afterwards.'' 

For  more  than  a  century,  these  various  letters  continued  to 
be  the  only  source  accessible  to  the  scholars  of  Europe,  from 
which  a  knowledge  of  the  tenets  and  ceremonies  of  the  Sa- 
maritans could  be  derived.  In  A.  D.  1807,  the  French  bishop 
and  senator  G-regoire  again  took  up  the  subject ;  and,  by  his 
influence,  instructions  were  sent  to  the  French  consuls  in  the 
Levant,  to  make  inquiries  respecting  the  Samaritans.  The 
consul  at  Aleppo  opened  a  communication  with  those  at  Xa- 
bulus,  and  received  from  them  a  letter  in  1808,  which  was  for- 
warded to  Europe,  written  in  Arabic  by  the  priest  Selameh,  son 
of  Tobias,  probably  the  same  person  whom  we  saw.    This  letter 

'  In  Eichhorn's  Repertorium  f  iir  bibL  in  the  new  edition  of  his  Collectan.  Hist 

and  morgenl.  Litersit.  Bd.  XIII.    See  also  Samar.  Halae  1699.    Brans  first  published 

De  Sacy  Corresp.  des  Samarit.  p  9,  in  it  in  full :  Epistola  Samar.  Sichem.  tertia 

Notices  et  Extr.  des  Mss  Tom.  XIL  ad  J.  Ludoltum,  ed.  P  J.  Bruns,  Helmst 

'Correspond,  des  Samar.   pp.    9-11,  1781.  4.— The  full  correspondence  is  given 

162-22.5.  in  Eichhorn's  Repertorium  Bd.  XI ll,  ia 

'  Epistol£E  Samaritanje   Sichemitarum  connection  with  the  letters  to  Scaliger. 

ad  J.  Ludolt'um,  Ciz«  1G88  4.  See  De  Sacy  Corresp.  des  Samar.  L  c.  pp 

*  Cellarius  gave  some  extracts  from  it  11,  12. 

iii.  131,132 


900 


NABULUS. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


came  into  the  hands  of  De  Sacy,  who  answered  it  for  Gregoire  ; 
and  received  in  1811  a  reply  in  Hebrew,  written  with  Samaritan 
characters.  Another  letter  arrived  for  De  Sacy  in  1820,  and  also 
one  addressed  to  a  supposed  Samaritan  community  in  Paris  ;  for 
which  likewise  a  second  letter  came  in  1826.  These  five  letters 
have  been  published  by  this  learned  orientalist,  in  the  collection 
so  often  referred  to.' 

The  pubhshed  literature  of  the  Samaritans,  therefore,  con- 
sists of  the  various  copies  of  the  Pentateuch  in  whole  or  in  part ; 
and  of  this  series  of  their  letters  at  four  different  periods, 
stretching  through  an  interval  of  nearly  two  and  a  half  cen- 
turies.^ In  addition  to  this,  Gesenius  discovered,  in  a  Samaritan 
manuscript  in  England,  a  curious  collection  of  hymns,  chiefly 
of  a  doctrinal  nature,  which  he  has  pubhshed  with  a  commen- 
tary.^ They  possess  also  manuscripts  of  a  work  professing  to 
be  the  book  of  Joshua,  often  mentioned  in  their  letters.  It  has 
never  yet  been  printed ;  but  a  manuscript  of  an  Arabic  version, 
written  in  the  Samaritan  character,  was  procured  by  Joseph 
Scaliger  for  the  library  of  the  university  of  Leyden.  The  work 
is  a  sort  of  chronicle  extending  from  Moses  to  the  time  of  Alex- 
ander Severus  ;  and,  in  the  period  parallel  to  the  book  of  Joshua, 
has  a  strong  affinity  with  that  book.^  Accounts  of  their  tenets 
and  rites  have  been  often  drawn  up  from  these  various  sources, 
to  which  I  can  here  only  refer.' 

From  the  earliest  letters  of  the  Samaritans  and  from  the 
accounts  of  Delia  Valle,  it  appears,  that,  two  centuries  ago, 
they  had  small  communities  in  Cairo,  Gaza,  Nabulus,  and  Da- 
mascus. The  three  former  are  mentioned  repeatedly  in  their 
letters  ;  the  latter  we  know  only  from  Delia  VaUe,  who  pur- 
chased at  Damascus  his  copies  of  the  Pentateuch.  They  seem 
to  have  been  only  a  few  families,  in  the  gardens  outside  of  the 
city  ;  perhaps  a  temporary  establishment ;  and  we  hear  no  more 
of  them.'  Those  of  Nabulus  and  Gaza  appear  to  have  stood  in 
close  connection  ;  and  one  of  the  letters  to  England  was  written 
from  the  latter  place.^    In  their  first  answer  to  the  inquiries  of 

'  Corresp.  des  Samar.  pp.  13-18,  .50-  196.    Bertholdt's  Einleitung  Th.  HI.  p. 

161,  22.5-235.  869  sq. 

'  The  letters  to  Scali<Ter  and  Ludolf,  as  '  See  especially  De  Sacy  Corresp.  des 

■we  have  seen,  are  given  in  full  only  in  Sam.  L  c.  pp.  18-36.  Gesenins  de  Saraar- 

Eichhoni's  Repertorium  Bd.  XIII;  those  itanor.  Theologia  1.  c. — Earlier  writers  are : 

to   England   and  France,  only    in   the  Cellarins  Collect.  Hist.  Samarit.  Ciza  1688. 

work  of  De  Sacy  so  often  cited.  Keland  Dissertat  Miscell.  II.  1  sq.  (Both 

'  Carmina  Samaritana  e  Cod  Lond.  et  reprinted  in  Ugolini  Thcsaur.  Tom.  XXII.) 

Gothanis  etc.  illustr.  G.  Gesenius,  in  Anec-  Bruns  in  Staudlin's  Bcythige  zur  Philos.  u. 

dot.  Oriental.  Fascic.  L  Lips.  1824.  4   See  Gesch.  der   Relig.  u.  Sittenlehre,  Bd.  L 

also  his  programm,  De  Samaritanor.  Theo-  p.  78  sq. 

logia  ex  foutib.  ined.   Comment    Halse  '  Delia  VaUe  Voyages  II.  p.  128.  Pam 

1823.  4.  1745. 

*  De  Sacy  Corresp.  des  Samar.  pp.  124,  '  De  Sacy  Corr.  des  Sam.  p.  191 

iii.  132, 133 


JcKS  14.]         LITEBATURE  OF  THE  SAMARITANS,  ETC. 


301 


Gregoire  (A.  D.  1808),  they  say  that  for  more  than  a  century 
there  had  been  no  Samaritans  in  Eg)-pt ;  and  that  they  then 
existed  only  at  Nubuhis  and  Yafa.'  There  may  have  been  an 
agent  of  the  community,  or  perhaps  a  family  or  two  then  at 
Yafa  ;  but  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  neither  they  nor  any  one 
else  spoke  of  any  Samaritans  except  at  Nabulus  ;  our  Samaritan 
guide  certainly  knew  of  no  other.'  It  appears  to  be  the  last  iso- 
lated remnant  of  a  remarkable  people,  clinging  now  for  more  than 
two  thousand  years  around  this  central  spot  of  their  religion  and 
history,  and  lingering  slowly  to  decay  ;  after  having  sur^'ived 
the  many  revolutions  and  convulsions,  which  in  that  long  inter- 
val have  swept  over  this  unhappy  land  ;  a  reed  continually  shaken 
with  the  wind,  but  bowing  betbre  the  storm. 

The  modern  history  of  Nabulus  and  the  surrounding  region, 
is  one  of  wars  and  rebellion.  These  districts  were  formerly 
regarded  as  among  the  most  dangerous  in  Palestine  ;  and  for 
this  reason,  during  the  whole  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the 
great  body  of  travellers  avoided  this  route,  and  passed  between 
Jerusalem  and  Nazareth  by  way  of  Yafe  and  'Akka.  The 
country  around  NabulUs  belonged  first  to  the  Pashalik  of  Da- 
mascus, and  then  nominally  to  that  of  'Akka  ;  but  the  inhabi- 
tants were  governed  by  their  own  chiefs,  who  were  invested  by 
the  Pasha.  They  were  known  as  a  restless  people,  continually 
in  dispute  with  each  other ;  frequently  in  insurrection  against 
the  government  ;  and  ever  ready  to  plunder  the  traveller,  who 
might  venture  among  them  without  proper  protection.  Even 
the  notorious  Jezzar  of  'Akka  never  succeeded  in  completely 
subduing  them  ;  and  Junot  with  a  body  of  fifteen  hundred 
French  soldiers  was  defeated  by  them.  Such  is  the  account  of 
Burckhardt ; '  and  when  too  Dr  Clarke  travelled  from  Nazareth 
to  Jerusalem  in  1^01,  he  had  a  military  escort,  and  found  the 
country  full  of  rebels.^  Indeed,  just  before  the  Egyptian  con- 
quest, the  fortress  of  Sanur,  often  the  strong  hold  of  rebels,  had 

'  De  Sacy  ibid.  p.  69.  his  own  imagination.  He  did  not  visit 
'  See  above  p.  27^.  Stephen  Schulz  Nibulns,  and  never  came  in  contact  with 
speaks  of  having  found  Samaritans  at  the  Samaritans.  Leitungen  des  Hochstea 
Antioch  ;  but  on  looking  further,  it  appears  Th.  IV.  pp.  3C0-371.  Paulus'  Sammhing, 
that  he  merely  fell  in  with  two  persons,  Th  VI.  pp.  2:^2-224. — Since  writing  the 
whom  he  chooses  t-o  call  Samaritans  on  above,  I  find  a  remark  of  Niebuhr  upon 
account  of  tlieir  behaviour ;  because,  he  this  very  pa.ssage  of  Schulz ;  he  supposes 
says  they  professed  to  be  .Muhamraedans,  the  persons  in  question  may  have  been 
Christians,  or  .Jens,  as  might  best  serve  of  the  Nu.sairiyeh  or  some  Mnhamniedan 
their  turn,  although  dressed  as  Muhamme-  sect ;  Reisebeschr.  II.  p  439.  The  de- 
dans !  There  is  not  the  slightest  evidence  scription  of  Schulz  is  indeed  very  similar  to 
that  the  good  credulous  man  heard  the  that  whicli  M.iu  idrell  gives  of  the  Xu- 
name  of  Samaritans  applied  to  them  by  sairiyeh  ;  see  Maundrell,  March  4th. 
any  one  but  liim-elf,  or  that  there  was  any  ^  Burckii.  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p  342. 
sort  of  ground  for  such  an  appellation  ;  and  '  Travels  in  the  Holy  Land  p.  505.  4tck. 
the  whole  matter  seems  a  mere  conceit  of 

Vol.  U.— 26  iii.  134,135 


302 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XrV. 


been  destroyed  by  Abdallab,  Pasha  of  'Akka,  after  a  siege  of 
several  montlis. 

Times  have  changed  under  the  Egyptian  government  ; 
which  lias  taken  the  administration  into  its  own  hands,  and 
crushed  the  power  of  the  popular  chiefs.  This  district  is  now 
quiet  and  safe,  like  the  rest  of  the  land.  Yet  this  state  of 
things  was  not  broxtght  about  without  a  struggle.  In  A.  D. 
1834,  on  occasion  of  a  levy,  the  people  of  the  district  of  Nabu- 
lus,  like  those  of  Jerusalem  and  Hebron,  rose  in  rebellion  against 
the  Egyptians.  The  insurrection  was  so  important,  that  Ibra- 
him Pasha  himself  took  command  of  the  troops  sent  to  quell 
it ;  and  encountering  a  body  of  the  insurgent  peasants  at  Zeita, 
a  village  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  province  of  Nabulus,  put 
them  to  tiight,  after  killing  ninety  men.  Another  large  body 
had  posted  themselves  at  Deir,  a  village  on  a  steep  hill  not  far 
from  Zeita  ;  they  were  in  hke  manner  defeated  by  storming  the 
hill ;  and  fled,  leaving  three  hundred  slain.  Ibrahim  now  re- 
paired with  his  troops  to  Nabulus,  and  the  whole  district  sub- 
mitted without  further  resistance.  Yet  the  war  continued  for 
a  still  longer  time  in  the  region  of  Hebron.' 


Friday,  June  15th.  We  rose  early,  awakened  by  the  songs 
of  nightingales  and  other  birds,  of  which  the  gardens  around  us 
were  full.  We  had  engaged  a  guide  as  far  as  to  Nazareth,  a. 
Christian  formerly  from  Beirut,  who  had  often  travelled  through 
the  country,  and  professed  to  know  all  about  it.  Our  plan  for 
to  day  was  to  visit  Sebustieh,  and  then  reach  Jenin. 

It  was  7  o'clock  before  we  set  off,  proceeding  down  the  valley 
at  first  W.  N.  W.  and  then  generally  north-west  on  the  way  to 
Sebustieh.  The  direct  road  for  Jenin  ascends  the  northern  hill 
at  once  from  Nabulus,  and  keeping  along  on  high  ground,  leaves 
Sebustieh  at  some  distance  on  the  left.  After  fifteen  minutes 
there  was  on  our  road  a  fine  large  fountain  by  the  path  ;  and 
near  by  we  met  a  string  of  camels  loaded  with  salt  from  el- 
'Arish,  where  it  is  gathered  on  the  flats  along  the  sea.  The 
whole  valley  of  Nabulus  is  full  of  fountains,  irrigating  it  most 
abundantly  ;  and  for  that  very  reason  not  flowing  off  in  any 
large  stream.  The  valley  is  rich,  fertile,  and  beautifully  green, 
as  might  be  expected  from  this  bountiful  supply  of  water.  The 
sides  of  the  valley  too,  the  continuation  of  Gerizim  and  Ebal, 
are  studded  with  villages,  some  of  them  large  ;  and  these  again 
are  surrounded  with  extensive  tilled  fields  and  olive  groves  ;  so 
that  the  whole  valley  presents  a  more  beautiful  and  inviting 

'  See,  for  an  account  of  these  events,  Mengin  Histoire  de  I'Eg^-pte,  etc.  de  I'liu 
1823  a  1'  an  1839.  pp.  73-77. 
iii.  U3,  13G 


JONK  15.] 


WAY  TO  SEBUSTIEH. 


303 


landscape  of  green  hills  and  dales,  than  perhaps  any  other  part 
of  Palestine.  It  is  the  deep  verdure  arising  from  the  abundance 
of  water,  which  gives  it  this  peculiar  charm  ;  in  the  midst  of  a 
land  where  no  rain  falls  in  summer,  and  where  of  course  the  face 
of  nature,  in  the  season  of  heat  and  drought,  assumes  a  brown 
and  dreary  aspect. 

As  we  descended  along  the  valley,  we  were  opposite  to 
Rafidia  at  7.20,  a  large  ^^llage  on  the  side  of  the  southern 
mountain,  inhabited  entirely  by  Christians  ;  and  said  to  contain 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  taxable  men,  or  nearly  five  hundred  in- 
habitants. At  the  same  time,  looking  down  the  valley,  we  could 
see  Beit  Lid  at  a  distance  upon  the  mountains,  beyond  where 
the  vaUey  turns  more  northwards,  bearing  N.  65°  W.  At  a 
quarter  before  eight,  the  \allage  Zawata  was  on  the  hill  side 
at  our  right ;  while  the  top  of  the  mountain  on  the  left  was 
crowned  by  a  ruined  village  called  Juneid.  Ten  minutes  further 
on,  Beit  Uzin  was  on  the  same  side  ;  and  at  8  o'clock  Beit  Iba, 
also  on  the  left  hand  slope.  For  some  time  a  fine  little  brook 
had  been  conducted  along  our  path,  somewhat  above  the  bottom 
of  the  valley  ;  and  at  this  point  (8  o'clock)  it  was  turned  into  a 
mill  race  or  aqueduct  with  twelve  unequal  pointed  arches,  lead- 
ing off  for  some  distance  across  the  valley  to  an  ordinary  Arab 
mill. '  Here  our  road  left  the  valley,  and  turned  up  the  hill  N. 
by  W.  Ten  minutes  brought  us  to  the  top  of  the  first  ascent, 
where  two  other  villages  came  in  sight ;  both  at  some  distance 
on  the  opposite  mountains. 

Our  way  continued  gradually  ascending,  and  crossed  a  high- 
er tract  of  uneven  ground,  which  declined  towards  the  west ; 
where  the  valley  of  Nabulus  bends  to  the  N.  N.  W.  and  passes  off 
on  the  left  of  Sebustieh.  Several  other  villages  were  now  with- 
in view  on  the  hills  west  of  the  valley  ;  while  below  us,  about 
half  an  hour  distant,  on  this  side  of  the  Wady,  lay  the  village 
Deir  Sheraf  A  fountain  was  on  our  way  at  8|  o'clock  ;  and 
ten  minutes  beyond,  we  reached  a  higher  point,  where  we  looked 
down  upon  Sebustieh  and  its  broad  noble  basin,  into  which  the 
valley,  coming  from  Nabulus,  may  be  said  to  spread  out.  AVe 
could  perceive  the  bed  of  the  Wady  as  it  passes  along  N.  N.  W. 
in  the  western  part  of  the  basin,  until  under  the  hiU  of  Eumin 
in  the  N.  W.  by  W.  it  again  bends  off  more  westwards,  and  de- 
scends towards  the  Mediterranean.  That  village  seemed  to  be 
about  an  hour  and  a  half  distant.^ 

'  This  would  be  hardly  worth  mention-  '  We  took  here  at  8  J  o'clock,  the  follow- 
ing, but  for  the  pompous  remark  of  Ri-  ing  bearings  :  Beit  Uzin  26'  E.  Juneid 
chardson  :  "  A  little  above  (!)  the  town  we  S.  22°  E  Beit  Ilia  S.  18°  E  Surra  S. 
saw  an  ancient  bridge  with  twelve  arches,  5°  W.  Deir  Sheraf  S.  45°  W.  Beit  Lid 
which  were  still  capable  of  maintaining  S.  75°  W.  Kefr  el-Lebad  N.  66°  W.  Ramia 
the  communication  between  the  two  sides  N.  55°  W.  Sebnstieh  N.  6°  W. 
of  the  valley  ! "    Travels  II.  p.  41 1. 

iu.  136-138 


304 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


We  now  liad  a  long  and  gradual  descent,  with  the  village 
en-iv  dkiirah  on  our  right,  into  the  southern  valley  out  of  which 
the  hill  of  Sehustieh  rises  ;  and  ascending  again  from  the  valley 
along  the  eastern  side  of  the  hill,  we  reached  that  place  at  ten 
minutes  past  nine  o'clock.  The  tine  round  swelhng  hill,  or 
almost  mountain,  of  Samaria,  stands  alone  in  the  midst  of  this 
great  basin  of  some  two  hours  in  diameter,  surrounded  by 
higher  mountains  on  every  side.  It  is  nearer  the  eastern  side 
of  the  basin  ;  and  is  indeed  connected  with  the  eastern  moun- 
tains, somewhat  after  the  manner  of  a  promontory,  by  a  much 
lower  ridge,  having  a  Wady  both  on  the  south  and  on  the  north. 
On  the  west  is  the  broad  valley,  running  northwards  as  it  comes 
down  from  Nabulus,  and  passing  oif  in  the  N.  N.  W.  to  the  sea. 
The  mountains  and  the  valleys  around  are  to  a  great  extent  ara- 
ble, and  enlivened  by  many  villages  and  the  hand  of  cultivation. 
From  all  these  circumstances,  the  situation  of  the  ancient  Sa- 
maria is  one  of  great  beauty.  The  hill  itself  is  cultivated  to 
the  top  ;  and,  at  about  midway  of  the  ascent,  is  surrounded  by 
a  narrow  terrace  of  level  land,  like  a  belt,  below  which  the  roots 
of  the  liill  spread  off  more  gradually  into  the  valleys.  Higher  up 
too  are  the  marks  of  slighter  terraces,  once  occupied  perhaps  by 
the  streets  of  the  ancient  city. 

The  road  by  which  we  had  come,  crosses  the  low  ridge  on  the 
east  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  passes  on  without  ascending  to 
the  village.  The  latter  hes  on  the  level  belt  just  described,  on 
the  east  side,  seventy  feet  or  more  above  the  road.  We  ascend- 
ed to  it  by  a  very  steep  and  winding  path,  among  ancient  foun- 
dations, arches,  walls,  and  the  like.  The"village  is  modern  ;  the 
houses  are  tolerably  built -of  stones  from  the  ancient  remains. 
The  inhabitants  have  the  reputation  of  being  restless  and  turbu- 
lent ;  and  our  missionary  friends  who  had  passed  this  way  a  few 
weeks  before,  with  ladies  in  their  company,  had  met  Avith  inci- 
vility, and  found  difficulty  in  examining  the  church.'  We  there- 
fore, on  entering  the  village,  took  care  to  show  off  our  old  guns  and' 
pistols  to  the  best  advantage,  in  order  to  inspire  the  people  with 
due  respect  for  our  strength  ;  and  either  from  this  circumstance, 
or  moi  e  probably  because  our  party  contained  only  men,  we 
encountered  here  only  the  same  ready  ciAolity,  which  we  had  ever 
met  with  elsewhere. 

The  first  object  which  presents  itself,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  most  conspicuous  ruin  of  the  place,  is  the  church  dedicated 
to  St.  John  the  Baptist,  erected  over  the  spot  where  a  tradition 
of  long  standing  has  fixed  the  place  of  his  burial,  if  not  of  hiis 
martyrdom.    The  eastern  end  overhangs  the  brow  of  the  steep 

'  Cotovictis  complains,  that  he  and  his  party  met  here  tlie  same  incivility,  and 
even  outrajrp,  in  his  day ;  Itin.  p.  345. 

iii.  138-140 


JCNE  15.] 


SEBUSTIEH. — EriXED  CHURCH. 


305 


descent  below  the  village.  It  is  quite  entire  ;  and  arrests  the  at- 
tention of  the  traveller  long  before  he  reaches  Sebustieh.  The 
church  is  approached  from  the  west,  where  is  a  narrow  sunken 
court.  The  walls  remain  entire  to  a  considerable  height,  enclos- 
ing a  large  space  ;  in  which  are  now  a  mosk  and  the  small 
building  over  the  tomb.  The  dimensions  of  the  church  are,  by 
measurement,  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  feet  long  inside,  be- 
sides a  porch  of  ten  feet,  and  seventy-five  feet  broad. 

The  alcove  for  the  altar,  occupying  the  greater  part  of  the 
eastern  end,  which  thus  assumes  a  rounded  form,  is  rather  an 
imposing  piece  of  mixed  architecture.  The  Greek  style  predom- 
inates in  it  ;  the  arches  of  the  windows  are  round,  and  the 
whole  alcove  is  highly  ornamented,  especially  on  the  outside. 
But  the  upper  arches  on  the  inside  of  the  alcove  are  pointed  ; 
as  are  also  the  great  arches  in  the  body  of  the  church.  These 
latter  rest  on  columns  belonging  to  no  order  of  architecture  ;  the 
capitals  are  indeed  Corinthian  in  shape  and  size,  but  are  decora- 
ted with  ornaments  resembling  the  trunk  of  the  palm  tree.  The 
windows  are  high  up  and  narrow  ;  and  the  whole  church  has  at 
the  same  time  an  air  of  military  defence.  On  the  outside  of  the 
southern  wall  are  slender  buttresses  ;  I  should  have  presumed 
the  same  of  the  northern  wall,  but  some  traveller  describes  this 
as  plain.  In  one  place  inside,  two  or  three  large  marble  tablets 
are  built  into  a  modem  wall,  on  which  are  sculptured  in  relief 
many  crosses  of  the  order  of  the  knights  of  St.  John  ;  of  these 
the  Muhammedans  have  broken  off  the  upright  part,  so  that 
the  tablets  now  exhibit  only  horizontal  bars. 

The  architecture  necessarily  limits  the  antiquitj'  of  this  edi- 
fice to  the  period  of  the  crusades  ;  though  it  is  not  improbable 
that  a  portion  of  the  eastern  end  may  be  of  an  earher  date. 
Common  tradition,  as  in  so  many  other  cases,  falsely  ascribes 
this  church  to  Helena.'  The  presence  of  so  many  crosses  of  the 
knights  of  St.  John,  and  the  circumstance  that  the  spot  was 
regarded  as  the  sepulchre  of  their  patron  saint,  go  to  render  it 
probable,  that  the  church  may  have  been  erected  by  that  order, 
in  connection  perhaps  with  the  Latin  bishopric  ;  but  I  have 
been  able  to  find  no  historical  testimony  to  that  effect. 

Under  a  Wely  in  the  enclosure  of  the  church,  is  the  reputed 
sepulchre  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  the  tomb  of  Xeby  Yehy^i,  as 
the  Arabs  call  it ;  a  little  chamber  excavated  deep  in  the  rock, 
to  which  the  descent  is  by  twenty-one  steps.  In  progress  of 
time  tradition  has  confounded  the  sepulchre  of  the  saint,  with 
his  prison  and  place  of  execution  ;  and  this  vault  is  now,  and 
has  been  for  centuries,  shown  also  as  the  latter.  Yet  Josephus 
relates  expres.sly,  that  John  was  beheaded  in  the  castle  of  Ma- 

'  See  YoL  L  p.  375. 
Vol.  11.— 2e*  iii.  140. 141 


306 


FROM  NABULU8  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


cliaerus  on  the  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  ;  and  Eusebius  copies  this 
testimony,  thereby  showing  that  no  other  credible  tradition  was 
extant  in  his  day.' — It  is  hardly  probable  that  the  discii^les  of 
J ohn,  who  "  came  and  took  up  the  body,  and  buried  it,"^  first 
transported  it  all  the  way  to  Samaria  ;  nor  does  Eusebius,  in 
describing  Samaria,  make  any  mention  of  this  sepulchre  in  his 
day.'  The  tradition  seems  however  to  have  sprung  up  not  long 
after,  and  to  have  become  already  quite  current  in  the  days  of 
Jerome  ;  who  several  times  speaks  of  Samaria  as  distinguished 
particularly  for  containing  the  sepulchre  of  John  the  Baptist,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  prophets  Elisha  and  Obadiah.*  In  the  same 
century,  according  to  later  writers,  the  heathen,  during  the  reign 
of  Julian  the  Apostate,  about  A.  D.  361,  had  broken  open  the 
sepulchre,  burnt  the  bones,  and  scattered  the  ashes  to  the  winds.' 
Some  such  event  may  probably  have  had  something  to  do  with 
the  greater  currency  of  the  tradition,  if  not  with  its  origin. 
Early  in  the  eighth  century,  we  begin  to  find  Sebaste  marked 
also  as  the  place  of  the  Baptist's  imprisonment  and  death 
and  this  legend  having  become  more  definite  and  fuU  during  the 
time  of  the  crusades,  has  maintained  itself  more  or  less  even  in 
the  mouths  of  the  Muhammedans,  until  the  present  day.  The 
church  is  first  mentioned  by  Phocas,  about  A.  D.  1185  ;  though 
probably  a  former  one  had  existed  here  at  a  much  earlier  date.'' 
The  ■\-illage  itself  presents  no  other  ruin  of  importance,  un- 
less it  be  a  square  tower  adjacent  to  the  church  on  the  south, 
the  bottom  of  which  is  surmounted  by  a  mass  of  sloping  work. 
Manj-  fragments  of  ancient  columns  and  sculpture,  are  also 
built  into  the  modern  dwellings.  We  now  ascended  the  hill 
towards  the  west,  and  came  soon  to  the  threshing-fioors  of  the 
village.  They  were  still  in  full  operation  ;  although  the  harvest 
seemed  to  be  chiefly  gathered  in.    Here  we  first  feU  in  with  the 


'  Joseph.  Antiq.  18.  5.  2.  Euseb.  Hist. 
Ecc.  1.  11. 

»  Matt.  14,  12. 

'  Euseb.  Onomast  art.  Scmeron,  'So/it- 
puv. 

*  Thus  ill  the  Onomast.  in  translating  the 
article  of  Eusebius,  he  adds :  "  Ubi  S 
Joannis  reliquiae  condita  sunt ;"  Onomast. 
urt.  Saneron.  So  Comm.  in  Obad.  i.  1, 
"  Sepiilcnim  ejus  (Obadiae)  usque  hodie 
cum  mausoleo  Elistei  Prophets;  ct  Baptis- 
ts Joliannis  in  Seba.'^te  veneratione  habe- 
tur,  qua^  olim  Samaria  dicebatur  "  Various 
other  pa.'isapes  are  cited  in  full  by  Kelaiid, 
Palajst.  pp  980,  981. 

Tlieodoret  Hist.  Ecc.  3.  7.  Chron. 
Pasch  A.  D.  361.    Kcland  Pal.  p  !)81 

•  Job.  Damnscen.  (ob.  7,')(),)  Orat  III. 
p.  36S ;  comp.  ^\'esselillf;"s  Note  on  Hi<'ro- 
cles  in  Vet  Komauor.  Itin.  ed  Wesiol.  p. 

iii.  l  U-Uli 


"18.  Amst.  1735.  St  Willibald  in  the 
ninth  century  mentions  only  the  tombs  cf 
John,  Elisha,  and  Obadiah ;  Hodccpor.  p. 
378,  ed.  Mabillon.  ' 

^  Phocas  describes  the  vault  as  the  pri- 
son of  John,  where  he  was  beheaded ;  and 
first  mentions  the  church;  De  Locis  Sanct. 
§  12.  Brocardus  speaks  only  of  the 
church  as  erected  in  honour  of  the  Baptist; 
c.  7.  p.  177.  Sir  John  Maundeville  also 
mentions  onlv  the  tomb  and  church  ;  p. 
107.  Lond.  ]83<).  But  the  full  legend  of 
imprisonment,  death,  and  burial,  is  found 
again  in  William  of  Baldensel  A.  I).  I3.S6, 
p.  3r>3 ;  and  also  in  Cotovicus  (p.  346), 
Delia  Valle.  and  other  travellers.  Quares- 
miiis  rejects  the  story  of  imprisonment  and 
death  at  Samaria,  but  not  the  burial ;  II. 
p.  8 1 1  sq. 


JtoteIS.]     SEBUSTIEH. — THBESHI^'G  SLEDGE,  COLUMNS,  ETC.  307 

sled  or  sledge,  as  used  for  threshing.  It  consists  simply  of  two 
planks,  fastened  together  side  bv  side,  and  bent  upwards  in 
front  ;  precisely  like  the  common  stone  sledge  of  ^ew  England, 
though  less  heavy.  Many  holes  are  bored  in  the  bottom  under- 
neath, and  into  these  are  fixed  sharp  fragments  of  hard  stone. 
The  machine  is  dragged  bv  the  oxen  as  thev  are  driven  round 
upon  the  grain  ;  sometimes  a  man  or  boy  sits  upon  it  ;  but  we 
did  not  see  it  otherwise  loaded.  The  effect  of  it  is,  to  cut  up 
the  straw  quite  fine.  We  afterwards  saw  this  instrument  fre- 
quently in  the  north  of  Palestine. 

The  whole  hill  of  Sebfistieh  consists  of  fertile  soil  ;  it  is  now 
cultivated  to  the  top,  and  has  upon  it  many  olive  and  fig  trees. 
The  ground  has  been  ploughed  for  centuries  ; '  and  hence  it  is 
now  in  vain  to  look  here  for  the  foundations  and  stones  of  the 
ancient  city.  They  have  been  either  employed  in  the  construc- 
tions of  the  later  village  ;  or  removed  from  the  soil  in  order  to 
admit  the  plough  ;  or  have  been  covered  over  by  the  long  course 
of  tillage.'  Yet  on  approaching  the  summit,  we  came  suddenly 
■upon  an  area  once  surrounded  by  limestone  columns,  of  which 
fifteen  are  still  standing  and  two  prostrate.  They  measured 
seven  feet  nine  inches  in  circumference.  How  many  more  have 
been  broken  up  and  carried  away,  no  one  can  teU.  We  could 
not  distinguish  the  order  of  their  architecture  ;  nor  is  there  any 
trace  of  foundations  round  about,  which  might  afford  a  clue  to 
the  nature  of  the  edifice.  Phocas  and  Brocardus  describe  the 
top  of  the  hill,  as  occupied  in  their  day  by  a  Greek  church  and 
monastery  f  and  these  columns  may  possibly  have  been  connected 
with  the  former.  Yet  they  certainly  have  much  more  the  ap- 
pearance of  having  once  belonged  to  a  heathen  temple. 

The  view  from  the  summit  of  the  hill  presents  a  splendid 
panorama  of  the  fertile  basin  and  the  mountains  around,  teeming 
with  large  villages  ;  and  includes  also  a  long  extent  of  the 
Mediterranean,  not  less  than  twenty-five  degrees,  between  W. 
by  N.  and  X.  "W.  Xabulus  is  not  here  visible  ;  but  so  near  as 
•we  conld  judge  of  its  direction,  it  must  bear  about  S,  36°  E.^ 
Many  other  places  were  pointed  out  to  us  by  an  inhabitant  of  the 
village.* 


'  Cotovicus  in  the  sixteenth,  and  von 
Troilo  in  the  next  centnry,  speak  of  the 
ground  as  strowed  with  masses  of  ruins, 
which  is  not  now  the  case.  Cotov.  p.  345. 
Von  Troilo  p.  409.  Dresd.  1676. 

'  Phocas  §  12.    Brocardns  c.  7.  p.  177. 

'  Schubert,  aa  we  have  seen,  p.  276 
above,  makes  tbe  elevation  of  X.-ibnlus  1 751 
French  tt.et ;  that  of  Sebfistieh  he  gives 
at  92G  fee:  above  the  sea ;  Beise  IIL  p. 
160.    I  think  this  latter  number  must  be 


wrong  ;  for  Nibulus  lies  in  the  valley,  and. 
Scbustieh  lies  much  higher  than  the  same 
valley  .^ome  two  hours  farther  northwest. 
So  that  even  admitting  that  the  valley 
falls  in  this  distance  800  feet  (which  is 
hardly  possible),  yet  still  Sebustieh  would 
not  be  more  than  three  or  four  hundred 
feet  lower  than  Xabulus.  The  actual  dif- 
ference is  probably  not  so  great. 

■*  These  bore  as  follows :  Beit  Iba  on 
the  southern  hiU  west  of  Xibulus  S.  15' 
ill.  143. 144 


308 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


Descending  the  hill  on  the  W.  S.  W.  we  came  to  the  very 
remarkable  colonnade,  which  once  ran  from  this  point  along  the 
belt  of  level  ground  on  the  south  side  of  the  hill,  apparently  quite 
around  to  the  site  of  the  present  village.  It  begins  at  a  mass 
of  ruins  on  this  quarter  of  the  hill,  which  may  have  been  a 
temple,  or  more  probably  an  arch  of  triumph  or  something  of 
the  like  kind,  looking  out  W.  N.  W.  over  the  green  valley  and 
towards  the  sea  ;  forming  apparently  the  entrance  of  the  city  on 
this  side.  From  here,  the  colonnade  runs  E.  S.  E.  for  about  a 
thousand  feet,  and  then  curves  to  the  left,  following  the  base  of 
the  hill.  In  the  western  part,  about  sixty  limestone  columns  are 
still  erect,  most  of  them  on  ground  recently  ploughed  ;  and 
farther  east  are  some  twenty  more  standing  irregiilarly,  at  various 
intervals.  Many  more  than  these  lie  prostrate  ;  and  we  could 
trace  whole  columns  or  fragments  nearly  or  quite  to  the  village. 
The  columns  which  we  measured,  were  sixteen  feet  high,  two 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  one  foot  eight  inches  at  the 
top.  The  capitals  are  gone  ;  we  could  nowhere  find  a  trace  of 
them  remaining.  The  width  of  the  colonnade  was  fifty  feet. 
We  measured  from  the  western  end  for  more  than  1900  feet, 
and  were  afterwards  satisfied  that  it  extended  for  a  thousand  feet 
or  more  further  ;  making  its  whole  length  not  much  less  than 
three  thousand  feet. 

This  colonnade  is  probably  to  be  referred  to  the  time  of 
Herod  the  Great  ;  who,  as  we  shall  see,  rebuilt  and  adorned 
Samaria  with  splendid  structiires.  But  the  purpose  of  the 
work,  and  the  edifice  it  was  intended  to  decorate,  are  ahke  un- 
known ;  and  these  columns  now  stand  solitary  and  mournful  in 
the  midst  of  ploughed  fields,  the  skeletons  as  it  were  of  depart- 
ed glory. 

I  find  no  mention  of  this  colonnade  by  travellers  before  the 
present  century,  except  in  very  general  terms.'  There  were 
said  to  be  likewise  columns  on  the  north  side  of  the  hill ;  which, 
however,  time  did  not  permit  us  to  seek  out. 

Sebustieh  is  the  Arabic  form  of  Sebaste,  another  foreign 

E.    Surra  S.1°E.    Deir  Sheraf  S.  7°  W.  Mart.  Apol.  lib.  H.  Euseb.  Hist.  Ecc.  2. 13. 

Kuryet  Jit  S.  51°  W.    Beit  Lid  S.  05°  W.  See  more  in  Reland  Fairest,  p.  813sq.— In 

Kefr  Lebad  N.  72°  W.    Ramin  N.  70°  W.  the  fonner  edition,  TiM  Keram  was  spoken 

Biz.'iria  N.  30°  W.     Burka  N.  6°  E.    Beit  of  as  in  sigiit,  wliich  is  not  tlie  case. 

Imrin  X.  60'  E.    Xuss  Ijbeil  N.  80°  E.  There  was  also  an  interchange  of  Ri'iniin 

^jni.'-nia  S    78°  E.    esh-Sheikh  Sha'leh,  and  Kefr  Lebad. 

Wely,  S.  G0°  E.   en-Nakurah  S.  40  E. —       '  Maundrell  mentions  only  the  columns 

The  village  Kuryet  Jit  lies  on  the  hills  be-  on  the  hill,  or,  as  he  says,  on  the  north; 

yoiid  the  W'ady  of  Nubulus,  and  is  probably  March   24th.     Morison  speaks  of  over 

the  Gitta  (T'lTra)  mentioned  by  Justin  200  columns  on  the  west  and  south;  by 

Martyr,  Kusebius,aiid  other  ancient  writcM-s,  which  he  probably  means  the  colonnade  ; 

as  a  village  in  the  region  of  Samaria,  the  p.  231.    It  seems  to  be  first  described  by 

reputed  birth  place  of  Simon  Magus.  Just.  Buckingham  ;  p.  514.  4to. 

iii.  144.  145 


Joss  15.]  SEBUSTIEH,  SECASTE,  SAMARIA.  309 

Greek  appellation,  wliich  since  the  days  of  Herod  has  continued 
to  usurp  the  place  of  the  earlier  name  Samaria.  This  ancient 
city,  the  later  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes,  was  built 
by  Omri  king  of  Israel,  about  925  B.  C.  after  he  had  purchased 
the  hill  from  Shemer  its  owner,  from  whom  the  city  took  its 
name. '  The  site  of  this  capital  was  therefore  a  chosen  one  ;  and 
it  would  be  difficult  to  find,  in  all  Palestine,  a  situation  of  equal 
strength,  fertility,  and  beauty  combined.  In  all  these  particu- 
lars, it  has  very  orreatlv  the  advantasre  over  Jerusalem.  It  con- 
tinned  to  be  the  capital  of  Israel  for  two  centuries,  and  until 
the  carrying  away  of  the  ten  tubes  by  Shalmaneser,  under  king 
Hoshea,  about  720  B.  C*  During  all  this  time  it  was  the  seat 
of  idolatry  ;  and  is  often  denounced  by  the  prophets,  sometimes 
in  connection  with  Jerusalem.'  Here  too  was  the  scene  of  many 
of  the  acts  of  the  pro^ihets  Elijah  and  Elisha,  connected  with 
the  various  famines  in  the  land,  the  unexpected  plenty  in  Sama- 
ria, and  the  various  deliverances  of  the  city  from  the  Syrians.* 

Afrer  the  carrying  away  of  the  ten  tribes,  Samaria  appears 
to  have  continued,  for  a  time  at  least,  as  the  chief  city  of  the 
foreigners  brought  into  their  place  ;  though  Sichem  (Nabulus), 
as  we  have  seen,  soon  became  the  capital  of  the  Samaritans  as 
a  religious  sect.  It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  distinguish,  whether 
under  the  name  Samaria,  the  city  or  the  region  is  meant.'  John 
Hyrcanus  took  the  city  after  a  year's  siege,  and  razed  it  to  the 
ground.'  Yet  it  must  soon  have  revived  ;  for  we  find  Samaria 
not  long  after  mentioned  still  as  in  the  possession  of  the  Jews ; 
Pompey  restored  it  to  its  own  inhabitants  ;  and  it  was  afterwards 
built  up  again  by  Gabinius.' — Augustus,  after  the  death  of 
Antony  and  Cleopatra,  bestowed  Samaria  on  Herod  the  Great ; 
who  ultimately  rebuilt  the  city  with  great  magnificence  and 
strength,  and  gave  it  the  name  Sebaste  in  honour  of  Augustus.' 
Here  he  placed  a  colony  of  six  thousand  persons,  composed 
partly  of  veteran  soldiers,  and  partly  of  people  from  the  coun- 
try round  about  ;  enlarged  the  circumference  of  the  city  ;  and 
erected  around  it  a  strong  wall,  twenty  stadia  in  circuit.  In  the 
midst  of  the  city,  he  left  a  sacred  place  of  a  fiirlong  and  a  half, 
splendidly  decorated  ;  and  here  he  erected  a  temple  in  honour 
of  Augustus,  which  was  celebrated  for  its  magnitude  and  beauty. 

'  1  K.  lt;,-23.  24.  Jos.  Antdq.  8.  12.  3.  »  Jer.  41,  5.  Ezra  4,  10.  17.  Xeh.  4, 

*  2  K.  17,  3.  5  sq.  2.   1  Mace.  5,  66.  2  Mace.  13,  1. 

'  Ahab  built  here  a  temple  of  Baal,  1  •  Joseph.  Ant.  13.  10.  3.    B.  J.  1.  2.  ". 

K.  16,  32.  33.    Jehu  destroyed  this  tem-  '  Jos.  Ant  13.  13.  4.    ib.  14.  4.  4.  ib. 

pie,  2  K.  10,  18-23.    Prophetic  denuncia-  14.  5.  3. 

tions  see  in  Is.  9,  8  sq.    Jer.  23,  13.  14.  "  Jos.  Ant.  15.  7.  3.  B.  J.  1.  20.  3. 

Ez.  IC,  4G-.-).'-..    Am.  6,  1.    SEc.  1,  1  sq.  Comp.  Ant.  15.  7.  7.  ib.  15.  8.  5.— The 

See  also  Hos.  8,  .")-14.    Am.  4,  1.  etc.  name  Sebaste  is  the  Greek  translation  of 

■*  1  K.  17,  1.   18,  1.  2  sq.  c.  20.    2  K.  the  Latin  epithet  or  name  Augusta. 
6,  24.  c.  7. 

iii.  146. 147 


310 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XrV. 


The  wliole  city  was  greatly  ornamented  ;  and  became  a  strong 
fortress.'  Such  was  apparently  the  Samaria  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, where  Philip  preached  the  Gospel,  and  a  church  was 
gathered  by  the  apostles.'' — That  the  colonnade  now  seen  along 
the  southern  side  of  the  hill,  was  connected  with  the  temple 
just  mentioned,  although  not  in  itself  improbable,  is  yet  more 
perhaps  than  we  are  warranted  certainly  to  affirm. 

In  the  next  following  centuries  we  know  nothing  of  Sebaste, 
except  from  its  coins  ;  of  which  there  are  several,  extending  from 
Nero  to  Geta  the  brother  of  Caracalla.^  Septimius  Severus 
appears  also  to  have  established  there  a  Roman  colony,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  third  century.^  Eusebius  scarcely  mentions 
the  city  as  extant ;  but  Jerome  speaks  frequently  of  it,  as  do 
other  writers  of  the  same  and  a  later  age.^  Samaria  early  be- 
came an  episcopal  see.  The  bishop  Marius  or  Marinus  was 
present  at  the  council  of  Nicea  in  A.  D.  325  ;  and  the  names 
of  six  others  are  preserved,  the  last  of  whom,  Pelagius,  at- 
tended the  synod  at  Jerusalem  in  A.  D.  536.*  The  name 
of  this  see  occurs  in  the  earlier  Greek  Notitice,  and  also  in 
the  later  Latin  ones.^  The  city  fell,  with  Nabulus,  into  the 
power  of  the  Muhammedans  during  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  ; 
but  we  hear  nothing  more  of  it,  until  the  time  of  the  crusades, 
except  the  slight  mention  by  St.  Willibald,  in  the  ninth  century.' 
At  what  time  the  splendid  city  of  Herod  was  laid  in  ruins,  we 
are  nowhere  informed  ;  but  all  the  notices  of  the  fourth  century 
and  later,  would  rather  lead  us  to  infer,  that  the  destruction  had . 
already  taken  place  before  that  early  period. 

The  crusaders  afford  us  little  information  as  to  the  Sebaste 
of  their  day.  They  established  here  a  Latin  bishopric,  of  which 
RajTicr  is  first  mentioned  as  the  occupant,  about  A.  D.  1155  ; 
and  the  title  was  continued  in  the  Romish  church  until  the 
fourteenth  century.'  Saladin  marched  through  it  in  A.  D.  1184, 
on  his  retreat  from  Kerak.'"  Benjamin  of  Tudela  describes  it 
as  a  strong  place,  situated  on  a  hiU,  watered  with  rivulets,  and 
abounding  in  gardens,  orchards,  vineyards,  and  olive  trees.'' 
Phocas  and  Brocardus  speak  only  of  the  church  and  tomb  of 

'  Jos.  Ant  15.  8.  5.   B.  J.  1.  21.  2.  citations  in  Relnnd  Falsest,  pp.  979-981. 

Strabo  16.  2.  .34.  "  Lablw  Concil.  U.  c.  .51.  V.  c.  286. 

^  Acts  8,  5.  9  sq.  Rel.ind  Pal.  p.  983.    Le  Quien  Or.  Chr. 

'  Eckhel  Doctr.  Numm.  III.  p.  440.  III.  p.  650  sq. 

Mionnct  M'd.  antiq.  V.  p.  513.  '  Roland  Pal.  pp.  215,  220,  222,  228. 

*  Ulpi.in.  Leg.  I.  do  Censibus  :  "  Divus  *  See  above,  p.  29.5.   St.  Willibald.  Ho- 

quoque  Severus  in  Scb.asteiiam  civitatem  deep.  p.  378,  ed.  Mabillon. 

coloniain  deduxit."  Coins  of  Julia  Domna  "  Will.  Tyr.  18.  6.  Jac.  do  Vitr.  56.  p. 

the  wife  of  Severus,  bear  also  the  inscrip-  1077.    See  genr.  Le  Quien  Oriens  Chr. 

tion  COL.  SEBASTE.     CeUarius  Notit.  III.  p.  12!)0  sq. 

Orb.  IL  p.  432.  Abulfeda  Annal.  A.  H.  580.  See 

'  Epist.  86,  Epitaph.  Pante  p.  677.   See  above,  p.  296. 

above,  p.  301.    See  also  the  numerous  "  Benj.  of  Tud.  I.  p.  65. 

ui.  147-149 


Jl^tE  15.] 


SEBUSTIEH,  SAMARIA,  ETC. 


311 


John  the  Baptist,  and  of  the  Greek  church  and  monastery  near 
the  summit  of  the  hill. '  Similar  slisrht  notices  are  found  in  the 
travellers  of  the  fourteenth,  sixteenth,  and  seventeenth  centuries  ;* 
in  the  eighteenth  it  appears  not  to  have  heen  noticed  at  all ; 
■whUe  in  the  present  century  it  has  agaiu  been  often  visited  and 
described.'  There  are  in  Sebustieh  a  few  Greek  Christians;  and 
a  titular  Greek  bishop  of  Sebaste  resides  in  the  convent  at  Jeru- 
salem.^ 


From  Sebustieh  two  roads  lead  into  the  direct  route  from 
Nabulus  to  Jenin.  The  easiest  meets  it  at  Beit  Imrin,  a  village 
on  that  route,  distant  from  Sebustieh  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  N. 
60^  E.  By  this  we  despatched  our  sen'ants  and  baggage,  while 
we  were  occupied  in  looking  at  the  ruins.  The  other  road  leads 
over  the  high  ridge,  which  shuts  in  the  basin  on  the  north. 
This  we  took.  Leaving  Sebustieh  at  10.40,  we  descended  into 
the  northern  valley  ;  and  then  ascending  the  range  of  hills 
bevond,  we  came  at  11.20  to  Burka,  a  larore  villacre  situated 
upon  a  sort  of  terrace  on  the  side  of  the  northern  ridge,  over- 
looking the  whole  basin  of  Sebustieh.'  Like  all  the  villages  of 
these  parts,  it  is  surrounded  by  extensive  olive  groves.  At  llf 
o'clock  we  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge  beyond,  by  a  steeper 
ascent,  and  had  a  noble  prospect  of  the  fine  basin  behind  us  ; 
of  the  Mediterranean  upon  our  left ;  and  also  a  view  before  us 
of  another  of  those  beautiful  plains,  which  characterize  this 
region  in  distinction  from  that  of  Jerusalem.  It  was  a  fine 
broad  valley  running  from  east  to  west,  divided  into  two  parts  at 
some  distance  on  our  right,  by  irregular  rocky  hills,  projecting 
into  it  from  the  north.  The  eastern  portion  appeared  here 
green  and  beautiful,  extending  far  eastward  like  an  oval  plain  ; 
on  its  northwest  side  lies  Sanur,  which  was  not  here  visible. 
The  western  part  was  narrower,  less  regular,  and  less  rich, 
running  ofi"  westwards  towards  the  Mediterranean,  but  not 
uniting  with  the  valley  of  Nabulus  and  Sebustieh.  Many 
villages  lay  before  us  in  various  dii-ections,  scattered  upon  the 
lower  hills  beyond  the  valley  ;  but  in  consequence  of  the  igno- 

'  Phocas  §  12.    Brocardus  c.  7.  p.  177.  npon  Mmself  or  others,  or  even  to  suggest 

'  William  of  Baldensel  A.  D.  133(5,  p.  the  idea,  that  the  fortress  of  SAniir  (his 

353.    Sir  J.  Mannde-iille,  p.  107.  Lond.  Santorri)  might  hare  heen  the  site  of  the 

1839.     Zuallart  p.  245.     Cotovicns  p.  ancient  Samaria  and  Sebaste,  merelv  be- 

34.5.    Delia  Valle  IL  p.  ICS.  Paris  1745.  cause  he  did  not  happen  to  see  Sebustieh. 

Quaresmins  Hp.  811  sq.      Matmdrell  See  above,  VoL  I.  p.  434,  n.  2. 

March  24.  Morison  p.  231.  'See  Vol.  L  p.  425. 

'  It  is  absolutelv  unpardonable  in  Dr  '  From  Burka  the  bearing  of  Sebustieh 

Clarke,  that  he  should  attempt  to  impose  is  S.  6'  AV. 

iii.  149, 150 


312 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


ranee  of  our  guide,  we  failed  to  obtain  the  names  of  many  of 
them.  He  indeed  was  always  ready  with  a  name  ;  but  we 
discovered  by  cross  examination,  that  he  did  not  always  give  the 
same ;  and  therefore  recorded  only  such  as  were  confinned  by 
other  testimony.' 

We  now  descended  obliquely  along  the  northern  side  of  the 
ridge  on  a  general  course  E.  N.  E.  We  reached  at  12.20  a 
small  village  called  Fendekumieh,'^  Ijing  up  some  distance  on 
the  hill  side,  with»several  fountains  near  it.  We  continued  on 
the  same  course,  stiQ  along  the  slope,  with  the  fine  valley  below 
us  on  the  left ;  and  at  12|  o'clock  came  to  Jeba',  a  large  village, 
or  rather  town,  on  the  slope  of  the  range  of  hills,  which  at  this 
point  are  much  lower  than  where  we  had  crossed  further  west. 
In  the  village  is  a  tower ;  and  there  is  quite  an  appearance 
of  antiquity.  The  name,  too,  marks  it  decidedly  as  another 
ancient  Geba  or  Gibeah  ;  but  I  am  not  aware  of  any  notice  of 
a  pilace  of  that  name  in  this  quarter,  unless  it  be  the  Gahe 
mentioned  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  sixteen  Eoman  miles  from 
Cassarea.^  Here  we  fell  into  the  direct  Nabulus  road  ;  and 
descending  to  a  fine  fountain  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  found  our 
servants  and  baggage  waiting  our  arrival.  We  halted  under  the 
shade  of  the  ohve  trees  to  dine. 

Setting  off  again  at  half  past  2  o'clock,  we  continued  on  the 
same  course  for  twenty  minutes  ;  when  we  passed  the  narrowest 
part  of  the  valley,  a  stony  dell,  and  emerging  iipon  the  open 
plain  beyond,  turned  northeast.  Here  Sanur  came  in  sight  ;  a 
ruin  on  an  almost  isolated  rocky  hill  before  us.  Fifteen  minutes 
further  brought  us  to  the  apparent  water-summit  in  the  plain  ; 
beyond  which  the  waters  no  longer  flow  westwards.  The  valley 
opens  out  gradually  into  an  extensive  plain  on  the  east  of 
Saniir.  At  3.10,  a  spot  was  pointed  out  on  our  left,  where  a 
weekly  fair  is  held,  which  is  frequented  by  the  neighbouring 
peasants.  At  the  same  time  the  villages  of  Meithelun  and 
Misilya  were  in  sight  upon  our  right ;  the  former  bearing  E.^S. 

'  The  places  which  we  ascertained,  bore  hour  to  Sebustieh  ;  March  24th.  Morison 
as  follows :  Sebustieh  S.  15^  W.  Surra  describes  tlie  well  as  on  a  hill,  and  the 
S.  3°  W.  'A_\jeh  N.  n"  E.  Fahmeh  N.  village  lower  down  upon  the  slope ;  p.  229. 
6°  W.  er-Rnmeh  N.  6'  W. — Among  the  This  Sileh  is  marked  in  on  our  lists  in  con- 
Tillages  which  wo  thus  lost,  was  probably  nection  with  'A_iieh,  'Arrabeh,  and  Kalimeh ; 
Sileh,  or  Silet  ed-Dahr,  "  Sileh  of  the  and  from  the  description  of  these  travellers, 
summit,"  as  it  is  called  in  distinction  from  would  seem  to  be  perhaps  on  the  same 
the  Sileh  west  of  Jenin,  near  the  plain  of  slope  as  Fendekumieh,  but  further  west. 
Esdraelon.  Maundrell  in  passing  by  a  di-  ^  This  name  is  doubtless  an  ancient 
rect  route  from  el-Le_ijun  to  Sebfistieh,  had  Pontacomia,  'nevraKOjxia.  But  I  find  no 
the  two  villages  'Arrabeh  and  Itameh  at  ancient  place  of  tiiis  name  mentioned,  ex- 
his  left  on  the  hills;  and  came  thence  iu  cept  in  Patestina  Tcrtia,  east  of  the  Dead 
an  hour  to  a  well  called  Sileh,  after  the  Sea.  Rel.  Pal.  pp.  215,  218,  223,  227,  925. 
nearest  village  ;  from  this  point  he  was  an       '  Onomast.  art.  Gabathon. 

iii.  150, 151 


JOHE  15.] 


JEBA*.  SANUR. 


313 


distant  about  half  an  hour,  and  the  latter  E.  by  N.  perhaps  an 
hour  distant.  We  passed  along  the  base  of  the  hill  on  which 
Sanilr  stands  at  3.20,  having  the  village  and  ruin  over  us  upon 
the  left. 

This  is  a  village  and  former  fortress,  situated  on  a  round 
rocky  hill  of  considerable  elevation,  almost  insulated  in  the 
plain,  being  connected  with  the  lower  mountains  in  the  north- 
west only  by  a  low  rocky  ridge.  The  village  was  once  consider- 
able. The  fortress  was  formerly  very  strong  ;  and  so  far  as  the 
situation  is  concerned,  might  easily  have  been  made  impregna- 
ble. It  belonged  to  one  of  the  independent  Sheikhs  of  the 
country  ;  who,  although  nominally  subject  to  the  Turkish  Pa- 
sha, was  not  always  ready  to  yield  him  obedience.  The  notori- 
ous Jezzar  with  five  thousand  men  once  besieged  the  Sheikh  for 
two  months  in  his  strong  hold,  without  success.'  More  than 
thirty  years  later,  the  chieftain  having  placed  himself  in  open 
rebellion  against  the  late  Abdallah  Pasha  of  'Akka,  that  officer 
laid  siege  to  the  fortress  in  1830,  the  year  before  'Akka  itself 
was  invested  by  the  Egyptian  army.  With  the  aid  of  troops 
from  the  Emir  Beshir  of  Mount  Lebanon,  he  finally  succeeded 
in  taking  the  place,  after  a  siege  of  three  or  four  months  ;  razed 
the  fortress  ;  and  cut  down  all  the  olive  trees.  It  is  now  a 
shapeless  mass  of  ruins  ;  among  which  a  few  families  still  find  a 
home,  living  chieflv  in  caves.  The  castle  is  described  as  havinsr 
borne  the  character  of  the  middle  ages  ;  but  I  find  no  allusion 
to  it  in  any  writer,  Frank  or  Arabian,  imtil  near  the  present 
century  ;  and  it  is  therefore  probably  not  of  very  ancient  date.^ 

The  plain  on  the  east  of  Sanur  is  a  beautiful  tract,  oval  or 
nearly  round  in  form,  three  or  four  miles  in  diameter,  and 
surrounded  by  picturesque  hills  not  very  elevated.  It  is  per- 
fectly level,  with  a  soil  of  rich  dark  loam  exceedingly  fertile. 
Its  waters  would  seem  naturally  to  flow  ofi"  somewhere  on  the 
southeast  quarter  ;  but  not  being  able  to  distinguish  any  outlet 
among  the  hills,  we  inquired,  and  were  told  that  none  exists. 
The  plain,  it  was  said,  drinks  up  its  own  waters  ;  and  in  winter 
they  collect  upon  it  and  form  a  lake,  wliich  renders  our  present 
road  impassable.  Hence  it  is  planted  chiefly  with  miUet,  a 
summer  crop  ;  although  in  the  northwest  part,  where  the  sur- 
face is  higher,  we  found  the  peasants  engaged  in  harvesting 
wheat.  From  its  mud  in  winter,  the  plain  is  called  Merj 
el-Ghuruk,  '  Meadow  of  sinking  or  drowning,'  equivalent  to 


'  Browne's  Travels  p.  505.  Clarke's 
Travels  in  the  Holy  Land.  4to.  p.  SO-l. — 
This  was  before  A.  D.  1799. 

'  First  apparently  by  Browne,  who  how- 
ever does  not  give  the  name  ;  p.  565.  It 

Vol.  II.— 27 


was  visited  by  Dr  Clarke  in  ISOl,  and 
later  by  Turner,  Buckingham,  and  others. 
It  is  the  Santorri  of  Dr  Clarke,  which  he 
tries  to  pass  off  as  Samaria ;  p.  503.  4to. 

ill.  151-153 


I 


314 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


*  Drowued  meadow.''  Around  its  southern  and  eastern  borders 
are  several  \'illages.* 

We  issued  from  the  large  plain  at  4  o'clock,  opposite  to  Jerba 
on  our  left,  by  a  narrow  plain  or  "Wady  coming  from  the  northeast. 
After  fifteen  minutes  this  valley  turns  east,  where  it  runs  up  for 
some  distance.  On  its  southern  side  was  the  small  vUlacce  Kufeir, 
about  twenty  minutes  distant.  We  kept  on  up  the  slight  rocky 
ascent  on  the  north  ;  and  reaching  its  top  at  4.25,  were  sud- 
denly gratified  with  a  wide  and  glorious  view,  extending  across 
the  lower  hills  to  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon  and  the  mountains 
of  Nazareth  beyond.  The  impression  at  first  almost  overpow- 
ered me.  Just  below  us,  on  the  left,  was  a  charming  little  basin 
or  plain,  a  recess  shut  in  among  the  mountains,  and  separated  on 
the  north  from  the  great  plain  only  by  a  slight  ridge.  I  looked 
eagerly  for  the  round  summit  of  Tabor,  but  it  was  not  visible  ; 
the  mountain  of  Dtihy,  the  Little  Hermon,  rose  in  desert 
nakedness  between,  and  shut  out  Tabor  wholly  from  the  view. 
Further  west,  the  mountains  rose  boldly  along  the  north  side  of 
the  great  plain  ;  and  the  precipice  S.  by  E.  of  Nazareth,  to 
which  an  ecclesiastical  tradition  gives  the  name  of  the  "Mountain 
of  the  Precipitation,"^  was  conspicuous,  bearing  N.  7°  E. 

We  now  had  a  considerable  descent  on  the  same  coiu-se, 
about  northeast,  and  came  at  4|  o'clock  to  Kubatiyeh,  a  large 
village  in  the  midst  of  very  extensive  and  beautiful  olive  groves. 
It  lies  on  the  east  of  the  little  plain  above  described,  and  some- 
what higher  ;  from  the  plain  a  valley  extends  up  by  the  village 
on  the  north  side,  and  opens  into  a  stiU  smaller  plain  in  that 
direction,  which  it  serves  to  drain.  Our  course  now  led  us 
across  this  latter  plain  along  its  left  side  ;  it  is  skirted  by  low 
hills,  and  was  covered  with  fields  of  wheat  ;  but  seemed  not 
very  fertile.  Crossing  a  low  rise  of  ground  at  5\  o'clock,  we 
left  the  plain,  and  descended  into  a  narrow  stony  naked  dell,  not 
very  deep,  but  yet  sufficiently  so  to  cut  oft'  all  further  obser- 
vation. It  was  now  dry ;  but  water  apparently  often  runs 
through  it."  We  followed  down  this  dell  about  N.  N.  E.  till  it 
brought  us  at  6^  o'clock  to  Jenin. 


'  Jfonro,  in  passing  this  way  on  the 
2d  of  May,  saw  here  a  lake,  which  he 
says  "  had  been  formed  within  a  short  time 
from  some  unknown  cause  !"  His  muleteere 
had  ]>r<)bably  never  before  seen  it.  1.  p. 
2  70. — Schubert  travelled  from  Sebi'istieh 
to  Jen.n  by  a  more  western  route,  leading 
bv  the  village  of  'Arr.ibeh  ;  lieise  III.  p. 
101. 

'■'  Those  at  3.fl5  bore  as  follows ;  the 
little  village  of  Jerba  lying  at  the  same  time 
north  about  ten  minutes  distant  at  the  foot 

iii.  153. 15 1 


of  the  hills ;  viz.  SAnur  S.  25°  W.  Meithe- 
I6n  S.  20'  E.  .Judeideh  S.  23°  E.  Siris 
S.  35  E.    Mi^ilya  S.  72^  E. 

'  Saltus  vel  PKccipitium  Domini  ;  Bro- 
cardus  c.  G.  p.  175.  Quaresmius  11.  p. 
842.  Cotovic.  p.  349.  The  tradition  from 
which  this  name  springs,  is  late  and  le- 
gendary ;  as  we  shall  sec  further  on. 

*  Monro  describes  a  spring  as  gushing 
out  in  this  valley  and  fonning  a  consider- 
able brook.  This  was  early  in  May. 
Summer  Ramble  I.  p.  277. 


Jcxs  15.] 


315 


This  place  is  situated  in  the  month  of  the  same  Wadr,  as  it 
enters  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon,  having  gentle  hills  on  either 
side.  The  town  lies  in  the  midst  of  gardens  of  fruit  trees, 
which  are  surrounded  hy  hedges  of  the  prickly  pear  ;  here  too 
are  seen  a  few  scattered  pabn  trees.  The  houses  are  of  stone, 
tolerably  well  built ;  the  place  may  contain  perhaps  two  thou- 
sand inhabitants  ;  among  whom  are  only  three  or  four  famOies 
of  Greek  Chri-stians.'  The  most  remarkable  thing  here  is  the 
fine  flowing  public  fountain,  rising  in  the  hills  back  of  the  town, 
and  brought  down  so  as  to  issue  in  a  noble  stream  in  the  midst  of 
the  place.  The  fountain  is  built  np  with  plain  but  good  mason 
"wotk.  It  has  a  reservoir  of  stone,  in  which  the  people  may  dip 
their  jars  ;  and  also  a  long  stone  trough  for  the  herds  and  flocks. 
The  water  flows  off  northwestwards  towards  the  Mediterranean.* 

This  fountain  had  not  long  been  buUt  ;  and  is  a  good  speci- 
men of  the  public  spirit  of  Husein  'Abd  el-Hady,  late  Mudir  of 
'Akka,  whose  authority  extended  over  all  the  southern  provinces 
of  Syria.  Husein  was  the  head  of  a  powerful  family  :  was  very 
rich  ;  and  employed  some  two  or  three  hundred  yoke  of  oxen  in 
cultivating  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  He  was  now  dead,  and  one 
of  his  brothers  had  succeeded  to  the  same  office.  One  of  his 
sons  was  at  this  time  governor  of  Nabulus.  Another  was  aLso 
governor  of  Jenin,  which  is  the  chief  place  of  the  district 
embracing  the  great  plain,  and  is  subordinate  to  Nabulus,  in 
the  same  manner  as  Hebron  is  to  Jerusalem.  He  too  cultivates 
large  tracts  of  land  upon  the  plain  in  the  vicinity  of  Jenin. 

Jenin  is  probably  the  En-Gannim  of  the  Old  Testament,  a 
Levirical  city,  in  Issachar,  in  or  near  the  great  plain.  ^  It  has 
also  ever  been  held,  and  with  good  reason,  to  be  the  Ginsea  of 
Josephus,  which  lay  on  the  borders  of  the  great  plain  towards 
Samaria  ;  indeed  the  province  of  Samaria  extended  from  it  south- 
wards as  far  as  to  Acrabatene.*  No  further  notice  of  the  place 
appears,  imtil  the  time  of  the  crusades,  when  it  is  several  times 
mentioned  by  Arabian  writers  in  connection  with  the  march  of 
Saladin.'  Brocardus  speaks  of  it  as  Ginum  ;*  and  as  it  lies  upon 
the  great  road  between  Jerusalem  and  'Akka  or  Nazareth,  it  has 
since  been  visited  and  described  by  many  travellers. 

The  plain  of  Esdraelon  is  skirted  on  its  southern  side  by  low 
hiUs,  running  from  Jenin  in  a  northwest  direction,  until  they 

'  Scholz  ?ay3  from  1500  to  2000  inhab-  teenth  century ;   see  in  Aster's  Benj.  of 

itants ;  p.  26G.    I  suppose  the  place  to  be  Tad.  II.  p.  4.33. 

at  least  one  quarter  as  large  aa  Nabulus,  *  Ttvaia  Joa.  Ant  20.  6.  1.  B.  J.  3.  3  4. 

and  probably  more.  Comp.  B.  J.  2.  12.  3,  where  it  is  FTjuiy. 

'  The  elevation  of  Jenin,  and  of  course  Reland  Pal.  p.  812. 

rf  the  plain  jast  adjacent,  is  given  by  Schu-  '  Bohaedd.  Vit.  Salad,  p.  59.  Abulfedae 

bert  at  515  Paris  feet.    Reise  III.  p.  162.  Annal.  A  H.  578,  580,  pp.  30,  36,  in 

'  Josh.  19,  21.   21,  29.    This  identity  Schultens  Excerpt.  Abulf.  post  Vit.  Salad, 

is  also  asanmed  by  B.  Paicbi  in  the  four-  *  Brocardus  c.  7.  p.  177. 

iii.  154-156 


316 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


unite  with  what  may  he  called  an  extension  of  the  ridge  of 
Carmel.  Farther  south,  these  hills  hecome  higher  and  form  the 
mountains  of  Samaria.  It  is  this  extension  of  Carmel  towards 
the  southeast,  consisting  of  a  low  ridge  or  range  of  hills,  which 
separates  the  great  southern  plain  along  the  coast,  from  that  of 
Esdraelon.  From  the  knoll  on  the  west  of  Jenin,  we  could  look 
out  upon  this  part  of  the  plain  and  the  adjacent  southern  hills, 
which  are  very  much  lower  and  less  hold  than  those  on  the 
northern  side  around  Nazareth.  Looking  towards  Carmel,  on  the 
southeast  side  of  a  low  Tell  or  mound,  a  little  hack  from  the 
plain,  we  could  distinguish  the  place  called  Ta'annuk,  ahout 
two  and  a  half  hours  distant ;  it  was  said  to  have  ruins,  which 
led  the  people  to  suppose  it  was  once  a  large  city,  though  it 
now  contains  but  a  few  famihes.  Further  to  the  right,  the 
direction  of  el-Lejjun,  the  ancient  Legio,  was  shown  ;  but  we 
could  not  make  it  out  distinctly.  Ta'annuk  is  undoubtedly  the 
ancient  Taanach  ;  first  a  city  of  the  Canaanites  ;  then  allotted 
to  Manasseh  and  assigned  to  the  Le\'ites  ;  and  afterwards  cele- 
brated in  the  triumphal  song  of  Deborah  and  Barak.'  Eusehius 
and  Jerome  describe  it  as  three  or  tour  Roman  miles  from  Legio ; 
which  accords  with  the  present  site."  The  name  is  found  upon 
Jacotin's  map  ;  but  I  am  not  aware  that  the  place  has  been 
noticed  by  any  traveller  before  Schubert.' 

Eastward  of  Jenin,  an  arm  or  offset  of  the  great  plain  runs 
up  southeast  between  the  hills  of  Samaria  on  the  south,  here 
higher  than  those  further  west,  and  a  range  of  naked  rocky 
heights  on  the  north,  which  extend  for  some  distance  from 
southeast  to  northwest  into  the  plain.  This  branch  of  the  plain 
is  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  broad,  and  rises  with  a  per- 
ceptible ascent  towards  the  southeast  for  an  hour  and  a  half  or 
two  hours  beyond  Jenin.  On  its  sides  round  about,  are  the 
villages  Deir  Abu  Dha'if,  Beit  Kad,  Fuku'a,  Deir  Ghuzal,  and 
'Araneh.  On  one  of  the  highest  points  of  the  rocky  heights 
north  of  this  arm,  lies  the  village  of  Wezar,*  apparently  a  ruin, 
and  seen  in  all  directions.  From  Jenin  a  direct  road  to  Beisan 
leads  obliquely  up  this  plain,  and  across  this  northern  range  of 
mountains  ;  on  this  road,  and  upon  these  mountains,  half  an 
hour  southwest  of  the  highest  point,  lies  an  inhabited  village 
called  Jelbon,  in  which  we  may  recognise  the  ancient  Gilboa.* 

'  Josh.  12,  21.  17,  11.   21,  25.  Judg.  1,       '  Here  again  the  final  'Ain  of  the  He- 

27.  5,  19.  It  is  further  mentioned  in  Scrip-  brew  has  fallen  away  as  in  el- Jib;  a  very 

tare  only  I  K.  4,  12.  unusual  circumstance.    See  Vol.  I.  p.  255. 

'  Onomast.  arts.  Thaanach  and  Tha-  n   2,  and  p.  456.     Our  information  re- 

naac/i,  oue  four,  the  other  three  miles  from  specting  this  village  was  obtained  nfter- 

Legio.  wards  at  Nazaretli,  from  an  intelligent 

'  Rcise  in.  p.  164.  Christian,  who  had  himself  travelled  the 

*  Schultz  writes  this  name  Mezar ;  but  road  in  question.     See  also  Liebetrut  3^ 

incorrectly.    Ritter  Erdk.  XX.  p.  422.  Reise,  I.  p.  254,  Hamb.  1854. 
iii.  156.  157 


Junk  15.] 


ENVIRONS  OF  JENIN. 


317 


This  circumstance  serves  to  identify  these  as  the  mountains  of 
Gilboa,  where  Saul  and  Jonathan  were  slain  ;  and  on  which, 
according  to  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  a  large  village  of  the  same 
name  existed  in  their  day.'  The  inhabitants  of  Jenin  now  call 
this  range  Jebel  Fuk^'a,  from  the  adjacent  village  ;  but  it  is 
hardly  probable  that  others  give  it  this  appellation.  It  consti- 
tutes a  mountainous  tract  with  several  ridges,  in  aU  about  an 
hour  in  breadth.'^ 

Besides  the  villages  we  had  to  day  seen  on  the  right  of  our 
road  after  leaving  J eba',  there  is  also  marked  in  our  lists  a  place 
called  Tilbas,  which  probably  corresponds  to  the  Thebez  of 
Scripture,  where  Abimelech  met  his  death. ^  That  place  Euse- 
bius and  Jerome  describe  as  thirteen  Koman  miles  distant  from 
Neapolis  towards  Scythopolis,  now  Beisan.^  Berggren  in  pass- 
ing from  Nazareth  to  Nabulus  took  a  route  lying  eastward  of 
Jenin,  and  spent  the  night  at  Tubas  ;  he  gives  its  position  at 
nine  hours  from  Nazareth  and  four  from  Nabulus.' 

In  the  district  west  of  our  road  also,  our  lists  give  the  name 
of  the  village  Kefr  Kud  ;  probably  the  Caparcotia  of  Ptolemy 
and  the  Peutinger  Tables,  on  a  road  between  Csesarea  and 
Scythopolis,  marked  at  twenty-eight  Koman  miles  from  the 
former  and  twenty  from  the  latter.  Of  this  ancient  place 
nothing  more  is  known.* — Buckingham,  in  travelling  from  Na- 
bulus to  Nazareth,  describes  himself  as  leaving  the  road  to 
Jenin  at  Kubatiyeh,  and  taking  a  more  westerly  direction, 
which  brought  him  in  about  two  hours  to  a  village  which  he 
calls  "  Birreheen,"  that  is,  Burkin.  This  village,  he  says,  "  is 
seated  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  contains  from  forty  to  fifty 
dwellings  ;  and  just  opposite  to  it  on  the  west,  distant  about  a 
mile,  is  another  village  of  the  same  size,"  which  according  to 
him  is  Kefr  Kud.  Afterwards,  he  turned  northeast  through  a 
narrow  pass,  and  came  out  upon  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  about 
two  miles  west  of  Jenin.''    The  position  of  Kefr  KM  is  there- 

'  Onomast.  "  Gelhue,  montes  alienige-  I.  pp.  568,  569. — We  made  many  inquiries 

narum  in  sexto  lapide  a  Scythopoli,  in  after  Tirzah  the  most  ancient  capital  of  tlie 

quibus  etiam  vicus  est  grandis,  qui  vocatur  kingdom  of  Israel;  1  Kings  14,  17.  15, 

Grelbus."  33,  etc.    We  could  find,  however,  no  name 

'  From  Jenin  we  took  tbe  following  resembling  it ;  unless  perhaps  it  be  Tullu- 

bearings  :  Northern  declivity  of  Carmel,  za,  a  place  which  we  visited  in  1852;  see 

as  here  seen,  N.  30'  W.    Ta'annuk  N.  42°  in  Vol.  III.  Sect.  VIL 
W.    'ArAneh  in  the  plain  N.  39"  E.    We-       «  Ptolem.  4.  16.    Reland  Pal.  pp.  421, 

zar  N.  46°  E.  'Arubboneh  N.  60°  E.  Fu-  461.    The  Pent  Tables  read  Caporcota- 

kii'a  N.  78°  E.  ni ;  which  doubtless  is  the  same  place. 
=  Judg.  9,  50.  '  Travels  in  Palest,  pp.  551,  552.  4to.— 

*  Onomast.  art.  Thebes.  Notwithstanding  the  apparent  display  of 

'  Berggren  Resor,  etc.  Del.  m.  Blhang  accuracy  in  B.'s  account,  I  am  still  unable 

p.  18.    This  appendix  in  the  original,  con-  to  fix  definitely  the  exact  position  of  Kefr 

taining  Itineraries,  is  not  given  in  the  Ger-  Kud.     He  leaves  Sanur   at  8  o'clock ; 

man  translation.    See  however  the  latter,  reaches  Kubatiyeh  (his  Cabaat)  in  about 

Reisen  Th.  II.  p.  266  sq.  Comp.  above,  Vol.  two  hours ;  and  '  Birreheen '  in  about  two 
Vol.  II.— 27*  iii.  157-159 


318 


FEOM  XABULUS  TO  XAZABETH, 


[Sec  XrV. 


fore,  probablr,  not  &r  from  an  hour  west  or  southwest  from  Jenin, 
among  the  hills,  three  quarters  of  an  hour  or  more  distant  from 
the  plain.  In  cros-sing  the  latter,  this  village  was  nowhere 
visible  to  us.  Mr  Wolcott  also,  in  1842.  when  at  Burkin,  saw 
Kefr  Knd  about  half  an  hour  distant,  in  a  vallev  among  the  op- 
posite hills. ' 

Saturday.  June  16fA.  The  guide  whom  we  had  yesterday 
taken  at  Nabulus,  proved  so  incomj-etent  and  untrustworthy, 
that  we  dismissed  him,  and  engaged  a  Muslim  of  Jenin  to 
accompany  us  to  Nazareth  :  not  indeed  to  show  us  the  r^ad,  for 
that  was  plain  enough,  and  our  luuleteers  had  often  travelled  it ; 
but  in  order  to  elicit  from  him  information  as  to  the  country 
along  the  way.  "SVe  were  for  some  time  undecided  what  route 
to  take.  I  had  a  strong  desire  to  visit  Ta'annuk  and  el-Lejjun, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  "  excellency  of  Carmel ; "  but  we  had 
already  been  compelled  reluctantly  to  exclude  this  mountain 
from  our  plan,  in  order  to  reach  Beirut  at  the  proper  time  :  and 
the  way  by  the  two  villages  in  question,  presented  nothing  else 
of  special  interest.  Along  the  direct  route  to  Nazareth,  also, 
there  is  very  little  to  be  seen  upon  the  plain.  But  by  taking  a 
direction  somewhat  further  ea.?t,  we  should  pass  by  Zerin  and 
several  other  places,  which  seemed  connected  with  antiquity. 
We  decided  for  the  latter  route,  and  were  afterwards  glad  that 
we  did  so  :  as  it  afforded  us  better  views  of  the  plain  itself  and 
of  its  general  character,  than  we  could  have  obtained  upon  the 
other  roads. 

Our  grand  object  to  day  was  the  position  of  the  ancient 
Jezreel ;  could  this  be  satisfactorily  determined,  it  would  afford 
a  clue  for  fixing  the  sites  of  various  other  places  and  historical 
events,  connected  with  this  region.  Setting  off  fi^om  Jenin  at 
4|  o'dc-ck,  we  struck  out  upon  the  noble  plain  on  a  course  about 
N.  by  E.  ^E.  towards  the  western  extremity  of  the  mountains  of 
Gilboa,  wliich  I  have  above  described  as  running  towards  the 
northwest.  We  thus  crossed  the  arm  or  offset  of  the  plain, 
which  here  extends  up  southeast,  and  found  all  the  water- 
courses, though  now  dry,  running  off  westwards,  as  do  those  also 
from  the  southern  hills  ;  all  going  to  swell  in  the  rainy  season 
"  that  ancient  river,  the  river  Kishon,"*  as  it  flows  towards  the 
Mediterranean.  In  the  plain  are  occasionally  low  ridges  and 
swells.    Perched  high  on  the  summit  of  one  of  the  naked  peaks 

liocinmore.  Of  coone  itvasnow  mboot  12  distaoce  from  dtextec  to  Ke&  Eol,  is  pftil»- 

oTclock.  Tben  be  tnnis  X.  E.  throng  m  v»i-  Mj  to  be  cootncted  in  like  proportica. 

rovpaa,  and  afterpamung  his  war  for  some  '  Biblioth.  Sacra,  1843,  p.  7fi.  See 

thne,  corner  cot  upon  the  plain  of  £«iraek4i  more  inVoLHI.  Sect.  III,BDder  A^fSSlt^ 

mt  neon.    From  Santir  to  Kubitireh  we  1852. 

'WCTC  short  ot  an  boor  and  a  half;  and  B.'«  *  'Jwig-  5,  21. 
iiL  159, 160 


Jm  16.] 


zer'in,  jezreel. 


319 


of  Gilhoa,  the  village  Wezar  was  a  conspicuous  object,  and 
apparently  had  been  once  a  fortress. 

At  51  o'clock,  we  left  the  village  'Araneh  on  our  right,  and 
soon  reached  the  broad  western  end  of  GUlwa.  The  path  now 
led  over  occasional  slight  spurs,  or  roots  of  the  mountain, 
stretching  down  still  further  westwards ;  and  from  such  points 
we  had  wide  views  of  all  the  extent  of  the  great  plain, 
spread  out  upon  our  left,  and  of  the  long  blue  ridge  of  Carmel 
beyond.  The  prospect  was  charming  for  its  rich  fertility  and 
beauty.  Yellow  fields  of  grain,  with  green  patches  of  cotton 
and  millet  interspersed,  checkered  the  landscape  like  a  carpet. 
The  plain  itself  was  almost  without  villages  ;  but  on  the  slope 
of  Carmel,  as  it  extends  southeast,  or  on  hills  further  to  the  left, 
several  places  were  pointed  out,  as  el-Lejjun,  Um  el-Fahm, 
Ta'annuk,  8ileh,  el-Yamon,  el-Barid,  Kefr  Adan,  and  otheis. 
A  small  village  called  Jelameh,  apparently  deserted,  was  just  on 
our  left  at  ten  minutes  before  6  o'clock  ;  and  here  too  we  could 
see  Mukeibeleh,  a  village  in  the  plain,  on  the  direct  route  from 
Jenin  to  Nazareth.' 

The  water-courses  from  the  mountains  on  our  right,  all 
passed  off  westwards  into  the  plain  ;  at  6.10  we  came  upon  the 
junction  of  two  of  these  of  some  size,  but  with  no  trace  of 
water.  Five  minutes  beyond,  we  had  a  small  site  of  ruined 
foundations  on  our  right,  called  Sundela.  At  6.^  o'clock,  we 
crossed  the  principal  of  the  low  spurs,  and  Zer'in  lay  before  us. 
We  now  began  to  get  sight  of  the  country  north  of  the  range 
of  Gilboa  ;  and  were  surprised  to  find  it  lying  much  lower  than 
the  plain  we  were  crossing.  At  3.40  the  head  of  a  Wady  was 
on  our  right,  running  down  "northeast.  We  had  thus  been 
about  an  hour  in  passing  along  the  whole  breadth  of  these 
mountains  at  their  western  end.  At  7  o'clock  we  reached 
Zer'in. 

Thus  far  we  had  been  travelling  over  the  plain  ;  which  here 
perhaps  might  be  called  undulating,  in  consequence  of  the  slight 
spurs  and  swells  above  described.  Further  west  it  seemed  per- 
fectly level,  with  a  general  declivity  towards  the  Mediterranean, 
to  which  its  waters  flow  off.  As  we  approached  Zer'in,  there  was 
only  a  very  gentle  rise  of  the  surface,  like  another  low  swell ; 
and  it  was  therefore  quite  unexpected  to  us,  on  reaching  that 
village,  to  find  it  standing  upon  the  brow  of  a  very  steep  rocky 
descent  of  one  hundred  feet  or  more  towards  the  northeast. 
Here  the  land  sinks  off  at  once  into  a  great  fertile  valley  run- 
ning down  E.  S.  E.  along  the  northern  wall  of  the  mountains  of 
Gilboa.    This  valley  is  itself  a  broad  deep  plain ;  its  water- 

'  From  Jelameh  my  companion  took  the  A'lan  S.  70' W.  Sileh  W.  Ta'annuk  N. 
followinghearings;  Wezar  N.  60  E.  Kefr    70  W.    el-Mukeibileh,  N.  60  ' W. 

iii.  160-162 


320 


FROM  XABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


bed  runs  along  under  the  rocky  declivity  on  the  right,  and  then 
under  Gillx)a  ;  •while  on  the  other,  or  northeastern  side,  the 
ground  slopes  gradually  upwards  to  the  base  of  the  mountain 
of  Dfihy,  the  little  Hermon.  The  western  extremity  of  this 
mountain  bears  from  Zer'in  about  north  by  east,  and  from  that 
point  it  stretches  off  east-southeastwards  for  some  distance, 
parallel  to  Gilboa.  It  thus  shuts  out  still  all  .view  of  Mount 
Tabor ;  of  which  as  yet  we  had  had  no  glimpse.  Hermon  is 
not  long  ;  its  eastern  part  being  only  a  very  low  ridge  along  the 
north  side  of  the  valley. 

This  deep  plain,  thus  enclosed  between  the  ranges  of  Gilboa 
and  little  Hermon.  is  about  an  hour  in  breadth  ;  and  below 
Zer'in  continues  down  E.  S.  E.  quite  to  the  plain  of  the  Jordan 
at  BeLsan.  "VVe  could  here  see  the  acropolis  of  Beisan  lying 
much  lower  than  Zer'in  ;  and  from  every  account,  that  place 
appears  to  be  situated  not  far  above  the  level  of  the  Jordan 
valley.  On  our  left,  the  Wady  or  plain  below  us  ran  up  to- 
wards the  northwest,  where  it  seemed  soon  to  reach  the  level  of 
the  great  plain  above.  The  exact  place  of  the  division  of  the 
waters,  we  were  not  able  to  determine  ;  but  so  far  as  we  could 
judge  of  it,  as  seen  from  the  higher  ground  which  we  after- 
wards crossed,  it  seemed  to  be  near  the  ruined  villages  Fvdeh 
and  'Aftdeh  in  the  plain.  There  is  apparently  no  distinct 
water-shed  ;  but  the  portions  of  the  great  plain  on  the  north 
and  south  of  these  hamlets,  ob"viously  send  their  waters  west- 
wards to  the  Mediterranean  ;  while  near  those  ruins,  the  waters 
as  obviously  begin  to  run  eastwards  to  the  J ordan,  with  a  much 
more  rapid  descent  through  this  broad  deeper  valley,  than 
exists  towards  the  west.  Here  then  we  have  a  second  arm,  or 
branch  of  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon,  running  down  eastwards 
between  the  two  parallel  ridges  of  mountains  quite  to  the 
Jordan  ;  thus  regularly  connecting  the  valley  of  the  latter  with, 
the  great  plain  above  and  further  west,  without  any  steep  as- 
cent or  pass. 

In  the  valley  directly  under  Zer'in  is  a  considerable  fountain  ; 
and  twenty  minutes  fiirther  east,  another  larger  one  under  the 
northern  side  of  Gilboa,  called  'Ain  Jaliid.  Zer'in  itself  thus 
lies  comparatively  high,  and  commands  a  wide  and  noble  view  ; 
extending  down  the  broad  low  valley  on  the  east  to  Beisan,  and 
to  the  moimtains  beyond  the  Jordan  ;  while  towards  the  west  it 
includes  the  whole  great  plain  quite  to  the  long  ridge  of  CarmeL 
It  is  a  most  magnificent  site  for  a  city  ;  which,  being  itself  thus 
a  conspicuous  object  in  every  i)art,  would  naturally  give  its 
name  to  the  whole  region.  There  could  therefore  be  little  ques- 
tion, that  in  and  around  Zer'in,  we  had  before  us  the  city, 

iiL  162, 103 


J0X3  16] 


zeb'ix,  JEZREEL. 


321 


the  plain,  the  valley,  and  the  fountain,  of  the  ancient  Jez- 
reel. ' 

The  identity  of  this  place  with  Jezreel  was  recognised  hy 
the  crusaders,  who  gave  it  the  name  of  Parvura  Gerinnm  ;  but 
they  remark  also  that  it  was  called  Zaracin  ;  and  describe  it  as 
situated  near  the  western  end  of  Mount  Gilboa,  and  command- 
ing a  wide  prospect  on  the  east  to  the  mountains  of  Gilead,  and 
on  the  west  to  Carmel.^  But  this  identity  was  ag;iin  lost  sight 
of ;  and  although  writers  in  the  seventeenth  century  speak  of 
this  deep  valley  under  the  name  of  Jezreel,  and  describe  it 
correctly  as  lying  between  Gilboa  and  httle  Hermon  and  extend- 
ing to  the  Jordai},  yet  the  village  itself  seems  not  further  to  be 
mentioned,  from  the  fourteenth  century  down  to  the  year  1814.^ 
Since  then  it  has  been  again  bnjught  into  notice  by  several 
travellers,  but  without  any  description  of  its  site  ;  and  also  with- 
out any  suggestion  of  its  identity  with  Jezreel/  It  is  only 
within  the  last  three  years,  that  this  idea  has  been  revived, 
apparently  on  mere  conjecture.'  Quite  as  recently,  likewise, 
other  travellers  have  still  found  the  site  of  Jezreel  at  Jenin.' 

Here,  as  in  so  many  other  cases,  the  name  itself  is  quite 
decisive  ;  although  at  first  view  the  resemblance  between  Jez- 
reel and  Zer'in  is  less  striking.  But  the  first  feeble  letter  of 
the  Hebrew  being  dropped,  and  the  last  syllable  el  becoming  in, 
as  is  not  unusual  in  Arabic,^  the  two  forms  are  seen  to  be  obvi- 
ously identical.  From  Eusebius  and  Jerome  we  know,  that 
Jezreel  lay  in  the  great  plain  between  Legio  (el-Lejjun)  and 
ScythopoHs  now  Beisan  ;  and  the  pilgrim  of  Bourdeaux  sets  it 
at  twelve  Roman  miles  from  the  latter  place,  and  ten  fi-om 

'  FaW<»y  of  Jezreel,  Josh.  17,  16.  Jadg.  '  Adrichomius  copies  the  account  of 

6,  33.  Hos.  1,  .5.    Fountain  at  Jezreel,  1  Brocardus,  p.  73.    Fiirer  of  Haimendorf 

Sam.  29,  1.    Plain  of  Esdraelon,  Jndith  (1566)  speaks  of  the  fountain  and  valley 

1,  8.  under  Mount  Gilboa,  and  mentions  appa- 

■•'  WilL  Tyr.  22.  26,  "  Jezraheel,  nunc  rently  the  tillage,  of  which  he  misunder- 

autem  vulgari  appellatione  dicitor  pamim  stood  the  name;   p.  269.  Xumb.  1616. 

Gcrinum."    Benjamin  of  Tndela  mentions  Doubdan  describes  the  valley  as  extending 

here  also  Jezreel,  which  he  calls  Serain ;  to  the  Jordan,  p.  580.    So  too  Morison,  p. 

I.  \.  80.    Brocardus  c.  7.  pp.  176,  177,  216.    Quaresmius  makes  no  allusion  to 

"  Jezraiil — hodie  vix  habet  viginti  domos,  Jezreel  or  its  vaUey. 

vocaturque  Zaracin  (Zaraein  ?)  in  pede  *  First  by  Turner  in  1814,  Tour  in  the 
mentis  Gelboe  ad  Occidontem  sita. — Ha-  Levant  II.  p.  151.  Afterwards  by  Buck- 
bet  Jezrael  pulchrmn  prospectum  per  totam  ingham,  p.  495,  4tD.  Berggren  Reisen  II, 
Galilaeam,  usque  ad  Carmelum  et  montes  p.  266. 

PhoBnicis,  montemque  Thabor  et  Galaad."  ^  Ranmer's  Palast   Ed.    2.   p.  155. 

This  mention  of  Tabor  is  wrong.     Bro-  Schubert  Reise  HI.  p.  164.    Elliott's  Tra- 

cardus  describes  also  the  broad  valley  of  vels  11.  p.  379. 

Jezreel  as  running  down  between  Gilboa  '  Monro's  Summer  Ramble  I.  p.  277. 

and  little  Hermon  to  the   Jordaa — Sir  Hard/s  Notices  of  the  Holy  Land,  Lond. 

John  Maundevilie  likewise  gives  correctly  1 835.  p.  225.     Paxton's  Letters,  Lond. 

the  site  of  Jezreel,  "that  sometyme  was  1839.  p.  176. 

clept  Zan,Tn;"  p.  111.  Lond.  1839.    So  '  As  in  Beitin  for  Bethel;  Isma'in  for 

too  Parchi ;  Asher's  Benj.  of  Tud.  IL  p.  Ishmael,  Isma'il ;    and   other  examples. 

429.  See  above,  Vol  L  p.  449. 

iii.  163-165 


822 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


Masimianopolis,  which  lay  somewhere  near  Legio.'  The  Arabs 
at  Zer'in,  whose  estimates  of  distances  by  time  are  never  very 
exact,  gave  the  distance  to  both  el-Lejjiin  and  Beisan  at  about 
three  and  a  half  hours.  Both  places  were  in  sight,  and  seemed 
nearly  equidistant. 

Jezreel  is  first  mentioned  as  belonging  to  the  tribe  of  Issa- 
char  ;  and  it  constituted  afterwards  a  part  of  the  kingdom  of 
Ishbosheth.''  It  became  more  notorious  under  Ahab  and  Jeze- 
bel, who,  though  residing  at  Samaria,  had  a  palace  here  ;  and  it 
was  to  enlarge  the  grounds  of  this  palace,  that  the  king  desired 
the  vineyard  of  Naboth,  and  gave  occasion  for  the  tragic  story  of 
the  latter.'  In  the  retributions  of  divine  Provjdence,  the  same 
place  became  the  scene  of  the  massacre  of  Jezebel  herself,  her 
son  Joram,  and  all  the  house  of  Ahab,  by  the  hand  of  Jehu.* 
Still  later,  Jezreel  is  alluded  to  by  the  prophet  Hosea  ;  and  we 
find  the  name  in  the  book  of  Judith  under  the  Greek  form  Es- 
drelom.''  In  the  days  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome  it  was  still  a 
large  \allage,  called  Esdraela  ;  and  the  Bourdeaux  pilgrim  in  the 
same  age  mentions  it  as  Stradela.'  We  hear  nothing  more  of 
it  untU  the  time  of  the  crusades  ;  when  it  was  called,  as  we 
have  seen,  by  the  Franks  Parvum  Gerinum,  and  by  the  Arabs 
Zer'in."  In  A.  D.  1183,  Saladin  encamped  by  the  fountain, 
then  known  to  the  Franks  as  Tubania  ;  but  deserted  it  on  the 
approach  of  the  Christians,  after  a  skimiish  with  a  band  of 
knights  coming  from  Kerak  and  Shobek,  and  after  destroying 
the  village.'  In  A.  D.  1217,  a  Christian  host  advanced  tlirough 
this  valley  to  Beisan.'  Zer'in  then  contained  hardly  twenty 
houses  ;  and  since  that  time  we  hear  no  more  of  it,  untU  the 
present  century,  as  above  described.'" 

At  the  present  day,  Zer'in  has  perhaps  more  than  twenty 
houses  ;  but  they  are  mostly  in  ruins,  and  the  place  contains 
few  inhabitants.  The  principal  mark  of  antiquity  we  saw,  was 
a  sarcophagus  with  sculptured,  ornaments,  lying  on  the  left  of 
our  path  just  as  we  entered  the  village.  Other  travellers  speak 
of  more."  There  is  a  square  tower  of  some  height,  partly  in 
ruins  ;  from  the  several  windows  of  wliich  we  enjoyed  a  splendid 
view  of  the  adjacent  country  in  all  directions.    Several  of  the 


'  Onomast.  art.  Jczracl.  Itin.  Hieros.  ed. 
Wessel  p.  .'586. — On  the  probable  position 
of  !\laxiinianopolis,  see  in  Vol.  III.  Sect. 
Ill,  Apr.  21st,  18.')2,  under  Lrjjun. 

'  JosL.  19,  18.  2  Sam.  2,  8.  9. 

'  1  \L  18,  45.  4C.  c.  21. 

«  2  K.  9,  U-37.  10,  1-11. 

'  Hos.  1,  4;  coinp.  1,  11.  2,  22.— 
Judith  1,8.   4,  5.    7,  3. 

"  Oiioinust.  art.  Jczracl.  Itin.  Hieros.  p. 
586. 

iii.  1C5, 166 


'  Miinter  enumerates  Par\'um  Gerinnra 
among  the  possessions  of. the  Templars; 
Statutenbuch,  etc.  I.  p.  419. 

*  Will.  Tyr.  22.  2G.  Bohaed.  Yit.  Salad, 
pp.  r)3,  54.  WUken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  IL  ii. 
pp.  2.31,  232. 

"  Wilken  ib.  VI.  p.  144. 

Brocardus  c.  7.  pp.  176,  177,  quoted 
on  p.  321,  note  2,  above. 

"  Buckingham  p.  495,  4to.  Elliott, 
Vol.  II.  p.  379. 


JOSB  16.] 


zer'in.    'ain  JALUD. 


323 


inliabitants  gathered  round  us  ;  and  we  liad  here  no  difficiilty  in 
finding  out  the  names  of  all  the  places  visible.  Most  of  them 
■we  knew  already.  Wezar  was  still  in  view  on  its  high  peak  ; 
and  below  it,  on  the  northern  slope  of  the  mountain,  was  another 
village,  Ni\ris.  Tell  Beisan,  the  acropohs  of  that  place,  was 
quite  distinct  down  the  great  valley  far  below  us.'  North  of  that 
valley,  on  the  low  ridge  running  out  eastwards  from  little  Her- 
mon,  was  seen  the  village  Kiimieh  ;  on  the  summit  of  the  same 
mountain  was  the  Wely  of  Duhy  ;  and  at  the  western  end,  over- 
against  Zer'in,  lay  the  village  Solam,  to  which  we  afterwards 
came.  In  the  west,  we  could  now  distinguish  more  clearly  the 
place  of  el-Lejjxm,  on  the  slope  of  the  plain,  as  it  rises  gradually 
to  the  line  of  hills,  which  form  the  extension  of  Carmel  in  that 
quarter. 

Leaving  Zer'in  at  7^  o'clock,  we  descended  in  a  direction 
nearly  east,  to  the  fountain  below  the  village,  reaching  it  in 
twelve  minutes,  by  a  steep  and  rocky  path.  The  water  is  copi- 
ous and  good;  not  gushing  out  in  one  large  fountain,  but  flowing 
up  through  the  gravel  in  various  places  and  running  off  in  many 
little  rills  to  form  a  small  brook  below.  We  were  told  that  this 
fountain  in  former  times  became  dry  every  summer,  and  at  length 
dried  up  whoUy  ;  but  the  same  public  spirited  Husein  'Abd  el- 
Hady  already  mentioned,^  had  caused  it  to  be  again  opened 
about  four  years  previously,  by  digging  down  till  the  water 
flowed,  and  then  filling  in  loose  gravel ;  so  that  now  the  water 
never  fails.  From  this  circumstance  it  bears  the  name  of  'Ain 
el-Meiyiteh,  "  the  Dead  Fountain." 

From  here  we  proceeded  down  the  valley  southeast  twenty 
minutes  to  'Ain  Jalud,  a  very  large  fountain,  flowing  out  from 
under  a  sort  of  cavern  in  the  wall  of  conglomerate  rock,  which 
here  forms  the  base  of  Gilboa.  The  water  is  excellent  ;  and 
issuing  from  crevices  in  the  rocks,  it  spreads  out  at  once  into  a 
fine  hmpid  pool,  forty  or  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  in  which  great 
numbers  of  small  fish  were  sporting.  From  the  reservoir,  a 
stream  sufficient  to  turn  a  mill  flows  off  eastwards  down  the 
valley.    There  is  every  reason  to  regard  this  as  the  ancient  foun- 

•  So  Beth-shean  (Beisiin)  is  said  to  be  W.C?)  SUehS.  75°W.  el-Yamon  S  .55°  VV. 

"beneath  Jezreel,"  1  K.  4,  12.  el-B.lrid  S  50"  W.    Kefr  Adan  S.  45'  W. 

'  From  Zer'in  we  took  the  following  Mukeibileh  S.  40°  W.    Jelameh  S.  15°  W. 

bearings,  beginning  at  the  south,  arid  pro-  Jenin  S.  15'  W. — I  am  since  satisfied,  that 

ceeding  towards  the  left:  Wezar  S.  38°  we  mistook  some  other  village  for  el-Lejjun, 

E.    Nurif  S.  47°  E     Tell  Beisan  S.  65°  perliaps  Salim,  which  lies  S.  S.  E.  of 

E.    Ki'.mieh  E.WeW  ed-Duhy,  summit  of  Lcjjun,  an  hour  distant.    Leijun  has  no 

little  Hermon,  X.  26°  E.    S6lam  N.  12'  minaret  or  other  mark  by  which  it  could 

E    FnlehX.  11°  W.    'Afuleh  N.  22°  W.  be  seen  at  aU.    See  Wolcott  in  Biblioth. 

Khuiieilis  for  Ukhm-ifis)  X.  32  W.    Xorth  Sac.  1843.  p.  77. 

end  of  Cannel,  as  here  seen,  N.  34°  W.  '  See  above,  p.  315. 
el-Lejuun  X.  80'  W.  (?)    Ta'annuk  S.  80° 

iii.  lGG-168. 


324 


FROM  KABULTJS  TO  XAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XTV. 


tain  of  Jezreel,  -where  Saul  and  Jonathan  pitched  before  their 
last  fatal  battle  ;  and  where,  too,  in  the  days  of  the  crusades, 
Saladin  and  the  Christians  successively  encamped.  At  that 
time  the  Christians  called  it  Tubania  ;  but  among  the  Arabs  it 
already  bore  its  present  name.*  The  presence  of  fish  in  the 
fountain,  probably  gave  rise  to  the  story  of  its  furnishing  a  mi- 
raculous supply  for  the  whole  Christian  army  during  several 
days,* 

Having  breakfasted  at  the  fountain,  we  set  off  again  at  8.55, 
bending  our  steps  towards  Solam,  on  our  way  to  Nazareth.  The 
place  was  not  visible  here  in  the  deep  valley,  nor  was  there  any 
direct  path  leading  to  it.  We  struck  off  through  the  open  fields 
in  a  direction  about  north  ;  and  crossed  soon  the  little  streamlet, 
coming  from  the  other  fountain  and  probably  also  from  higher  up 
the  valley.  The  soil  of  this  plain,  and  also  of  the  gradual  north- 
ern slope,  is  exceedingly  fertile  ;  and  the  fields  in  many  parts 
were  still  covered  with  a  rich  crop  of  wheat,  long  ready  and  wait- 
ing for  the  sickle.  The  harvest  in  other  quarters  of  the  plain 
seemed  to  be  already  ended.  This  valley  is  included  under  the 
name  Merj  Ibn  'Amir,  by  which  the  whole  great  plain  of  Esdra- 
elon  is  known  to  the  Arabs.  Our  guide  from  Jenin  took  us 
directly  through  several  fields  of  grain,  where  his  donkey  and 
our  mules  cropped  their  fill  in  passing  ;  but  at  length,  after  as- 
cending gradually  for  some  time,  we  fell  into  the  path  from 
Zer'in  to  Solam,  and  reached  the  latter  at  10.25,  in  an  hour  and 
a  half  from  'Ain  Jalud,  Our  progress  however  had  been  rather 
slower  than  usual. 

Solam  lies,  as  we  have  seen,  on  the  declivity  at  the  western 
end  of  the  mountain  of  Duhy,  overagainst  Zer'in,  but  higher  ; 
having  the  deep  broad  valley  of  Jezreel  between,  and  overlooking 
the  whole  western  plain  to  Carmel.  Mount  Tabor  was  not  yet 
visible.  The  village  is  small  and  dirty,  Mng  upon  a  steep 
slope,  with  a  small  fountain  hardly  sufficient  for  the  wants  of 
the  inhabitants.  The  people  were  civil  and  friendly.  One  old 
man  accosted  us,  professing  to  be  the  keeper  of  the  "Wely  of 

'  1  Sam.  29,  1.  Will.  Tyr.  22.  26.  Bo-       '  WUl.  Tyr.  22.  27,  "  Cum  hactenus  tam 

haed.  Vit.  Salad,  p.  53.     See  above,  p.  322.  fons  supra  nominatus  quam  qui  ex  eo  rivua 

Bohaeddin  writes  el-.J;ilut ;  which  form  Ja-  profluit,  pisces  aut  nullos  aut  rarissimos 

lut  is  tlie  Arabic  for  Goliath.    It  is  difficult,  habere  crederetur,  illis  diebustantam  dici- 

at  first,  to  see  how  this  name  should  come  tur  copiam  ministrasse,  quae  universo  ex- 

to  be  found  in  this  region  ;  but  there  would  ercitui  sufBcere  posset." — The  same  writer 

seem  to  have  been  an  early  legend,  that  correctly  describes  the  stream  as  flowing 

here  was  the  scene  of  David's  combat  with  towards  Beis.in  ;  ibid.  26  :  "  Subito  Sala- 

Goliath.     In  connection   with    Stradela  hadinus  castra  solvens,  ex  insperato  fon- 

( Jezreel)  the  Itin.  Hieros.  has  the  follow-  tem  deserit,  inferiusque  versus  Bethsan, 

ing:  "Ibi  est  campus,  ubi  David  Goliat  fontis  ejusdem  fluenta  sequens,  .  .  .  cas- 

occidit ;"  p.  .'586,  cd.  WesscHng.    Parchi  trametatus  e:^t."    So  too  Mariuus  Sanutna, 

mentions  the  same  legend;  see  in  Asher's  p.  251.  Comp.  lieland  Pal.  p.  803. 
Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  429,  430. 

iii.  168,16'> 


Jvxs  16.] 


SOLAM,  SHUNEM. 


325 


DiSliy  ;  and  offered  his  services  as  a  guide  to  the  mountain, 
which  he  said  was  often  visited  by  the  monks.' 

Although  we  could  find  no  remains  of  antiquity  about  the 
village,  yet  there  is  little  room  for  doubt,  that  it  is  the  ancient 
Shunem  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  where  the  Philistines  encamped 
before  Saul's  last  battle.'*  From  the  same  place  apparently, 
Abishag  the  Shunamite  was  brought  to  the  aged  David ;  and 
here  it  was,  probably,  that  Ehsha  often  lodged  in  the  house  of 
the  Shunamitish  woman,  and  afterwards  raised  her  son  from  the 
dead.'  Eusebius  and  Jerome  describe  it  in  their  day,  as  a  vil- 
lage lying  five  Roman  miles  from  Mount  Tabor,  towards  the 
southern  quarter,  and  they  write  the  name  already  Sulem.^  The 
crusaders  also  speak  of  Suna  on  the  southwest  side  of  the  little 
Hermon  ;^  but  from  that  time  onwards,  the  name  I  believe  no- 
where occurs,  until  we  find  it  upon  the  map  of  Jacotin  in  the 
present  century.  In  A.  D.  1822,  the  village  was  seen  by  Berg- 
gren  but  although  since  then  various  travellers  have  taken  it 
in  their  route,  yet  it  has  been  recognised  as  Shunem  only  within 
the  last  three  or  four  years/ 


As  we  here  at  Solam  took  leave  of  the  valley  of  J ezreel,  and 
of  the  objects  immediately  connected  with  it ;  this  may  be  a 
proper  place  to  pause  for  a  moment,  and  bring  together  what 
remains  to  be  said  upon  that  valley,  and  on  some  other  points 
which  have  been  already  brought  into  view. 

Gilhoa.  I  have  already  adduced  the  evidence,  which  goes 
to  show  that  the  heights  south  of  the  said  valley,  separating  it 
from  the  more  southern  arm  of  the  great  plain,  are  no  other  than 
the  ancient  mountains  of  Gilboa  ;  they  were  so  regarded  in  the 
days  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  and  also  in  the  age  of  the  cru- 
sades and  since.^    Yet  the  name  Gilboa  (Jelbon)  is  not  now 


'  AVe  took  at  SoLim  the  following  bear- 
ings :  Wely  ed-Duhy,  top  of  the  mountain, 
N.  E.  by  E.  Wezar  S  9°  E.  Zer'in  S. 
12°  W.  Jenin  S.  20'  AV.  Ta'annuk  S. 
56°  AV.  Urn  el-Fahm  S.  65'  W.  Salim 
S.  84 '  W.  (?)  Nazareth,  as  we  found  after- 
wards, bears  from  Solam  N.  9'  AN'. 

'  Josh.  19,  18.  1  Sam  28,  4. 

'  1  K.  ],  3.  2  K.  4,  8-37.  8,  1-0 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  suppose  the  hostess 
of  Eliiha  to  have  dwelt  at  Sonam,  a  vil- 
lage in  Akrabatcne.  But  the  mother,  on 
the  death  of  her  child,  goes  to  Elisha  on 
Mount  Carmel,  apparently  not  very  dis- 
tant ;  2  K.  4,  22-25.  This  accords  far 
better  with  the  relative  position  of  Solam. 
Onomast.  art.  Sunam, 

*  Onomast.  art.  Suleni.    In  the  present 
Vol.  II.  -28 


text  of  Eusebius,  the  name  stands  as  2ou- 
&^fi,  but  Jerome's  copy  evidently  had  Sou- 
Aljyu.  This  change  from  n  to  /  was  frequent 
in  Hebrew,  as  it  is  in  other  languages. 
See  Gesenius  Lex.  lett.  b. 

'  Brocardus  c.  7.  p.  176.  Marin.  Sannt. 
p.  249. 

'  Reisen  etc.  11.  p.  265.  Perhaps  Scholz 
means  the  same  by  his  "  Selwam,"  p.  264. 

'  Monro  mentions  here  a  tower  (not 
town)  as  having  been  destroyed  by  'Abdal- 
lah  Pasha  of  'Akka  about  1831 ;  A'ol.  I. 
pp.  278,  280.  Elliott's  Travels  XL  p.  378. 
Schubert  Reise  III.  p.  165.  P^aumer  Pa- 
List.  Ed.  3.  p.  124. 

'  See  above,  p.  31 7.  n.  1 ;  where  the  words 
of  Eusebius  aud  Jerome  are  cited.  WilL 
Tyr.  22.  26.  Brocardus  c.  7.  pp.  176,  177. 

iii.  169-171 


326 


FROM  NABULTJS  TO  NAZARETH, 


[Sec.  XIV. 


known  among  the  inhabitants,  as  applied  to  these  mountains, 
but  only  to  the  village  upon  them.*  This  latter  circumstance, 
together  with  their  relative  position  to  Scythopolis  (Beisan), 
Jezreel,  and  Shunem,  leaves  no  room  for  doubt  respecting  their 
identity.  The  highest  part  is  towards  the  east,  two  hours  or 
more  from  Zer'in.  Further  down  toward  the  Jordan  valley,  they 
become  somewhat  lower. 

Little  Hermon.  The  high  ridge  on  the  north  of  Jezreel, 
known  to  the  Arabs  as  Jebel  ed-Duhy,  I  have  above  called  the 
Little  Hermon,  in  distinction  from  Jebel  esh-Sheikh  north  of 
Banias,  the  true  and  only  Hermon  of  the  Scriptures.*  There  is 
no  ground  to  suppose  that  this  mountain  of  Duhy  is  mentioned 
in  Scripture  as  Hermon  ;  yet  this  name  was  certainly  applied 
to  it  in  the  days  of  Jerome,  and  may  therefore  be  used  without 
impropriety,  for  the  sake  of  convenience.'  It  probably  had  its 
origin  in  the  fourth  century,  after  the  conversion  of  Constantine 
had  made  Palestine  accessible  to  foreign  ecclesiastics  and  monks, 
who  now  busied  themselves  in  tracing  out  all  the  names  and 
places  of  Scripture,  without  much  regard  to  criticism  or  to  ear- 
lier tradition.^  Eusebius  appears  to  have  listened  doubtfully  to 
an  older  tradition  of  Hermon  as  situated  near  Paneas  ;  but 
makes  no  allusion  to  one  near  Tabor.'  J erome  heard  the  same 
tradition  of  the  true  Hermon  from  his  Jewish  instructor,  and 
speaks  of  it  much  more  decidedly."  The  name  Hermon,  there- 
fore, was  probably  first  appHed  to  this  mountain  near  Tabor,  in 
the  interval  between  these  two  writers,  on  a  mere  conjecture 
drawn  from  the  words  of  the  Psalmist  :  "  Tabor  and  Hermon 
shall  rejoice  in  thy  name  ; and  it  was  natural  for  Jerome 

Parchi  in  Asher's  Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  430.  montem  Thabor  .  .  .  Aspiciebat  procul 

Marinus  Sanutus  p.  251.     Cotovicus  p.  montes  Hermon  et  Hennonim,  et  campos 

347.    Doubdan  p.  580,  etc.  Quaresmius  latos  Galilseaj,"  etc.  This  form  Hennonim 

does  not  mention  Gilboa.  is  the  Hebrew  plural,  boiTowed  from  Ps. 

'  I  speak  here  advisedly ;  for  I  had  42,  7. 
been  misled  by  Richardson,  to  look  for  the       '  See  the  remarks  at  the  beginning  of 
mountains  of  Gilboa  as  bordering  upon  the  Sect.  VII.  Vol.  I.  p.  251  sq. 
Jordan  valley  north  of  Beisan.    He  says  Onomast.  art.  jErmon. 
expressly  of  the  moimtain  tliere  :  "  The       "  "  Hebrajus  vero,  quo  pralegente  Scrip- 
natives  still  call  it  Gibl  Gilbo,  or  mount  turos   didici,  ailirmat  montem  .3irmon 
Gilbo ;"  Travels  II.  p.  424.    This  led  us  Paneadi  inmiinere,    .  .  .    de  quo  nunc 
to  make  minute  and  extensive  inquiry,  asstlvte  nives  Tyrum  ad  delicias  feruntur." 
wliich  resulted  in  showing  tlie  language  of  Jerome  adds  all  this  to  the  article  of  Euse- 
Kichardson  to  be  utterly  witliout  founda-  bius. 

tion.  '  Ps.  80,  12.  [13.]    It  was  taken  for 

-  See  more  on  Jebel  esh-Sheikh  as  Her-  granted,  that  as  Tabor  and  Hermon  are 

mon,  near  the  end  of  the  next  section.  here  mentioned  together,  they  must  also 

"  Jerome  twice  mentions  a   Hermon  lie  close  together.    But  both  this  and  all 

near  Mount  Tabor.  Kp.  44,  ad  Mai-cellam,  the  other  passages  of  Scripture,  in  wliich 

0pp.  ed.  Mart.  T.  IV.  ii.  p.  552,  "  Appa-  Hermon  occurs,  apply  with  far  greater 

rebit  oppidum  Naim  .  .  .   Videbitur  et  strength  and  beauty  to  Jebel  esh-Sheikh. 

Hermonim  et  torrens  Eiidor  in  quo  super-  So  especially  the  difficult  passage  Ps.  133, 

atur  Sisera."     Ep.  8(!,  ad  Eustoch.  Epi-  3 ;  which,  however  it  may  be  explained, 

taph.  Paulas   ibid.  p.  G77,   "  Scandebat  can  have  no  allusion  to  the  vicinity  of 

iii.  171,  .172 


June  16.] 


VALLEY  OF  JEZREEL. 


327 


afterwards  to  speak  of  it  in  the  plural  form,  Hermonim,  in  dis- 
tinction from  ■what  he  knew  to  be  the  proper  Hermon  in  the 
north.  This  name  continued,  in  ecclesiastical  tradition,  through 
the  middle  ajjes  and  the  followincc  centuries  ;  and  maintains 
itself  still  in  the  monasteries. '  The  Arab  Christians  appear  also 
to  be  acquainted  with  it  as  naramon,  but  do  not  use  this 
name  ;  and  among  the  Muslims,  it  seems  to  be  entirely  lost. 
The  old  man  whom  we  met  at  Solam,  had  learned  it  from  pil- 
grims to  the  mountain. 

This  mountain  of  ed-Duhy,  therefore,  has  httle  of  historical 
interest ;  nor  has  it  either  beauty  or  fertility  to  excite  the  atten- 
tion of  the  traveller.  It  is  in  fact  a  desert  shapeless  mass  ;  and 
when,  as  we  approached  Jenin  from  the  south,  it  was  erroneously 
pointed  out  to  me  as  Tabor,  I  felt  great  disappointment.  The 
highest  part,  crowned  by  the  Wely,  is  towards  the  western  end  ; 
further  east  it  sinks  down  gradually  to  a  low  ridge  of  table  land, 
parallel  to  the  eastern  part  of  the  valley  of  JezreeL 

VaUey  of  JezreeL  This  great  valley  is  celebrated  in  Scrip- 
tare  history,  for  the  remarkable  victory  of  Gideon,  and  the  last 
fatal  overthrow  of  Saul.  The  Midianites,  the  Amalekites,  and 
the  children  of  the  east  had  come  over  Jordan  and  pitched  in 
the  valley  of  Jezreel ;  and  Gideon  had  gathered  the  Israelites 
of  the  northern  tribes  together,  and  encamped  at  the  well  of 
Harod,  probably  on  Mount  GUboa  ;  since  "  the  host  of  Midian 
was  beneath  him  in  the  valley."^  Here  Gideon  went  down  to 
the  host,  and  heard  the  dream  ;  and  then,  with  his  three  hun- 
dred men,  attacked  and  miraculously  routed  the  whole  host  of 
Midian.' — Against  Saul,  the  Philistines  came  up  and  pitched  in 
Shunem  (Solam).  and  Saul  and  aU  Israel  pitched  in  Gilboa  ; 
afterwards  the  Philistines  are  said  to  be  at  Aphek,  and  the 
Israelites  at  a  fountain  in  Jezreel,  probably  the  present  'Ain 
Jalud.*  Forsaken  of  God  and  in  the  depth  of  his  despair,  Saul 
now  crossed  over  the  ridge  of  the  little  Hermon  to  Endor,  to 
consult  the  sorceress.  The  battle  took  place  next  day  ;  "  the 
men  of  Israel  fled  from  before  the  Philistines,  and  fell  down 
slain  in  mount  Gilboa  ; "  and  Saul  and  his  three  sons  were  found 
among  the  dead.  The  Philistines  cut  off  his  head,  stripped  the 
dead  body,  and  then  fastened  it  to  the  wall  of  Beth-shean.' 
Thus  in  the  language  of  David's  pathetic  elegy  :  "  The  beauty 
of  Israel  was  slain  upon  thy  high  places  !  "  and  hence  the  curse 
upon  the  scene  of  slaughter :  "Ye  mountains  of  Gilboa,  let 

Tabor,  notwithstanding  Reland's  sngges-       *  1  Sam.  27,  4.  29,  1.     Ensebius  and 

tidn  ;  Palx=t  pp.  325,  326.  Jerome  place  Aphek  near  Endor ;  the  lat- 

'  Brocardus  c.  7.  p.  177.  Marin.  Sanut.  ter  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  little  Her- 

p.251.  Cotovic.  p.  347.Manndrell,  Apr.  19.  mon.     Onomast.     Aphee,  juxta  Endor 

'  Judg.  6,  33.  35.  7,  1.  8.  Jezraelis,  nbi  dimicavit  SauL" 
»  Judg.  7,  9-25.  »  1  Sam.  28,  5-25.  c.  31. 

iiL  172-174 


328 


FROM  KABTTLUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


there  be  no  dew,  neither  rain  upon  vou,  nor  fields  of  ofi^er- 

Beisan.  In  the  former  edition  of  this  work,  historical 
notices  of  Beisan  were  here  subjoined.  But  as  we  ourselves 
visited  that  place  in  1852,  the  reader  is  referred  for  them  to  the 
third  volume.'' 

Fideh.  On  the  great  plain  west  of  Solam,  lie  the  ruined 
villages  Fuleh  and  'Afideh  ;  the  former  hardly  three  quarters 
of  an  hour  distant,  and  the  latter  about  a  mile  beyond ;  both 
lying  near  the  low  water-shed  at  the  head  of  the  valley  of  Jez- 
reeL  Fuleh  has  become  celebrated  in  modem  times  as  the  cen- 
tral point  of  the  battle  in  A.  D.  1799,  between  the  French  and 
the  Turkish  army  advancing  from  Damascus  for  the  relief  of 
'Akka,  commonly  known  as  the  battle  of  Mount  Tabor.*  But 
the  place  has  a  still  older  renown,  as  the  site  of  a  fortress  in  the 
time  of  the  crusades,  known  among  the  Arabs  as  Fuleh  and 
among  the  Franks  as  the  castle  Faba,  and  occupied  by  the 
knights  Hospitalers  and  Templars  in  common.*  It  is  mentioned 
in  A.  D.  1183  in  connection  with  the  march  of  the  Christians 
to  the  fountain  Tubania  ;  and  was  captured  by  Saladin  in  1187 
after  the  battle  of  Hattin.' 

Lfijjvn.  On  the  western  border  of  the  great  plain  of  Es- 
draelon,  where  it  already  begins  to  rise  gently  towards  the  low 

'  2  Sam.  1.  19.  21.  Napoleon;  see  likewise  Thiers  R^rolntion 

'  See  Tel.  III.  .Sect.  VII.  at  the  end  Francaise,  Tom.  X.  p.  405-407.  Paris, 

'  "  When  the  French  invaded  Syria,  1834. 

Nazareth  was  occupied  by  sis  or  eight  *  Faha  is  simply  the  translation  of  Fu- 

htmdred  men,  whose  advanced  posts  were  leh,  '  a  bean  ; '  Fr.  la  Feve.    Hugo  Pla- 

at  Tubariyeh  and  Safed.    Two  hours  from  gon  in  Martene  et  Dnrand,  Tom.  V.  pp. 

Kazaretli,  General  Kleber  sustained,  with  598,  599.    W'ilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  IIL  iL 

a  corps  not  exceeding  fifteen  hundred  men,  pp.  231,  267.    Brocardus  c.  7.  p.  176. — 

the  attack  of  the  whole  Syrian  army,  In  Le  Clerc's  edition  of  Brocardus,  this 

amounting  to  at  least  twenty-five  thousand,  name  is  wrongly  printed  Sah-i  ;  the  edition 

He  was  posted  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  of  Reineccius  (Magdeb.  1587)  has  correctly 

near  the  village  of  Fiileh,  where  he  formed  Faba. 

his  battalion  into  a  square,  which  contin-  '  Bohaed.  Vit  Salad,  p.  54.    Wilken  L 

ned  fighting  from  sunrise  to  mid-day,  until  c.  pp.  231,  232. — Abulfeite  Annal.  A.  H. 

they  had  expended  almost  all  their  ammu-  583.  Mejr  ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  IIL 

nition.    Bonaparte,  informed  of  Kleber's  p.  81.    Wilken  Comment  de  Bell.  Croc, 

perilous  situation,  advanced  to  his  support  p.  142. — The  Frank  fortress  Belvoir,  men- 

with  sis  hundred  men.    No  sooner  had  he  tioned  in  connection  with  the  same  CTents, 

come  in  sight  of  the  enemy  and  fixed  a  appears  to  be  the  Kaukab  of  the  Arabs,  the 

shot  over  the  plain,  than  the  Turks  suppo-  present  Kaukab  el-Hawa  described  further 

ring  that  a  large  force  was  advancing,  took  on,  situated  on  the  heights  west  of  the 

precipitately  to  flight ;  during  which  seve-  Jordan  valley,  between  Beis^in  and  the 

ral  thousand  were  killed  and  many  drown-  lake.    A  place  'Afurbala  (Lat  Forbelat) 

ed  in  the  river  of  Deburieh,  which  then  is  also  mentioned,  which  lay  apparently 

inundated  a  part  of  the  plain.    Bonaparte  between  Beisan  and  Belvoir  on  a  plain; 

dined  at  Nazareth,  .  .  .  and  returned  the  but  whether  below  in  the  Jordan  vaUey, 

same  dav  to  'Akka,"  Burckhardt's  Travels  or  on  the  table  land  above,  is  not  said, 

in  Syria,  etc,  p,  339.    This  was  on  the  'Will.  T^t.  22.  16,  26.  Bohaed.  Wt.  Salad. 

16th  of  April,  1799.    The  same  general  pp.  54,  76,  et  Ind.  art.  Apherbala.  Wilken 

account  is  given  in  the  various  Lives  of  Gesch.  der.  Kr.  III.  ii.  pp.  210,  211,  232. 
iu.  174.  176-178 


JlTNE  16.] 


LEJJUN,  LEGIO. 


329 


range  of  hills,  whicli  connect  Carmel  and  the  mountains  of  Sa- 
maria, there  was  felted  out  to  us  from  Solam,  as  also  from 
Zer'in,  the  position  w  el-Lejjim.  Near  by  it  there  was  said  to 
be  a  large  fountain,  sending  forth  a  mill  stream  ;  which,  like 
that  at  Jenin  and  all  the  brooks  along  the  southwestern  hills, 
so  far  as  these  flow  at  all,  runs  into  the  plain,  and  goes  to  aid 
in  forming  the  ancient  Kishon.  The  place  was  visited  by  Maun- 
drell,  who  speaks  of  it  in  his  day  as  an  old  village  near  a  brook, 
with  a  Khan  then  in  good  repair ;  he  could  here  overlook  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon.'  The  Khan  was  for  the  accommodation  of 
caravans,  passing  on  the  great  road  between  Egypt  and  Damas- 
cus, which  here  comes  over  the  hills  from  the  western  plain 
along  the  coast,  and  enters  that  of  Esdraelon.' 

Lejjun  is  without  doubt  the  ancient  Legio  of  Eusebius  and 
Jerome.  In  their  day  it  must  have  been  an  important  and  well 
known  place  ;  since  they  assume  it  as  a  central  point,  from 
which  to  mark  the  position  of  several  other  places  in  this  quar- 
ter.' Yet  I  find  no  further  certain  allusion  to  it,  neither  during 
the  age  of  the  crusades,  nor  in  the  preceding  nor  subsequent 
centuries,  until  the  time  of  Abulfeda.*  The  visit  of  Maundrell 
took  place  in  A.  D.  1697.  In  the  present  century  it  reappears 
upon  the  map  of  Jacotin. 

It  does  not  seem  probable,  that  the  ancient  Legio  was  a  city 
founded  by  the  Romans  ;  but  rather,  that  this  was  a  new  name 
imposed  upon  a  still  older  place  ;  which,  hke  the  names  Nabu- 
lus  and  Sebustieh,  has  maintained  itself  in  the  mouths  of  the 
native  population,  while  the  earlier  name  has  perished.  This 
circumstance  led  us  naturally  to  inquire,  whether  there  was  any 
ancient  city  so  situated,  as  to  correspond  with  the  position  of 
Lejjtin.  As  we  travelled  across  the  plain,  and  had  Ta'annuk 
and  the  place  of  Lejjtin  continually  in  view,  we  could  not  resist 
the  impression,  that  the  latter  probably  occupies  the  site  of  the 
ancient  Megiddo,  so  often  mentioned  along  with  Taanach.  The 
distance  of  Taanach  from  Legio  is  given  by  Eusebius  and  Je- 


'  Maundrell,  March  22. 

'  We  visited  Le^un  in  1852 ;  see  VoL 
m.  Sect.  Ill,  under  Apr.  21st. 

'  See  the  Onomast.  arts.  Aphraim, 
Camona,  Nazareth,  Thaanach  and  Tha- 
naach,  etc. 

♦  Abulf.  Tah.  Syr.  p.  8,  and  Addenda 
prefixed. — In  the  Latin  ecclesiastical  iVb- 
titia  appended  to  the  History  of  William 
of  Tyre,  the  name  Legionum  occurs  as  a 
suffragan  see ;  WiU.  Tyr.  in  Gesta  Dei  p. 
1046.  Reland  Pal.  p.  228.  From  this  it 
has  sometimes  been  inferred,  that  Leijun 
was  made  a  bishopric  in  the  age  of  the 
crusades ;  Bachiene  Th.  Ill  iv.  p.  40.  Rau- 
VoL.  II.— 28* 


mer  Pal.  p.  141.  ed.  3.  That  list  is  ob- 
viously composed,  on  the  one  hand,  of  ear- 
lier materials ;  for  it  contains  Beit  Jibrrn 
which  had  long  been  destroyed,  and  also 
Neapolis  which  was  never  a  Latin  see  ;  aud 
on  the  other  hand,  it  exhibits,  among  other 
additions,  Nazareth,  which  was  made  a 
bishopric  only  during  the  crusades,  and 
Mount  Tabor,  which  appears  never  to  have 
been  a  bishop's  seat  at  all.  If  Legionum 
be  actually  the  same  as  Lejjun,  it  may  in 
like  manner  have  been  added  as  the  seat 
of  a  Christian  community ;  but  there  seems 
to  be  no  other  trace  of  its  ever  having 
been  a  bishopric. 

iii.  178, 179 


330 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[SecXIV. 


rome  at  three  or  four  Eoman  miles  and  it  is  somewhat  remark- 
able, that  Megiddo  is  rarely  spoken  of  i|*Scripture,  except  in 
conjunction  with  Taanach ;  a  circumsflmce  which  likewise 
implies  their  vicinity  to  each  other. The  chief  onslaught  also 
in  the  battle  of  Deborah  and  Barak,  took  place  in  the  plain  near 
Taanach  and  "  the  waters  of  Megiddo  ; "  and  whether  this  ex- 
pression be  applied  to  a  large  fountain,  or  to  the  river  Kishon, 
we  know  that  the  scene  of  battle  was  at  any  rate  not  far  from 
the  Kishon.^  Megiddo  too  gave  its  name  to  the  adjacent  valley 
or  low  plain  along  the  Kishon  ;  and  in  like  manner  Eusebius  and 
Jerome  speak  of  the  plain  of  Legio.^  All  these  circumstances 
make  out  a  strong  case  in  favour  of  the  identity  of  Legio  and 
Megiddo  ;  and  leave  in  my  own  mind  little  doubt  upon  the 
point.^ 


We  left  Solam  at  10|  o'clock  for  Nazareth  ;  our  road  passing 
at  first  along  the  western  end  of  the  mountain  of  Duhy  on  high 
ground.  The  general  direction  quite  to  Nazareth  is  N.  9°  W. 
After  some  twenty  minutes,  we  began  to  turn  the  N.  W.  comer 
of  the  mountain,  where  a  third  great  arm  of  the  plain  gradually 
opened  upon  us,  running  up  between  the  Little  Hermon  and 
Mount  Tabor.  At  11;^  o'clock  the  latter  for  the  first  time  rose 
upon  our  view  in  the  N.  E.  an  hour  or  more  distant,  a  fine  round 
mountain,  presenting  (as  here  seen)  the  appearance  of  a  segment 
of  a  sphere  ;  sprinkled  with  old  oaks  .to  its  very  summit,  and 
realizing  in  its  graceful  form  and  beauty  all  that  I  had  been  led 
to  anticipate  respecting  it.  Yet  it  seemed  not  so  lofty  as  has 
usually  been  represented  ;  and,  on  this  side,  it  is  surrounded  and 


'  Onomast.  arts.  TTiaanach,  Thanaach, 
'  So  as  being  each  the  seat  of  a  Ca- 
naanitish  king,  Josh.  12,  21.  Both  were 
assigned  to  Manasseh,  though  lying  within 
the  borders  of  Issachar  or  Asher,  Josh. 
17,  11.  1  Chr.  7,29.  Both  remained  long 
unsubdued,  Judg.  1,  27.  The  battle  of 
Deborah  and  Barak  took  place  near  both, 
Judg.  5,  19.  Both  came  under  the  same 
purveyor,  1  Kings  4,  12. — Ahaziah  fled 
from  Jczreel  to  Megiddo,  and  Josiah  died 
there ;  2  K.  9,  27.  23,  29.  30. 
»  Judg.  5,  19.  21. 

*  Valley  or  plain  of  Megiddo,  Hebr, 
nspa  .  2  Chron.  35,  22.  Zcch.  12,  11. 
Gr.  irfolnv  E.sdr.  1,  27. — Euscb.  vfUovr^]^ 
AtyeCivos,  Jerome  "campus  Legionis ;  " 
Onomust.  arts.  Oabathon,  Arbela,  Camon, 
etc. 

'  The  identity  of  Megiddo  and  Lectin 
was  already  recognised  by  R.  Parehi  early 

iii.  179,  180 


in  the  fourteenth  century  ;  see  in  Asher's 
Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  433.— After  my  re- 
turn to  Europe,  I  first  learned  that  the 
same  suggestion  had  been  made  by  the 
Reviewer  of  Raumer's  Palastina  in  the 
Munchner  Gelehrte  Anzeigen,  Dec.  1836, 
p.  920.  He  however  adduces  no  ground 
of  identity,  except  that  the  names  of 
Megiddo  and  Legio  are  both  applied  to 
tlie  plain. — It  might  at  first  seem  an  ob- 
jection to  this  whole  hypothesis,  that  Euse- 
bius and  Jerome  in  their  article  Mageddo, 
make  no  mention  of  Legio.  But  it  is  evi- 
dent from  the  article  itself,  that  the  name 
Megiddo  was  already  lost ;  and  they  do 
not  even  attempt  to  mark  the  position  of 
the  place.  The  same  was  the  case  in  re- 
spect to  Sichera  ;  and  even  the  identity  of 
Sebaste  and  Samaria  they  only  give  as  a 
report.  See  Onomast.  arts.  Mageddo,  Si- 
c/iein,  Stmeron. 


Junk  16.] 


FIRST  VIEW  OF  TABOR. 


331 


shut  in  by  other  mountains  of  nearly  equal  altitude.  It  stands 
out  almost  insulated  upon  the  plain,  being  connected  with  the 
hills  in  the  N.  W.  only  by  a  low  ridge.  Across  tliis  ridge  on  the 
left  of  Tabor,  we  could  here  again  see  the  lofty  peak  of  the  dis- 
tant Hermon  ;  and  could  now  distinguish  the  ice  upon  its  summit 
glittering  in  the  mid-day  sun. 

This  third  branch  of  the  great  plain  is,  Hke  the  others,  about 
an  hour  in  breadth,  but  is  more  distinct  and  marked  ;  the 
mountains  which  enclose  it  being  higher  and  rising  more  abruptly 
from  its  borders.  It  extends  around  and  beyond  Tabor,  quite 
to  the  brow  of  the  J ordan  valley,  and  likewise  northwards  with 
slight  interruptions  almost  to  Hattin.  In  this  part  its  waters 
run  westwards  to  the  Kishon,  and  the  Mediterranean  ;  further 
east,  as  we  shall  see,  beyond  Tabor,  they  flow  towards  the  Jor- 
dan. • 

Below  us,  on  the  left,  were  the  deserted  villages  of  Fuleh 
and  'Afuleh  ;  the  former  next  to  us  about  half  an  hour  distant, 
and  the  latter  beyond.  So  far  as  we  could  here  judge,  they 
stand  nearly  upon  the  dividing  Hne  of  waters,  between  the  head 
of  the  valley  of  Jezreel  and  the  more  western  plain.  But  there  is 
here  no  apparent  ridge  or  swell  of  land  to  mark  the  water-shed  ; 
the  ground  on  the  north,  south,  and  west,  is  level,  and  sends  its 
waters  to  the  Mediterranean  ;  while  towards  the  southeast  it 
begins  to  dechne  gradually,  to  form  the  great  valley  running  to 
the  Jordan. 

At  the  same  point  (ll^^  o'clock)  we  crossed  the  great  caravan 
road  from  Eg}-pt  to  Damascus  ;  which,  coming  by  Gaza,  Ram- 
leh,  and  Lejjun,  here  strikes  the  corner  of  the  Httle  Hermon,  and 
passes  on,  one  branch  over  the  low  ridge  on  the  left  of  Tabor, 
and  another  on  the  right  of  that  mountain  in  the  plain.  The 
branches  unite  again  at  the  Khan  beyond  ;  and  the  road  con- 
tinues and  descends  to  the  shore  of  the  lake,  about  three  quar- 
ters of  an  hour  north  of  Tiberias. 

We  now  descended  gradually  to  cross  the  arm  of  the  plain 
before  us.  At  11.40  there  was  a  large  dry  water-course  coming 
from  the  right  ;  and  at  11.55  another,  apparently  the  bed  of  the 
main  stream  of  this  part  of  the  plain,  coming  from  the  direction 
of  Mount  Tabor.  But  in  tliis  season  of  drought,  not  one  drop 
of  water  did  we  meet  with  in  all  the  great  plain,  except  in  the 
valley  of  J ezreel.  Near  this  latter  channel,  was  a  small  site  of 
ruins,  called  el-Mezra'ah. '  On  our  right,  at  some  distance,  we 
could  perceive,  on  the  northern  slope  of  the  little  Hermon,  the 
hamlet  of  Nein  ;  and  at  the  base  of  Tabor,  the  village  Deburieh. 
Nearer  at  hand  in  the  plain,  on  a  low  rocky  ridge  or  mound,  not 

'  This  is  probably  the  "  Casal  Mesra"  of  which  Brocardus  speaks  in  this  quarter, 
c.  7.  p.  1 76.  So  too  Marinus  Sanut.  p.  241. 

iiL  180-182 


332 


FROM  NABULUS  TO  NAZARETH. 


[Sbo.  XIV. 


far  from  tlie  foot  of  the  northern  hills,  was  the  village  of  Iksal, 
described  as  containing  many  excavated  sepulchres.'  It  is  prob- 
ably the  ChesuUoth  and  Chisloth-Tabor  of  the  book  of  Joshua, 
on  the  border  of  Zebulun  and  Issachar  ;  the  Chasalus  of  Euse- 
bius  and  Jerome  in  the  plain  near  Tabor  ;  and  the  Xaloth  of 
Josephus,  situated  in  the  great  plain.* — At  12.20  we  approached 
the  border  of  the  plain  on  the  north,  being  still  ten  minutes 
distant  from  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  which  here  rise  abruptly.' 

We  were  here  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  narrow  Wady, 
which  appears  to  come  out  directly  from  the  basin  of  Nazareth ; 
and  is  skirted  on  the  east  by  the  steep  bluff  usually  called  the 
mount  of  Precipitation.  A  path  leads  directly  up  this  valley 
to  Nazareth  ;  but  it  was  said  to  be  difficult,  and  our  muleteers 
chose  to  take  a  circuitous  road  lying  more  towards  the  west. 
This  led  us  along  the  base  of  the  mounta^  for  a  short  distance, 
passing  the  mouth  of  one  small  Wady,  and  then  winding  around 
and  up  a  projecting  point  of  the  mountain,  to  gain  the  entrance 
of  another.  We  thus  obtained  a  noble  view  of  the  western 
part  of  the  great  plain,  and  of  the  third  great  eastern  arm  which 
we  had  just  crossed.  The  plain  in  this  part  is  rich  and  fertile, 
but  lay  mostly  untilled  ;  here  and  there  only  were  a  few  patches 
of  grain,  intermingled  with  the  far  greater  portions  now  let  run 
to  waste.  From  tbis  point  a  beaten  path  went  off  across  the 
plain  towards  Lejjun,  falling  into  the  great  caravan  road  in  that 
direction. 

The  way  now  led  up  through  a  narrow,  rocky,  desert  Wady 
northwards  ;  near  the  head  of  which  we  came  at  1^  o'clock  to  a 
cistern  of  rain  water  with  flocks  waiting  around.  Not  far  from 
tliis  spot,  in  another  vaUey  on  the  left,  is  the  Httle  \'illage  of 
Yafa,  of  which  I  shall  speak  again.  Fifteen  minutes  further 
brought  us  to  the  brow  of  the  valley,  or  basin,  in  which  Nazareth 
is  situated  ;  from  which  point  descending  gradually  and  obhque- 
ly,  we  reached  the  town  at  If  o'clock.  Passing  along  its  lower 
side,  we  encamped  five  minutes  bej^ond,  among  the  oHve  trees  ; 
just  above  the  public  fountain  known  as  that  of  the  Virgin. 

'  Pococke  calls  this  village  Zal.    Re-  Acchaselutk  ;  "  Appellatnr  antem  et  qm- 

turning  from  Tabor  to  Nazareth  through  dam  vicus  Chasalus  juxta  montem  Tbabor 

the  plain,  he  says :  "  I  came  to  the  village  in  campestribus  in  octavo  milliaro  Dioc»- 

of  Zal,  which  is  about  three  miles  [one  sareas  ad  orientem  respiciens."  Josephus 

hour]  from    Tabor,    situated    on   rocky  B.  J.  3.  3.  1,  ivh  t/jj  iy       MeydXrji  wfSl<f 

ground,  rising  a  little  above  the  plain.  (cfi/ue'cTjs  Ktifitj?,  i)  ZaXad  KoKeirat.  Jos. 

Near  it  there  are  many  sepulchres  cut  in  de  Vita  sua  §  44.    Raumer  PaL  p.  111. 

the  rocks ;  some  of  them  are  like  stone  ed.  3.    Pococke  I.  c. 
coffins  above  ground ;  others  are  cut  into       '  From  this  point,  at  12J  o'clock,  the 

the  rock,  like  graves  ;  some  of  them  hav-  places  in  sight  bore  as  follows  :  Iksfil  N. 

ing  stone  covers  over  them ;  so  that  for-  63'  K.    Deburieh  N.  73°  E.    Summit  of 

merly  this  might   be  no  inconsiderable  Tabor  N.  80'  E.    Nein  S.  50'  E.  Duhy 

place ;  "  Descr.  of  the  East,  II.  i.  p.  65.  S.  40'  E. 

■■'  Josh.  19,  12.    18.     Onomast.  art 

iii.  182, 183 


Jmre  16.] 


NAZARETH.  POPULATION. 


333 


The  town  of  Nazareth,  called  in  Arabic  en-Nasirah,  lies 
upon  the  western  side  of  a  narrow  oblong  basin,  extending  about 
from  S.  S.  W.  to  N.  N.  E.  perhaps  twenty  minutes  in  length  by- 
eight  or  ten  in  breadth.  The  houses  stand  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  slope  of  the  western  hill ;  which  rises  steep  and  high 
above  them,  and  is  crowned  by  a  Wely  called  Neby  Isma'il.' 
Towards  the  north  the  hills  are  less  high  ;  on  the  east  and  south 
they  are  low.  In  the  southeast  the  basin  contracts  and  a  valley 
runs  out  narrow  and  winding,  apparently  to  the  great  plain. 
Various  roads  pass  out  of  the  basin  ;  on  the  north  to  Seffurieh 
and  'Akka  ;  in  the  northeast  to  Kefr  Kenna  and  Tiberias  ;  to- 
wards the  east  to  Mount  Tabor  and  Tiberias  ;  and  in  the  south- 
west to  Yafa  and  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  The  houses  of  the 
town  are  in  general  well  built  of  stone.  They  have  only  flat 
terraced  roofs,  without  the  domes  so  common  in  Jerusalem  and 
the  south  of  Palestine.  The  largest  and  most  solid  building, 
or  rather  collection  of  buildings,  in  the  place,  is  the  Latin  con- 
vent. 

We  called  soon  on  Abu  Nasir,  an  Arab-Greek  Christian  of 
Nazareth,  who  had  formerly  spent  some  time  in  Beirut.  He 
had  there  become  acquainted  with  the  American  missionaries, 
and  taken  great  interest  in  their  schools.  We  found  him  now 
in  his  open  shop  in  one  of  the  streets,  a  mild,  friendly,  and 
intelligent  man  ;  he  welcomed  us  very  kindly,  and  pressed  us 
much  to  take  up  our  quarters  in  his  house,  which  we  declined. 
He  afterwards  was  exceedingly  attentive,  and  devoted  much  of 
his  time  to  us.  We  found  here  likewise  Elias,  a  young  man  of 
the  place,  who  had  been  for  three  years  a  pupil  in  the  school  of 
the  English  missionaries  in  Cairo.  From  Abu  Nasir  we  received 
'  the  following  statement  as  to  the  population  of  Nazareth,  viz. 


Greeks  . 
Greek  Catholics 
Latin  do. 
Marouites 
Muhammedans 


160  families,  or  260  taxable  men. 
60         "         130  " 
65         "         120  " 
40         "        100  " 

120         "         170  " 


Total  445         "         780  » 

This  implies  a  population  of  about  three  thousand  souls. 
The  wealthy  family  of  Katafago  was  said  to  retain  its  impor- 

'  Schubert  gives  the  elevation  of  the  zareth  (the  western  one  is  the  highest)  at 

valley  of  Nazareth  at  821  Paris  feet  above  from  1500  to  1600  feet  above  the  sea,  or 

the  sea;   and  that  of  the  plain  at  the  between  700  and  800  above  Nazareth, 

foot  of  Tabor  at  439  feet.     The  ele-  This  is  far  too  great;  the  Wely  cannot 

valion  from  the  great  plain  further  west,  well  be  more  than  400  to  500  feet  above 

directly  to  Nazareth,  must  therefore  pro-  the  valley.    See  Schubert's  Reise  III.  p. 

bably  be  from  300  to  350  feet    He  es-  169. — The  Wely  on  the  western  hill  bears 

timates  the  height  of  the  hills  around  Na-  at  Kana  the  name  of  Neby  Sa'id. 

iii.  183-185 


334 


NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XrV. 


tance  and  general  influence  in  the  country,  as  described  br  Burck- 
hardt  and  Prokescli  but  this  influence  "was  also  said  not  to  be 
in  all  respects  for  good. 

We  had  not  come  to  Nazareth  as  pilgrinas  to  the  holy  places, 
pointed  out  in  legendary  tradition.  Yet  we  now  repaired  to  the 
Latin  convent,  accompanied  by  Elias  ;  not  because  it  is  said  to 
cover  the  spot  where  the  Virgin  lived,  but  as  being  a  point  of 
some  notoriety  in  the  modern  history  of  the  country,  or  rather, 
as  having  been  visited  by  many  travellers.  The  monks  had  put 
themselves  in  quarantine,  in  consequence  of  the  recent  death, 
by  plague,  of  the  physician  of  duke  Maximilian  of  Bavaria 
within  their  walls.'  We  entered  and  crossed  the  spacious  court, 
intending  to  visit  the  garden,  but  it  was  now  closed.  Finding 
the  door  of  the  church  open,  we  went  in  ;  it  was  the  hour  of 
vespers  ;  and  the  chanting  of  the  monks,  sustained  by  the  deep 
mellow  tones  of  the  organ,  which  came  upon  us  unexpectedly, 
was  solemn  and  affecting.  The  interior  of  the  church  is  small 
and  plain,  with  massive  arches  ;  the  walls  around  were  hung 
with  damask  stuff,  striped  with  blue,  producing  a  rich  effect ; 
indeed  the  whole  impression  transported  me  back  to  Italy.  A 
barrier  was  laid  across  the  floor,  not  very  far  from  the  entrance, 
as  a  warning  to  persons  from  without  not  to  advance  further  ; 
and  a  similar  precaution  was  taken,  to  prevent  the  hangings 
along  the  walls  from  being  touched.  Towards  the  grand  altar 
the  floor  is  raised,  and  there  is  an  ascent  to  it  by  steps.  Under 
this  is  the  grotto,  where,  as  the  story  goes,  the  Virgin  once  lived  ; 
here  the  Latins  say  Mary  received  the  salutation  of  the  angel,  and 
the  church  thence  takes  the  name  of  the  Annunciation.^  This 
grotto  is  now  a  chapel ;  and  over  it,  according  to  the  Romish 
legend,  once  stood  the  house,  which  aftemards,  to  escape  con- 
tamination from  the  Muhammedans,  wandered  away  through  the 
air  to  Loretto  in  Italy,  stopping  for  a  time  in  Dalmatia  or  lUyria.* 

This  church  and  convent,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  began  to 
be  built  up  on  the  ruins  of  the  more  ancient  church  in  A.  D. 
1620  ;  a  century  later,  the  whole  was  thoroughly  repaired  and 
rebuilt,  and  the  convent  enlarged  to  its  present  spacious  dimen- 
sions.' The  house  for  the  reception  of  pilgrims  was  thrown  down 
by  the  earthquake  of  Jan.  1,  1837,  from  which  Nazareth  and 
other  adjacent  villages  suffered  more  or  less  ;  but  it  had  already 
been  rebuilt.* 

'  Bnrckhardt's  Travels  p.  341.  Pro-  Korte,  who  was  here  in  1738,  says  the 
kesch  p.  129.  new  convent  had  then  been  built  about 

■  '  See  Vol  I.  p.  250.  twenty  years ;  but  the  church  had  been  .  ^ 

'  Luke  1,  26  sq.  finished  only  a  few  years  before.  Burckh. 

♦  Quarcsinius  II.  p.  834  sq.  p.  337.    Kortc  pp.  298,  299. 

'  Burckhardt  says  this  took  place  in  A.  '  Schubert's  Reise  III.  p.  IfiS.  The 
D.  1730,  probably  according  to  the  friars,  convent  was  otherwise  considerably  injured 
iiL  185,  186 


Joke  16.] 


CONVENT.     MOUNT  OF  PRECIPITATION. 


335 


From  the  convent  we  went  to  the  little  Maronite  church. 
It  stands  quite  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town  under  a  preci-  • 
pice  of  the  hill,  which  here  breaks  olf  in  a  perpendicular  wall 
forty  or  fifty  feet  in  height.  We  noticed  several  other  similar 
precipices  in  the  western  hill,  around  the  village.  Some  one  of 
these,  perhaps  that  by  the  Maronite  church,  may  well  have  been 
the  spot,  whither  the  Jews  led  Jesus  "unto  the  brow  of  the  hill 
whereon  their  city  was  built,  that  they  might  cast  hira  down 
headlong  ;  but  he,  passing  through  the  midst  of  them,  went  his 
way.'''  There  is  here  no  intimation  that  liis  escape  was  favoured 
by  the  exertion  of  any  miraculous  power  ;  but  he  made  his  way 
fearlessly  through  the  crowd  ;  and  probably  eluded  their  pursuit 
by  availing  himself  of  the  narrow  and  crooked  streets  of  the 
city. 

The  monks  have  chosen  for  the  scene  of  this  event  the 
mount  of  the  Precipitation,  so  called  ;  a  precipice  overlooking 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  nearly  two  miles  S.  by  E.  from  Naza- 
reth. Among  all  the  legends  that  have  been  fastened  on  the 
Holy  Land,  I  know  of  no  one  more  clumsy  than  this  ;  which 
presupposes  that  in  a  popular  and  momentary  tumult,  they 
should  have  had  the  patience  to  lead  off  their  •victim  to  an  hour's 
distance,  in  order  to  do  what  there  was  an  equal  facility  for 
doing  near  at  hand.  Besides,  the  hill  on  which  Nazareth 
staniis,  is  not  a  precipice  overlooking  the  plain  of  Esdraelon ; 
but  it  is  this  western  hill,  a  good  hour  distant  from  that  plain. 
Indeed,  such  is  the  intrinsic  absurdity  of  the  legend,  that  the 
monks  themselves  nowadays,  in  order  to  avoid  it,  make  the 
ancient  Nazareth  to  have  been  situated  not  far  distant  on  the 
same  mountain.* 

That  precipice  was  doubtless  selected,  because  it  forms  a 
striking  object  as  seen  from  the  plain  ;  but  the  legend  seems  not 
to  go  further  back  than  the  time  of  the  crusades.  It  is  not 
mentioned  by  Antoninus  Martyr,  who  particularly  describes  the 
holy  places  then  shown  at  Nazareth  ;  nor  by  Adamnanus,  nor 
St.  Willibald,  nor  Stewulf  who  was  here  about  A.  D.  1103. 
But  the  crusaders  cherished  Nazareth,  and  raised  it  to  a  bishop's 
see ;  and  then,  apparently,  this  precipice  was  selected,  as  the 
brow  of  the  mountain.  Phocas  first  mentions  it  slightly  in 
A.  D.  1185,  and  then  Brocardus  more  fully  ;^  and  since  their 
day  it  has  been  noticed  by  most  travellers. 

by  the  earthquake ;  but  only  one  other  '  Clarke  1.  c.  p.  437.  Monro  11.  p.  292. 
house  was  thrown  down.  Five  persons  in  — The  good  friars  forget  the  dilemma  into 
all  were  killed.  See  Mr  Thomson's  Re-  which  they  thus  bring  themselves ;  for  if  the 
port  on  this  earthquake,  in  the  Missionary  ancient  Nazareth  lay  near  the  precipice 
Henild  for  Nov.  1837,  p.  439.  overhanging  the  plain,  what  becomes  of  the 

'  Luke  4,  28-30.  Compare  John  holv  places  now  shown  in  the  present  town  ? 
8,  59.  10,  39.  Clarke's  Travels,  p.  537.  ^' Phocas  de  Locis  Sanct.  §  10.  Brocar- 
4to.  dus  c.  6,  p.  175. 

iii.  186-188 


336 


NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


We  came  back  to  our  tent,  intending  to  improve  the  time 
for  writing  up  our  journals  ;  but  the  civilities  of  Abu  Nasir,  in 
returning  our  \'isit  and  showing  us  every  attention,  did  not  per- 
mit us  to  accomplish  our  purpose. 

Sunday,  June  17th.  The  fountain  of  the  Virgin  near  our 
tent,  though  not  large,  was  much  frequented  by  the  females  of 
the  village,  bearing  their  water  pitchers.  I  went  to  it  several 
times  ;  but  such  was  the  crowd  waiting  around  to  fill  their  jars, 
and  the  strife  who  should  come  first,  that  I  could  never  get  near 
enough  to  examine  it  fully.  Later  in  summer  it  dries  up  ;  and 
then  water  is  brought  from  more  distant  fountains.  The  source 
itself  is  under  the  Greek  church  of  the  Annunciation,  eight  or 
ten  rods  further  north  ;  and  thence  the  little  stream  is  conduct- 
ed by  a  rude  aqueduct  of  stone,  over  which  at  last  an  arch  is 
turned,  where  it  pours  its  scanty  waters  into  a  sculptured  marble 
trough,  perhaps  once  a  sarcophagus.  The  church  is  built  over 
the  source,  as  the  spot  where  the  Greeks  say  the  Virgin  was  sa- 
luted by  the  angel  Gabriel  ;  it  is  very  plain  outside,  but  gaudy 
and  tawdry  within,  and  has  a  subterranean  grotto  arranged  as  a 
chapel. — The  aqueduct  seems  to  have  existed  in  Pococke's  day, 
and  doubtless  the  church  also  ;  though  he  speaks  only  of  a 
Greek  church  under  ground,  in  which  was  the  fountain.'  In 
the  century  before,  instead  of  the  aqueduct,  travellers  describe 
here  a  reservoir  ;  of  which  there  is  now  no  trace.* 

After  breakfast  I  walked  out  alone  to  the  top  of  the  western 
hill  above  Nazareth,  where  stands  the  neglected  Wely  of  Neby 
Isma'il.  Here,  quite  unexpectedly,  a  glorious  prospect  opened 
on  the  view.  The  air  was  perfectly  clear  and  serene  ;  and  I  shall 
never  forget  the  impression  I  received,  as  the  enchanting  pano- 
rama burst  suddenly  upon  me.  There  lay  the  magnificent  plain 
of  Esdraelon,  or  at  least  all  its  western  part  ;  on  the  left  was 
seen  the  round  top  of  Tabor  over  the  intervening  lulls,  with 
portions  of  the  little  Hermon  and  Gilboa,  and  the  opposite 
mountains  of  Samaria,  from  Jenin  westwards  to  the  lower  hills 
extending  towards  Carmel.  Then  came  the  long  fine  of  Carmel 
itself,  with  the  convent  of  Elias  on  its  northern  end,  and  Haifa 
on  the  shore  at  its  foot.  In  the  west  lay  the  Mediterranean, 
gleaming  in  the  morning  sun  ;  seen  first  far  in  the  south  on  the 
left  of  Carmel  ;  then  interrupted  by  that  mountain  ;  and  again 
appearing  on  its  right,  so  as  to  include  the  whole  bay  of  'Akka, 
and  the  coast  stretching  far  north  to  a  point  N.  10°  W,  'Akka 
itself  was  not  visible,  being  hidden  by  intervening  hills.  Below 
on  the  north,  was  spread  out  another  of  the  beautiful  .plains  of 

'Vol.  II.  i.  p.  63.  Ncitzschitz  in  10.35         Surius,  Pelerin,  p.  310.  Doubdan,  Voy- 
Bpeaks  here  of  an  old  Greek  church  over    age,  p.  56G. 
the  fouutuin  ;  p.  234. 

iii.  188,  189 


imiK]  PBOSPECT  FBOX  THE  ^TESTERS  HILL. 


337 


northern  Palestine,  called  el-Bdttauf ;  it  runs  from  east  to  west, 
and  its  water?  are  drained  ofl'  westwards  through  a  narrower 
valley,  to  the  Kishon  (el-Mukutta')  at  the  base  of  CarmeL  Near 
the  southern  border  of  this  plain,  the  eve  rested  on  a  large  vil- 
lage on  the  slope  of  an  isolated  lull,  with  a  ruined  castle  on  the 
top  ;  this  was  Seffurieh.  the  ancient  Sepphoris  or  Diocaesarea. 
Beyond  the  plain  el-BQttauf,  long  ridges  running  firom  east  to 
west  rise  one  higher  than  another  ;  until  the  mountains  of  Safed 
overtop  them  all,  on  which  that  place  is  seen,  "  a  city  set  upon 
a  hilL  "  Further  towards  the  right  is  a  sea  of  Viin>  and  moim- 
tains,  backed  by  the  higher  ones  beyond  the  lake  of  Tiberias, 
and  in  the  northeast  by  the  majestic  Hermon  with  its  icy 
crown. 

Carmel  here  presented  itself  to  great  advantage,  extending 
fer  out  into  the  sea,  and  dipping  his  feet  in  the  waters.  The 
highest  pan  of  the  ridge  is  towards  the  south.  The  southern 
end  of  the  proper  ridge,  as  here  seen,  bore  S.  80^  W.  and  the 
highest  point  S.  86"  W.  Thence  it  declines  gradually  north- 
wards, until  at  the  convent,  according  to  Schubert,  it  has  an 
elevation  of  only  582  Paris  feet  above  the  adjacent  sea.  The 
same  traveller  estimates  the  highest  point  at  1200  feet  :  which 
seems  to  me  relatively  too  higL'  The  northern  extremity  bore 
N.  58"  W.  Towards  the  southeast  Carmel  is  partially  connect- 
ed with  the  moxmtains  of  Samaria,  by  the  broad  range  of  low 
wooded  hills,  separating  the  great  plain  of  the  more  southern 
coast  from  that  of  Esdraelon.  Here  large  trees  of  the  walnut 
are  said  to  be  prevalent.  The  middle  point  of  this  connecting 
range  bore  S.  64^  W.  The  same  appearance  of  bushes  and 
trees  is  seen  on  many  parts  of  Carmel :  which  thus  presents  a 
less  naked  aspect,  than  the  mountains  of  Judea.* 

Seating  mvself  in  the  shade  of  the  Wely.  I  remained  for 
some  hours  upon  this  spot,  lost  in  the  contemplation  of  the  wide 
prospect,  and  of  the  events  connected  with  the  scenes  arotmd- 
In  the  village  below,  the  Saviour  of  the  world  had  passed  his 
childhood  ;  and  although  we  have  few  particulars  of  his  life 
during  thijse  early  years,  yet  there  are  certain  features  of  nature 
which  meet  our  eyes  now,  just  as  they  once  met  his.  He  must 
often  have  visited  the  fountain  near  which  we  had  pitched  our 
tent :  his  feet  must  frequently  have  wandered  over  die  adjacent 
hills  :  and  his  eyes  doubtless  have  gazed  upon  the  splendid  pros- 
pect from  this  very  spot.  Here  the  Prince  of  peace  looked  down 
upon  the  great  plain,  where  the  din  of  battles  so  oft  had  rolled, 

'  Rase  nt  p.  sit  aaad  Extnhs.  etc  p.  437  sq.  Par.  1529. 

*  ProkeKh  Bene  ins  kJL  Laod  p.  At  preseniL  it  seems  to  be  called  br  tiie 

SAMberfs  Base  m.  p.  205. — The  buk  Anbs  Jebel  ILir  Eljras,  fim  the  ea^vent 

*<f  Jrbd  Koimal  ffets  in^inbiaB  wii-  of  Elias  near  hs  noctlieiii  end;  Beiggiem 

ten ;  !e«  Edria  par  Jaabot  p.         B^i-  Bdsea  £L  p^  Sia. 

ToL.  IL— 29  fiL  18^191 


338 


NAZARETH. 


[Sbc.  XIV. 


and  the  garraents  of  the  warrior  been  dyed  in  blood  ;  and  he 
looked  out  too  upon  that  sea,  over  which  the  swift  ships  were  to 
bear  the  tidings  of  his  salvation  to  nations  and  to  continents 
then  unknown.  How  has  the  moral  aspect  of  things  been 
changed  !  Battles  and  bloodshed  have  indeed  not  ceased  to  des- 
olate this  unhappy  country,  and  gross  darkness  now  covers  the 
people  ;  but  from  this  region  a  light  went  forth,  which  has  en- 
lightened the  world  and  unveiled  new  climes  ;  and  now  the  rays 
of  that  light  begin  to  be  reflected  back  from  distant  isles 
and  continents,  to  illuminate  anew  the  darkened  land,  where  it 
first  sprung  up. 

The  day,  though  beautiful,  was  warm  ;  on  the  hill  the  air 
was  delightful ;  but  on  returning  to  our  tent  in  the  valley,  the 
heat  soon  became  oppressive  ;  the  thermometer  in  the  shade  of 
the  trees  rising  after  10  o'clock  to  88°  F.  We  held  our  devo- 
tional exercises  in  our  tent ;  but  were  glad  towards  noon  to 
accept  of  an  invitation  from  Abu  Kasir,  as  he  returned  from  the 
services  of  the  Greek  church,  and  join  him  at  his  house.  Here 
we  found  the  rooms  of  stone  much  cooler  than  our  tent.  The 
house  had  just  been  built,  and  was  not  yet  finished.  In  order 
to  lay  the  foundations,  he  had  dug  down  to  the  solid  rock,  as  is 
usual  throughout  the  country  ;  here  to  the  depth  of  thirty  feet ; 
and  then  built  up  arches.'  The  workmanship  was  solid,  but 
coarse  ;  he  assured  us,  it  was  the  best  work  the  masons  of 
Nazareth  could  turn  out.  The  want  of  timber  in  the  country  is 
much  felt  in  building ;  and  for  this  reason,  in  the  south  at  least, 
most  rooms  are  arched.*  The  little  which  Abu  Nasir  used,  was 
pine,  brought,  like  the  cedars  of  old,  from  Mount  Lebanon,  by 
way  of  Haifa. 

But  if  our  kind  friend  was  .thus  bettering  his  own  external 
comforts,  he  was  also  engaged,  heart  and  soul,  as  it  seemed,  in  en- 
deavouring to  improve  the  moral  condition  of  the  Greek-Arab 
community  around  him.  While  at  Beirtlt,  he  had  paid  great  at- 
tention to  the  missionaiy  schools  in  that  place  ;  and  had  become  so 
deeply  interested  and  impressed  with  their  importance  and  salu- 
tary influence,  that  on  returning  to  Nazareth,  he  had  immediately 
set  about  the  establishment  of  similar  schools  among  his  own 
people.  In  this  he  had  been  so  far  successful,  that  the  first  one 
established,  which  had  now  been  for  some  time  in  operation, 
contained  at  present  fifty  pupils ;  and  another  had  been  recently 
opened  with  about  twenty  children.  One  main  difficulty  had 
been  the  total  want  of  school  books  ;  and  for  these,  and  these 
alone,  Abu  Nasir  had  been  dependent  on  the  mission  at  Beiriit. 

'  Compare  the  words  of  our  Lord,  Luke  dation  on  a  rock."    This  is  still  the  coni- 

6,  48 :  "  He  is  like  a  man  which  built  a  mon  usage, 

house,  and  digged  deep,  and  laid  the  foun-  '  See  VoL  I.  p.  223. 
iiL  191, 192 


Jinn;  18.] 


KATITE  SCHOOLS. 


339 


In  order  to  set  an  example  to  his  neighbours,  and  lead  on  to 
better  things,  he  had  also  ventured  upon  the  unheard  of  step  of 
sending  his  own  youngest  daughter  to  one  of  the  schools  :  and 
she  was  the  first  female  who  for  centuries  had  learned  to  read  in 
Nazareth.  At  the  present  time  she  was  also  learning  to  write 
at  home.  The  example  was  followed,  though  with  hesitation  ; 
and  three  other  females  were  now  numbered  among  the  pupils. 
Abu  Nasir  was  thus  doing  much  good  ;  but  he  met  also  with 
opposition  ;  and  being  straitened  for  means,  he  was  therefore 
very  desirous  that  the  schools  should  be  taken  up  by  the  mission 
at  Beinit,  and  others  be  established  in  the  neighbouring  villa- 
ges. But  at  that  time,  the  resources  of  the  mission,  and  of  the 
society  at  home,  had  become  so  much  contracted,  as  to  admit 
of  no  extension  of  their  operations.' 

Abu  Nasir  and  his  son  sat  with  us  ;  the  latter  a  promising 
young  man  of  about  twenty-  years.  A  daughter  somewhat 
younger  came  in  for  a  few  moments,  but  soon  retired  ;  while  the 
youngest  daughter,  a  bright  timid  child  of  twelve  years,  re- 
mained for  some  time.  The  father  was  obviously  proud  of  her 
acquirements  at  school ;  she  repeated  from  memory  to  my  com- 
panion twelve  psalms,  and  portions  of  "Watts'  catechism  for 
children,  all  of  course  in  Arabic.  The  son  gave  us  informarion 
respecting  the  village  of  Jelbon  on  Moimt  Gilboa,  which  he  had 
himself  visited.* — tVe  remained  to  dinner  with  Abu  Nasir, 
towards  evening.  There  was  nothing  special  in  the  entertain- 
ment, varying  from  the  usual  forms  of  the  coimtry,  as  already 
described  ;  except  that  we  had  our  own  plates,  knives  and  forks, 
and  the  like,  from  our  tent ;  and  our  own  servants  waited  upon 
us.  All  the  rest  was  done  by  the  host  and  his  son  ;  and  the 
former  alone  ate  with  us. 

The  attentions  of  Abu  Nasir  towards  us  proceeded  from  the 
most  entire  kindness  and  respect ;  but  they  deprived  us  of  the 
greater  portion  of  our  time,  and  had  already  prevented  us  from 
writing  out  our  notes  as  we  had  purposed.  tVe  therefore  laid 
our  plan  for  the  next  day,  to  go  in  the  morning  to  the  summit 
of  Mount  Tabor,  and  there  pitch  our  tent ;  in  order  to  take 
time  and  fill  out  our  journals,  which  were  greatly  in  arrears. 

Monday,  June  \Sth.  Before  setting  off,  we  went  again 
upon  the  western  hill  to  the  Wely  of  Neby  Isma'il,  accompa- 
nied by  Abu  Nasir,  who  was  acquainted  with  all  the  country 
around.  The  prospect  however  was  now  less  fine  ;  the  south 
wind  had  sprung  up,  the  commencement  of  a  Sirocco,  and  had 

'  I  regret  to  have  to  gav,  that  these    cure  for  him  anv  personal  advantage  as  a 
promirfnjr  beginnings  of  Abu  Xasir  did    correspondent  or  agent  of  the  Franks,  they 
rot  remit   in  any  permanent  benefits,    were  soon  discontinaed. 
When  he  found,  that  his  efforts  did  not  pro-       '  See  above,  p.  316. 

iiL  192-194 


NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


brouglit  up  a  haze,  which  spoiled  in  part  the  view  of  yes- 
terday. Yet  the  important  points  were  all  distinctly  to  be 
seen  ;  although  not  in  the  clear  transparent  light  of  the  preced- 
ing day.  All  the  places  around  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  which 
we  had  formerly  seen,  were  still  to  be  made  out.  Haifa  likewise 
was  yet  visible  ;  now  a  place  of  considerable  trade  at  the  foot 
of  Carmel,  on  the  southern  shore  of  the  bay  of  'Akka.  It  is 
probably  the  ancient  Sycaminum,  a  city  of  the  Phenicians  not 
far  distant  from  Ptolemais  or  'Akka.*  In  the  north,  Abu  Nasir 
pointed  out  the  village  of  Kefr  Menda  ;^  and  also  a  ruined 
place  on  the  northern  border  of  the  plain  el-Buttauf,  called  by 
the  natives  Kana  el-Jelil,  to  which  I  shall  recur  again.  I  do 
not  recollect  whether  we  saw  the  village  Eummaneh/  a  little 
further  east ;  at  any  rate,  we  did  not  take  its  bearing.* 

In  returning  down  the  hill,  we  came  upon  a  spot  of  ground 
which  had  been  burnt  over  ;  and  learned  that  this  had  been 
done  in  order  to  destroy  the  young  locusts,  which  were  lying  dead 
in  great  numbers.  We  had  seen  them  occasionally  for  several 
days  ;  and  had  passed  some  fields  of  cotton,  which  had  been 
greatly  injured  by  them.  At  Jenin  we  were  told,  that  the  gov- 
ernor, who  had  extensive  fields  upon  the  plain,  fearing  for  his  cot- 
ton and  other  crops,  had  mustered  the  peasants  of  the  neighbour- 
ing villages,  and  destroyed  the  locusts  by  burning  and  otherwise. 
But  every  few  mUes  as  we  travelled  across  the  plain,  the  ground 
was  covered  by  the  young  swarms.  They  were  green,  and  yet 
too  young  to  fly  ;  but  just  at  the  right  age  to  eat.  The  environs 
of  Nazareth,  for  some  distance  around,  were  covered  with  them, 
devouring  vineyards,  gardens,  and  every  thing  green. — The  bird 
which  follows  and  destroys  the  locusts,  had  not  yet  reached 
Nazareth,  but  was  reported  to  be  at  Hattin.  It  is  called  Se- 
mermer  and  the  Arabs  say  it  does  not  eat  the  locusts,  or  at 
least  not  many  ;  but  attacks  them  with  beak  and  talons,  killing 
as  many  of  them  as  possible. 


'  For  Haifa,  see  in  Vol.  III.  Sect.  II, 
eud. 

'  Mentioned  likewise  by  Van  Egmond 
and  Heyman,  Reizen  II.  p.  16. 

'  Is  this  perhaps  the  Jtimmon  of  the 
tribe  of  Zebulon  ?  Josh.  I'J,  13.  1  Chr. 
6,  77.  [62.]  Pococke  mentions  this  vil- 
lage ;  II.  i.  p.  62. 

*  The  following  bearings  were  taken 
from  the  western  hill  above  Nazareth, 
mostly  with  our  large  compass,  beginning 
at  Tabor  and  proceeding  towards  the  right ; 
Tabor  S.  67°  E.  Kaukab  el-Hawa  beyond 
Tabor  S.  56°  E.  Endor  S.  39°  E.  Neia 
S.  21°  E.  Duhy  S.  19°  E.  Nuris  S.  10i° 
E.  Wezar  S.  9°  E.  Zer'in  S.  3'  E.  Je- 
iii.  194. 195 


nin  S.  6°  W.  Sileh  S.  23°  W.  Ta'annnk 
S.  27°  W.  Urn  el-Fahm  S.  40°  W.  Sil- 
lim  S.  42°  W.  (?)  Middle  of  hills  extend- 
ing from  Carmel,  S.  64°  W.  Carmel, 
south  end  of  ridge,  S.  80°  W.  Carmel, 
highest  point,  S.  86°  W.  'Asifia  N.  80° 
W.  Haifa  N.  Cy^"  W.  Kaukab  N.  10'  W. 
Seffurieh  N.  9°  W.  Kefr  Menda  N.  8°  W. 
Kilna  el-Jelil  N.  5°  E.  Safed  N.  40°  E. 
Jebcl  esh-Sheikh  N.  41°  E.  Nazareth  at 
the  same  time  lay  below  us,  S.  10°  E.  dis- 
tant about  ten  minutes. — Solum,  though 
not  here  visible,  lies  in  the  same  line  with 
Wezar,  and  therefore  S.  9'  E.   See  p.  324. 

'  Tiirdm  Sdewis;  Orylli-vora.  Kor- 
skal  Dcscr.  Animal,  p.  tL 


JlWK  18.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


341 


The  name  of  Nazareth  (Arabic,  en-Nasirah)  is  found  in 
Scripture  only  in  the  New  Testament.  The  place  is  mentioned 
neither  in  the  Old  Testament  nor  in  Josephus  ;  and  was  appar- 
ently a  small  and  unimportant  village.  "  Can  there  any  good 
thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?  "  is  a  question  implying  any  thing 
but  respect ;  and  the  appellation  of  Nazarenes  was  in  like 
manner  given  to  the  first  Christians  in  scorn. '  Yet  to  the  present 
day  the  name  for  Christians  in  Arabic  continues  to  be  en-Nu- 
sdra,  that  is,  Nazarenes.' 

From  the  days  of  our  Saviour  we  hear  no  more  of  Nazareth, 
until  Eusebius,  in  the  fourth  century,  again  describes  it  as  a 
village,  fifteen  Roman  miles  eastward  from  Legio  (Lejjun),  and 
not  far  from  Tabor.'  Epiphanius  relates,  in  the  same  century, 
that  until  the  time  of  Constantine,  Nazareth  was  inhabited  only 
by  J ews  ;  from  which  at  least  it  would  appear,  that  Christians 
dwelt  there  in  his  day.^  It  would  seem,  however,  not  then  to 
have  become  a  regular  place  of  pilgrimage  ;  for  Jerome  men- 
tions it  only  incidentally  ;  and  makes  Paula  on  her  journey 
merely  pass  through  it  without  stopping.'  Nor  was  it  made  a 
bishopric  ;  for  the  name  is  not  found  in  any  of  the  ecclesiastical 
Notitice  before  the  time  of  the  crusades.  Yet  it  must  early 
have  been  visited  by  pilgrims  ;  for  towards  the  close  of  the  sixth 
century,  Antoninus  describes  in  it  the  ancient  synagogue  and 
a  church.'  Arculfus  a  century  later  found  here  two  churches  ; 
one  over  the  fountain,  and  the  other  covering  the  house  where 
Mary  had  lived.  St.  WilHbald  in  the  eighth  century  mentions  but 
one  church.'  About  A.  D.  1103,  Saewulf  describes  the  place  as 
having  been  totally  destroyed  by  the  Saracens  ;  though  a  noted 
monastery  still  served  to  mark  the  place  of  the  Annunciation.* 

After  the  crusaders  had  got  possession  of  Jerusalem,  the 
country  of  Galilee,  extending  from  Tiberias  to  Haifa,  was  given 
by  Godfi-ey  of  Bouillon  as  a  fief  to  the  noble  leader  Tancred, 
He  immediately  subdued  Tiberias  ;  administered  the  province 
with  justice  and  equity  ;  erected  churches  at  Nazareth,  Tiberias, 
and  on  Mount  Tabor,  and  richly  endowed  them  ;  so  that  his 


'  John  1,  46.  Acts  24,  5.  "  Et  nos 
apnd  veteres,  quasi  opprobrio,  Nazarsei 
dicebamnr,  quos  nunc  Christianos  vocant;" 
Euseb.  et  Hieron.  Onomast.  art.  Nazareth. 

'  Sing.  NMrdny  ;  Plur.  Nusnra,  often 
■written  in  vulgar  Arabic  Nusdrah. 

'  Onomast.  art  Nazareth. 

*  Epiphan.  adv.  Hseres.  lib.  I.  pp.  128, 
136.    Keland  Pal.  p.  905. 

'  "  Inde  cite  itinere  percncurrit  Naza- 
reth nutriculam  Domini ; "  Ep.  86,  Epit. 
Pauls,  p.  677,  ed.  Mart  Comp.  Ep.  44, 
>d  Marcell.  ibid.  p.  552.  Yet  almost  as 
Vol.  II.— 29* 


a  matter  of  course,  monastic  tradition  as- 
cribes the  later  church  to  Helena. 

°  Antonin.  Mart  §  5.  It  is  remarkable 
that  Antoninus  praises  the  beauty  of  the  fe- 
males of  Nazareth,  as  is  also  done  by  some 
travellers  at  the  present  day;  though  it 
did  not  strike  us  particularly.  Turner's 
Tour  in  the  Levant  II.  p.  135.  Berggren 
Reisen  11.  p.  232.  Antoninus  ascribes  this 
to  the  special  favour  of  the  Virg'n  Mary. 

'  Adamnanus  ex  Arculf  2.  26.  St 
Willib.  Hodoepor.  16. 

*  Saewulf  Peregrinat.  p.  270. 

iii.  196.  197 


342 


NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


memory  was  long  dierislied  in  tMs  region.*  In  the  new  ecclesi- 
astical arrangements  of  the  country,  the  see  of  Scythopolis,  the 
former  metropoHtan  seat  of  Palaestina  Secunda,  was  transferred 
to  Nazareth  ;  which  then  first  became  a  bishopric,  and  remains 
so  nominally  in  the  Greek  church  to  the  present  day.'  When 
this  transfer  took  place  we  are  not  informed  ;  but  it  must  have 
been  at  an  early  period  ;  for  in  A.  D.  1111  a  strife  already 
existed,  between  the  bishop  of  Nazareth  and  the  convent  founded 
by  the  Benedictines  of  Clugny  on  Mount  Tabor,  respecting  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  bishop  over  the  latter.  The  matter  was  ad- 
justed by  Gibehn,  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  in  an  assembly  of 
the  bishops  and  clergy,  with  the  consent  of  the  king  and  barons, 
to  the  satisfaction  of  both  parties.  The  consecration  of  the 
abbot  and  monks,  and  also  of  the  larger  church,  was  to  depend 
only  on  the  patriarch  ;  while  the  bishop  of  Nazareth  was  to 
exercise  all  other  episcopal  rights  over  the  convent.' 

The  fatal  battle  of  Hattin,  in  A.  D.  1187,  was  followed  by 
the  subjugation  of  almost  the  whole  land  by  Saladin,  and  of 
Nazareth  and  Sepphoris  among  other  places.^  At  what  time 
Nazareth  again  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Christians  is 
uncertain  ;  but  in  A.  D.  1250,  king  Louis  of  France  made  a 
pilgrimage  from  'Akka  thither,  and  to  Mount  Tabor  f  and  in 
A.  D.  1263,  the  town  of  Nazareth  and  the  noble  church  of  the 
Annunciation,  as  also  the  church  of  the  Transfiguration  on 
Mount  Tabor,  were  laid  in  total  ruins  by  the  Sultan  Bibars.* 
Nazareth  appears  afterwards  to  have  been  neglected,  and  the 
church  not  to  have  been  again  built  up  until  after  several  cen- 
turies ;  although  the  nominal  succession  of  Latin  bishops,  or 
rather  archbishops,  was  long  continued  in  the  Romish  church.^ 
Brocardus,  in  the  thirteenth  century,  says  nothing  of  the  state 
in  which  Nazareth  then  was  ;  but  writers  of  the  fourteenth, 
describe  it  as  a  small  vUlage,  with  a  church  wholly  in  ruins,  and 


'  Alb.  Aq.  7.  16.  Will.  Tyr.  9.  13. 
Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  II.  pp.  33-37.— 
Tancred  resigned  this  fief  after  two  or 
three  years,  but  received  it  back  again  be- 
fore bis  death  ;  WiU.  Tyr.  10.  10.  Alb.  Aq. 
11.  12.  Wilken  ib.  pp.  92,  208. 

»  Will.  Tyr.  22.  16.  Jac.  de  Vitr.  56.  p. 
1077.  Marin.  Sanut.  p.  176.  Le  Quien 
Oriens  Christ.  III.  1293  sq.  and  G!)4.— The 
present  titular  Greek  bishop  of  Nazareth 
resides  at  Jerusalem  ;  see  above,  Vol.  I.  p. 
424. 

'  See  the  document  containing  this  com- 
pact in  Mansi  Concil.  Tom.  XXI.  p.  71. 
Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  II.  p  365.  Gibelin 
died  at  the  close  of  A.  0.  1111,  or  begin- 
ning of  A.  D.  1112  ;  Will.  Tyr.  11.  11,  15. 

*  Bohaedd.  p.  71.    Abulfed.  AnnaL  A. 

iu.  197,  198 


H.  583.  Mejr  ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Or. 
III.  p.  81.  Wilken  ib.  ni.  iL  pp.  293,  297. 

<■  Wilken  ib.  VII.  pp.  277,  278,  and  the 
authorities  there  cited.  —  The  emperor 
Frederick  II.  affirmed,  that  the  possession 
of  Nazareth  by  the  Christians  was  in- 
cluded in  his  treaty  in  A.  D.  1229 ;  but 
Arabian  writers  speak  only  of  places  on 
the  route  between  Jerusalem  and  'Akka. 
Yet  Nazareth  might  well  be  included  in 
that  route.  Wilken  ib  VI.  p.  479.  Miirin. 
Sanut.  p.  213.  Reinaud  Extraits,  etc.  p, 
430. 

'  Epist.  Urban.  IV,  in  Raynaldi  AnnaL 
ecclesiast  A.  D.  1263.  §  7.  Abulf  AnnaL 
A.  H.  661.  Reinaud  Extraits,  etc.  p.  484 
Wilken  ib.  VII.  p.  461. 

'  Le  Quien  Oriens  Chr.  IIL  1294  sq. 


JroK  18."1 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


343 


a  fountain  ;  and  make  bitter  complaint  of  the  Muslim  inhabi- 
tants.' In  tlie  fifteenth  century,  Nazareth  seems  hardly  to  have 
been  visited  by  pilgrims.  About  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth, 
Belon  describes  here  the  chapel  of  the  Annunciation  as  a  grotto 
below  ground,  surrounded  by  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  church ; 
the  village  was  inhabited  only  by  Muhammedans."  Cotovicus, 
at  the  close  of  that  century,  confirms  this  account,  describing 
the  people  as  the  worst  he  had  seen  ;  there  being  only  two  or 
three  Christian  inhabitants.  The  former  church  still  lay  in 
ruins.    His  party  were  here  treated  only  with  insult.' 

It  was  in  A.  D.  1620,  that  the  Franciscan  monks  first  ob- 
tained permission  from  the  celebrated  Fakhr  ed-Din,  then  master 
of  this  region,  to  take  possession  of  the  grotto  and  rebuild  the 
church  in  Nazareth,  with  which  they  naturally  connected  a 
monastery.  The  circumstances  are  fully  related  by  Quaresmius, 
as  they  happened  in  his  time ;  but  the  buildings  appear  not  to 
have  been  completed  for  many  years.  Doubdan,  some  thirty 
years  later,  speaks  of  the  place  as  a  miserable  village,  almost 
ruined  and  deserted,  with  eight  or  ten  monks  residing  there 
from  the  convent  in  Jerusalem.*  Surius,  a  few  years  before, 
found  in  the  village  only  four  Maronite  and  two  Greek  families 
of  Christians.^  At  the  close  of  the  same  century,  Maundrell 
describes  the  monks  as  being  shut  up  in  their  convent  for  fear 
of  the  Arabs.^  About  A.  D.  1720-30,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
church  and  convent  were  repaired  and  enlarged. Since  that 
day,  the  number  of  Christians  in  Nazareth  has  been  greatly 
augmented  ;  and  the  character  of  the  place  has  undergone  an 
entire  change.  Even  in  the  time  of  Korte,  there  were  here  only 
one  hundred  and  fifty  families  in  all ;  but  the  Christian  popula- 
tion is  said  to  have  increased  greatly  under  the  noted  Sheikh 
Dhaher  of  'Akka,  about  the  middle  of  the  century.* 

In  the  vicinity  of  Nazareth,  we  find  also  the  names  of  several 
other  ancient  places  ;  of  which  it  may  be  proper  here  to  say  a 
few  words. 

Yafa.  The  little  village  of  Yfifa,  as  we  have  seen,  lies  some- 
what more  than  half  an  hour  southwest  of  Nazareth,  in  another 
valley.'    It  contains  about  thirty  houses,  with  the  remains  of  a 

'  Brocardus  c.  6.  p.  175.   Sir  J.  Mann-  '  Belon  Obs.  Paris  1588.  p.  327. 

deville  p.  112.  Lond.  1839.    W.  de  Bald-  '  Cotov.  Itin.  pp.  340,350.  Comp. 

ensel  speaks  of  the  inhabitants  as  "  pessi-  Sandys'  Travels  p.  160. 

mi  Saraceni ; "  p.  354.    L.  de  Suchem,  *  Quaresmius  Elucid.   II.  p.  837  sq. 

Itin.  p.  94.  Reissb.  p.  850.    According  to  Doubdan  p.  569. 

this  last  writer,  the  Saracens  had  endea-  '  Surius  Pelerin,  p.  305  sq. 

voured  to  fill  up  the  fountain ;  and  had  '  Maundrell  Apr.  1 8. 

polluted  the  ruined  church  as  far  as  pos-  '  See  above,  p.  334. 

sible,  by  making  it  a  receptacle  for  the  '  Kortens  Reise  p.  298.  Mariti  Voyages 

dead  bodies  of  asses,  camels,  cattle,  and  II.  pp.  153,  154.  Neuw.  1791. 

dogs.  »  See  above,  p.  332. 

iii.  198-200 


344 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH. 


[Sec,  XIV. 


church  ;  and  has  a  few  single  palm  trees.  The  Italian  monks 
call  it  St.  Griacomo  ;  inasmuch  as  their  tradition  regards  it  as 
the  residence  of  Zebedee  and  his  two  sons,  James  and  John. 
The  name  seems  to  identify  it  with  the  Japhia  of  Scripture,  on 
the  border  of  Zebulon,  described  also  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome.' 
The  J apha  fortified  by  J osephus  was  probably  the  same,  a  large 
and  strong  village  of  G-alilee,  afterwards  captured  by  Trajan  and 
Titus  under  the  orders  of  Vespasian.  In  the  storm  and  sack 
of  the  place,  according  to  the  same  writer,  fifteen  thousand  of 
the  inhabitants  were  put  to  the  sword,  and  two  thousand  one 
hundred  and  thirty  made  captives.'  The  earhest  trace  of  the 
tradition  respecting  the  residence  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee  at  this 
place,  seems  to  occur  in  Marinus  Sanutus  in  the  fourteenth 
century ;  and  the  tradition  itself  is  therefore  probably  not  older 
than  the  time  of  the  crusades.^ 

Semimieh.  Nearly  west  by  north  of  Yafa,  on  a  hiU,  lies 
the  small  village  of  Semrmieh.  In  this  name  it  is  not  difficult 
to  recognise  the  Simonias  of  Josephus  ;  which,  according  to  his 
description,  was  situated  on  the  hills  north  of  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon.  Here  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  Romans  to 
surprise  Josephus  by  night,  and  make  him  prisoner.*  I  do  not 
find  the  place  again  mentioned,  until  it  appears  in  the  present 
century,  upon  the  map  of  Jacotin.  The  name  does  not  occur 
in  the  Scriptures. 

Jehdtha.  In  the  S.  S.  W.  from  Yafa,  on  one  of  the  low 
hills  running  down  into  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  is  the  village  of 
Jebatha.  This  would  seem  to  be ,  the  Gabatha  of  Eusebius  and 
Jerome,  in  the  borders  of  Diocaesarea  (Sepphoris),  near  the  great 
plain  of  Legio  or  Esdraelon.'  It  is  not  named  in  Scripture  ; 
and  I  find  no  other  mention  of  it  except  upon  the  map  of 
Jacotin  and  in  our  lists. 

Seffurieh.  From  the  Wely  over  Nazareth,  we  saw  the 
village  of  Seff'urieh  N.  by  W.,  near  the  southern  part  of  the  fine 
plain  el-Buttauf ;  distant,  it  was  said,  about  an  hour  and  a  half 
from  Nazareth.  It  is  a  small  vUlage,  lying  on  the  southern 
slope  of  an  isolated  hill,  on  the  summit  of  which  are  the  ruins 
of  a  large  ancient  tower.    This  name  is  obviously  the  Sepphoris 

'  Josh.  19,  12.    Onomast.  art.  Japhic:  Saphar,  Saffra,  and  Saffa.    Later  travel- 

"  Japhct  in  tribu  Zabulon,  nunc  usque  lers,  among  others  who  mention  this  Yafa, 

Joppe  vocatur,  ascensus  Japho." — There  are :   Korte  p.  305.    Turner  II.  p.  133. 

is  here  a  third  instance  of  the  falling  away  Schubert  III.  p.  203,  etc. 

of  the  Hebrew  'Ain  at  the  end  of  names;  *  Joseph.  Vita  §  24.    Reland  Falsest  p. 

the  two  others  being  el- Jib  and  Jelbon.  1017. 

»  Joseph.  Vit.  §  37,  45.    B.  J.  2.  20.  6.  '  Onomast.  art.  Gahathon :  "  Et  alia 

ib.  3.  7.  31.  villa  Gabatha  in  finibus  Diocoesareffi  juxta 

'  Marin.  Sanut.  p.  253.    Sir  J.  Maun-  grondem  campum  Legionis."    The  Greek 

deville  p.  115.  Lond.  1839.    Quaresmius  of  Eusebius  is  here  confused,  and  probably 

II.  p.  843.  These  authors  write  the  name  corrupted, 
iii,  200.  201 


Jtok  18.] 


SEFFURIEH,  SEPPHORIS. 


345 


of  Joscphus,  and  the  Tsippori  of  the  Rabbins,  a  place  not 
mentioned  in  Scripture,  but  afterwards  called  by  the  Romans 
Diocfesarea. '  Josephus  often  speaks  of  Sepphoris.  It  was 
captured  by  Herod  the  Great,  and  afterwards  laid  in  ashes  by 
Varus  ;  but  having  been  rebuilt  and  fortified  by  Herod  Antipas, 
it  became  the  largest  and  strongest  city  of  Galilee  ;  and  at 
length  took  precedence  of  Tiberias.'  There  were  here  many 
synagogues  ;  a  4pro\'incial  Sanhedrim  was  established  here  by 
Gabinius;  and  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  great 
Jewish  Sanhedrim  is  said  to  have  been  transferred  to  Sepphoris 
for  some  years,  before  it  went  to  Tiberias.'  The  city  appears 
afterwards  to  have  become  the  seat  of  a  Christian  church,  and  a 
bishopric  of  Palsestina  Secunda.^  Epiphanius  relates,  that  a 
certain  Josephus,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Constantine,  received 
permission  to  build  here  a  church.'  In  A.  D.  339,  Sepphoris 
was  destroyed  by  the  Romans,  in  consequence  of  a  rebellion  of 
the  Jews,  who  were  still  its  most  numerous  inhabitants.^  Near 
the  close  of  the  sixth  century,  it  is  mentioned  by  Antoninus 
Martyr  ;  who  speaks  here  of  a  cathedral  built  upon  the  spot, 
where  the  Virgin  Mary  received  the  salutation  of  the  angel.' 
In  this  account  we  may  probably  recognise  the  germ  of  the 
later  legend,  which  makes  Sepphoris  to  have  been  the  residence 
of  the  parents  of  the  Virgin. 

We  hear  no  more  of  the  place  until  the  time  of  the  cru- 
sades ;  when  Seffurieh  becomes  again  celebrated  for  its  large 
fountain,  nearly  half  an  hour  southeast  of  the  town,  towards 
Nazareth,  which  was  often  made  the  rendezvous  for  the  armies 
of  the  Christian  warriors.'  Here  the  forces  of  the  crusaders 
assembled  in  pomp  and  pride  before  the  fatal  battle  of  Hattin  ; 
and  here,  a  few  days  later,  Saladin  encamped  with  his  victorious 
host,  on  his  way  to  'Akka  ;  leaving  the  castle  to  be  subdued  by 
his  troops  a  short  time  afterwards.'  Not  long  before  this  period, 
Benjamin  of  Tudela  mentions  Sepphoiis  merely  as  containing 
the  tomb  of  Rabbi  Judah  Hakkodesh,  who  died  here  ;  and 
Phocas  describes  it  as  almost  uninhabited.*" 

'  "  Saphorim  quae  hodie  appellatur  Dio-  220,  228  ;  ib.  p.  1001.    Le  Quien  Oriens 

caesarea  ;  "   Hieron.  Procem.  in   Jonam.  Chr.  III.  p.  714. 

Reland  Patest.  p.  999.    Coins  are  extant       '  Epiphan.  adv.  Hseres.  lib.  I.  p.  128. 
of  Sepphoris  under  Trajan,  and  of  Diocae-       •  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  377. 
sarea  under  Antoninus  Pius,  Commodus,       '  Antonin.  Mart  Itin.  §  2.    The  name 

and  Caraca'.la  ;  Mionnet  Medailles  An-  is  there  erroneously  written  /caesarea. 
tiques  Y.  pp.  482,  483.    Eckhel  Doctr.       «  So  under  Amalric,  Will  Tjt.  20.  27. 

Numm.  IIL  p.  42.5.  Under  Baldwin  IV,  Will  Tvr.  22.  15,  16,  " 

"  Jos.  Ant  14.  15.  4.  ib.  17.  10.  9.  ib.  25.— Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  lU.  ii.  pp. 

18.  2.  1.    B.  J.  2.  18.  11.  ib.  3.  2.  4.  208,231. 

Vita  §§  9,  45,  65.  »  Wilken  ib.  pp.  273,  274,  and  the  au- 

'  Jos.  Ant.  14.  5.  4.    Lightfoot  0pp.  thorities  there  cited.  Ibid.  p.  292.— Bohaed. 

Tom.  II.  pp.  144  sq.  229.  Ultraj.  1699.  Vit.  Salad,  p.  71.  Mejr  ed-Din  in  Fundgr. 

Comp.  Buxtorf  Tiberias  pp  17,  22.  des  Or.  III.  p.  81. 

*  See  the  Notitiae,  Reland  Pal.  pp.  217,       "  Benj.  of  Tud.  I.  p.  82.    Phocas  da 

iii.  201-203 


346 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


In  the  following  centuries,  SefFurieh  is  mentioned  as  a  town 
with  a  castle  ;  to  which  latter  Marinus  Sanutus  gives  the  epi- 
thet of  "  beautiful."'  But  the  chief  circumstance,  which  has 
called  the  attention  of  pilgrims  to  the  place  since  the  crusades, 
is  the  legend  of  its  having  been  the  residence  of  Joachim  and 
Anna,  the  reputed  parents  of  the  Virgin  Mary.*  The  remains 
of  a  church  are  still  to  be  seen  upon  the  hill,  dedicated  to  these 
saints.  These  ruins  are  described  with,  a  good  deal  of  high- 
wrought  colouring  by  Dr  Chirke,  who  apparently  holds  them  to 
belong  to  the  church  erected  here  in  the  fourth  century,  as 
above  described.  But  in  doing  this,  he  forgets,  that  he  had  just 
spoken  of  them  as  the  remains  of  "  a  stately  Gothic  edifice  ;  "  a 
circumstance,  which  of  course  limits  the  age  of  the  present 
ruins  to  a  period  not  earlier  than  the  crusades,  when  the  pointed 
arch  was  first  applied  to  churches.  The  legend  in  this  form  and 
extent,  is  first  mentioned  by  Brocardus  ;  and  probably  had  been 
dressed  out  by  the  Latin  monks  on  the  earlier  foundation,  to 
which  Antoninus  alludes.  Dr  Clarke  found  here  some  Greek 
paintings  on  wood  ;  which,  as  the  very  circumstances  show, 
could  not  have  been  of  any  great  antiquity ;  probably  the 
Greeks  may,  at  no  very  remote  period,  have  used  a  portion  of 
the  ruins  as  a  church.^ 

At  the  present  day  Sefiurieh  is  a  poor  village,  situated  just 
below  the  ruins  of  the  castle.  It  received  little  or  no  injury 
from  the  earthquake  of  A.  D.  1837.  In  the  middle  of  the  last 
century,  Hasselquist  describes  the  inhabitants  as  raising  great 
quantities  of  bees,  and  obtaining  great  profit  from  the  honey.* 

Kdna  el-Jelil.  The  monks  of  the  present  day,  and  aU 
recent  travellers,  find  the  Cana  of  the  New  Testament,  where 
Jesus  converted  the  water  into  wine,'  at  Kefr  Kenna,  a  smaU 
village  an  hour  and  a  half  northeast  from  Nazareth,  on  one  of  the 
roads  to  Tiberias.  It  lies  on  an  eminence  connected  with  the 
hills  of  Nazareth,  on  the  south  side  of  a  shorter  plain  connected 
with  el-Buttauf,  which  runs  up  towards  the  village  el-Lubieh. 
Here  are  shown  the  remains  of  a  Greek  church,  and  of  a  house 
reputed  to  have  been  that  of  St.  Bartholomew.*    So  fixed  indeed 


hoc.  Sanct.  §  10.— This  tomb  of  R.  Hak- 
ko'lesb  is  also  mentioned  in  the  Jewish 
Itinerary  in  Hottinger's  Cippi  Hebraici,  p. 
74.  2.  Also  in  other  Jewish  Itinera- 
ries; fcc  Carmoly,  p.  18.5,  25G,  434. 

'  Brocardus  c.  G.  p.  17.5.  Marin.  San. 
p.  2.53,  "  castrum  valde  pulchrum." 

"  Yet  Aima  had  too  lier  house  in  Jeru- 
salem, where  the  Virgin  was  bom ;  see 
Vol.  I.  p.  233. 

'  Clarke's  Travels  in  the  Holy  Land, 
4to.  pp.  417.  418,  See  also  Quaresmius 
iii.  203,  204 


II.  p.  8.52.  Doubdan  p.  586  sq.  Pococke 
II.  i.  p.  62. 

*  Hasselquist  Reise  p.  177  Michaud, 
etc.  Corrcsp.  d'Orient  V.  p.  442  sq. — See 
more  on  SefFurieh  in  Vol.  III.  Sect  III, 
under  Apr.  20th,  1852. 

'  John  c.  2. 

'  Pococke  II.  i.  p.  66.  Mariti  Voyages 
et*.  II.  p.  162.  Neuw.  1791.  Burckhardt 
p.  336.  Clarke's  Travels  in  the  Holy 
Land,  4to.  p.  444.  Scholz  p.  188.  Schu- 
bert 111.  p.  222.— Dr  Clarke  saw  in  the 


JVKB  18.] 


KANA,  CAXA  OF  GALILEE. 


347 


has  the  impression  now  become,  that  this  was  the  trae  Cana, 
that  most  travellers  probably  are  not  aware  of  there  ever  having 
been  a  question  as  to  the  identity. 

I  have  already  related,  that  from  the  Wely  above  Nazareth, 
our  friend  Abu  Nasir  pointed  out  to  us  a  ruin  which  he  called 
Kana  el-Jehl,  on  the  northern  side  of  the  plain  el-Biittauf,  about 
N.  ^E.  from  Nazareth,  and  not  far  from  three  hours  distant.'  It 
lay  at  the  foot  of  the  northern  hills  beyond  the  plain,  apparently 
on  the  slope  of  an  eminence,  not  far  on  the  east  of  Kefr  Menda. 
In  the  days  of  Quaresmius  it  contained  a  few  houses.  This 
spot,  Abu  Nasir  said,  was  known  both  among  Christians  and 
Muslims  only  by  this  name,  Kana  ;  while  the  same  name 
was  sometimes  applied  by  Christians  alone,  to  the  village  Kefr 
Kenna.  Now  as  far  as  the  prevalence  of  an  ancient  name 
among  the  common  people,  is  any  endence  for  the  identity  of 
an  ancient  site, — and  I  hold  it  to  be  the  strongest  of  all  testi- 
mony, when,  as  here,  not  subject  to  extraneous  influences,  but 
rather  in  opposition  to  them, — so  far  is  the  weight  of  evidence 
in  favour  of  this  northern  Kana,  as  the  true  site  of  the  ancient 
Cana  of  GalUee.  The  name  is  identical,  and  stands  the  same 
in  the  Arabic  version  of  the  New  Testament ;  while  the  form 
Kefr  Kenna  can  only  be  twisted  by  force  into  a  like  shape.''  On 
this  single  grouiid,  therefore,  we  should  be  authorized  to  reject 
the  present  monastic  position  at  Kefr  Kenna,  and  fix  the  site  at 
Kana  el-Jelil ;  which,  likewise,  is  sufficiently  near  to  Nazareth, 
to  accord  with  all  the  circumstances  of  the  history. 

Tliis  view  is  further  confirmed,  and  indeed  the  question  set 
entirely  at  rest,  when  we  trace  back  the  matter  in  history.  We 
thus  find,  that  an  earlier  tradition  actually  regarded  the  present 
Kana  as  the  ancient  Cana  ;  and  that  it  is  only  since  the  six- 
teenth century,  that  monastic  convenience  has  definitely  as- 
signed Kefr  Kenna  as  the  site.  Quaresmius  relates,  that  in  his 
day,  two  Canas  were  spoken  of  among  the  inhabitants  of 
Nazareth  and  the  vicinity  ;  one  called  simply  Cana  of  Galilee 
(Kana  el-Jelil),  and  the  other  Sepher  Cana  (Kefr  Kenna)  ;  and 
he  describes  their  position  as  above.  He  decides  however  very 
distinctly  for  the  latter  place,  because  of  its  being  nearer  to 
Nazareth  and  having  some  ruins  ;  without,  however,  as  he  says, 
venturing  to  reject  the  other  tradition.'    Yet  it  probably  was 

church  fragments  only  of  waterpots  ;  hut  '  See  the  Arabic  N.  T.  John  2,  1.  In 
a  whole  one  has  since  been  set  up,  and  is  Kefr  Kenna,  the  word  Kefr  must  first  be 
shown  as  one  of  the  original  six;  Richard-  dropped;  snd  then  the  first  radical  changed, 
son  IL  p.  434.  Monro  I.  p.  304. — The  and  the  doubling  of  the  second  omitted, 
distance  of  Kefr  Kenna  from  Nazareth  is  ^  Quaresmius  Elucidat.  IL  pp.  852,  853: 
given  variously  by  travellers,  from  one  "  Posterior  ha:c  sententia  mihi  valde  pro- 
hour  up  to  three  hours  and  a  half.  Burck-  babilis  videtur,  (licet  alteram  rejicere  non 
hardt  by  some  error  has  the  latter.  audeam,)  quoniam  proximior  Nazareth  .  . 
'  See  above,  p.  340.  et  quia  potest  adinveniri  memoria  ecclesiffl 

iii.  204-206 


348 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH. 


1_Sec.  XIV. 


the  authority  of  this  very  writer,  "which  tended  more  than  any 
thing  else  to  fix  attention  upon  Kefr  Kenna,  and  throw  the 
true  Kana  into  the  shade  ;  for  from  that  time  forward  the  latter 
is  very  rarely  noticed  hy  travellers.  It  may  he  remembered  too, 
that  in  the  time  of  Quaresmius,  the  church  and  convent  at 
Nazareth  were  first  built  up,  after  the  desolations  of  many 
centuries  ;  and  this  circumstance  conspired  to  give  currency 
among  travellers,  to  the  view  which  the  monks  adopted  respect- 
ing Cana.' 

It  is  apparent,  that  some  tradition  in  favour  of  Kefr  Kenna 
had  existed  before  Quaresmius  ;  but  he  brings  forward  no  testi- 
mony to  that  effect,  except  the  account  of  Bonifacius  in  the 
middle  of  the  preceding  century  ;  which  however  is  doubtful.'^ 
But  on  the  other  hand,  Adrichomius,  near  the  close  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  quoting  from  earher  writers,  places  Cana 
three  miles  north  of  Sepphoris,  and  describes  it  as  having  a 
mountain  on  the  north,  and  a  broad,  fertile,  and  beautiful  plain 
towards  the  south  ;  all  which  corresponds  to  the  position  of 
Kana,  and  not  to  Kefr  Kenna.  Anselm,  about  A.  D.  1507, 
assigns  to  Cana  the  same  site  ;  and  so  does  Breydenbach  in  A. 
D.  1483,  evidently  copying  former  accounts.' 

But  the  most  distinct  notice  of  the  Cana  of  those  days,  is 
from  Marinus  Sanutus  about  A.  D.  1321.  He*  describes  it  also 
as  north  of  Sepphoris,  adjacent  to  a  high  round  mountain  on 
the  north,  on  the  side  of  which  it  was  situated,  and  having  the 
same  broad,  fertile,  beautiful  plain  on  the  south  extending  to 
Sepphoris.  In  coming  from  Ptolemais  ('Akka),  he  says,  the 
usual  course  was  to  proceed  first  eastwards  to  Cana  ;  and 
thence  south  through  Sepphoris  to  Nazareth.*  All  this  leaves 
no  doubt,  that  the  site  of  Kana  is  here  meant.  At  that  time 
the  place  was  professedly  shown,  where  the  six  water-pots  had 
stood ;  and  also  the  triclinium  where  the  feast  was  held  ;  but 


constructas  in  loco  miraculi."  The  passage 
preceding  this  is  quoted  in  full  in  Rosenni. 
Bibl.  Geogr.  II.  ii.  p.  83. 

'  Quaresmius  was  in  Palestine  as  a 
monk  from  A.  D.  161G  to  1625;  and 
again  as  Guardian  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
from  1C27  to  1G29;  see  the  last  leaf  of  his 
work. — Among  later  travellers,  Ncitzschitz 
in  1G35  visited  Kefr  Kenna  with  monks 
from  Nazareth,  p.  222  ;  Surius  about  1645, 
p.  313.  Doubdan  copies  from  Quaresmius, 
but  visited  only  Kefr  Kenna,  p.  582  ;  and 
80  many  others.  Pococke  alone  seems 
to  have  heard  of  K;ina  el-JcLl,  and  in- 
clines correctly  to  regard  it  as  the  true 
site  of  Cana  ;  Vol.  II.  i.  pp.  62,  66. 

•  '  Bonifac.  de  percn.  cnltu  Terrte  Sanct. 
quoted  by  Quaresmius  II.  p.  853.  He 

iii.  20G,  207 


places  Cana  three  miles  north  of  Nazareth 
on  the  borders  of  a  large  and  fertile  plain. 
It  is  on  the  strength  of  this  "  three  miles  " 
that  Quaresmius  supposes  him  to  mean 
Kefr  Kenna  ;  but  this  is  at  any  rate  wrong ; 
and  the  rest  of  the  description  applies 
better  to  the  other  place,  or  Kiina 

'  Adrichom.  The.itr.  p.  138.  Anselmi 
Descr.  Terr.  Sanct.  in  Canisii  Thesaur.  ed. 
Basnage,  Tom.  IV.  p.  784.  Breydenb  in 
Reissb.  pp.  123,  124.  These  three,  with 
Bonifacius,  appear  to  be  the  only  wTiters 
of  the  fifteenth  and  si.Kteenth  centuries,  who 
speak  directly  of  Cana. 

*  Marin.  Sanut.  p.  253.  On  his  map, 
in  like  manner,  Cana  is  placed  north  of 
Sepphoris.  The  account  of  Adrichomius 
is  drawn  chiefly  from  this  writer. 


JOWE  18.] 


CANA  OF  GALILEE. 


349 


the  whole  was  in  a  crypt  or  cavern  under  ground,  like  the 
grotto  of  the  Annunciation  and  of  the  Nativity.'  Brocardus, 
if  he  was  not  tlie  original  author  of  this  account,  yet  gives 
nothing  more.*  The  few  earlier  notices  go  to  confirm  the  same. 
Saewulf,  about  A.  D.  1103,  describes  Cana  as  nearly  six  miles 
north  of  Nazareth  on  a  hill,  and  nothing  then  remained  ex- 
cept a  monastery  called  Architriclinium.^  St.  Willibald  in  the 
eighth  century  found  here  a  large  church,  in  which  was  shown 
one  of  the  six  water-pots.*  Antoninus  Martyr  near  the  close  of 
the  sixth  century  was  likewise  at  Cana  ;  he  speaks  of  no  church, 
but  saw  two  water-pots,  and  seems  to  say  that  he  filled  one  of 
them  with  water  and  brought  forth  from  it  wine.*  The  only 
other  account  of  Cana,  later  than  the  first  century,  is  that  of 
Eusebius  and  Jerome,  who  merely  mention  it  as,  in  their  day,  a 
small  town  of  Galilee.' 

All  this,  as  it  seems  to  me,  together  with  the  strong  evidence 
of  the  name,  goes  to  show  conclusively,  that  the  site  of  the 
Cana  of  the  New  Testament  is  to  be  sought  at  Kana  north  of 
Setfilrieh ;  and  that  there  is  no  good  ground  whatever,  for 
regarding  Kefr  Kenna  as  having  any  relation  to  that  ancient 
place.  I  hope  that  future  travellers  may  bear  this  in  mind  ;  so 
that  the  former  site  may  be  reinstated  in  those  historical  rights, 
which  have  now  so  long  been  usurped  by  the  latter  village. 

The  Cana  of  the  New  Testament  does  not  occur  in  the 
Old  f  but  is  mentioned  by  Josephus  as  a  village  in  Galilee.* 
Our  Lord  not  only  performed  there  his  first  miracle,  but  after- 
wards visited  the  place  ;  and  the  disciple  Nathanael  was  a  native 
of  Cana.' 


Monday,  June  18th,  continued.  Two  principal  roads  lead 
from  Nazareth  to  Tiberias.  The  more  usual  one  passes  out  north- 
east over  the  hUls  to  er-Reineh,  a  small  village  more  than  half  an 

'  SiBwulf.  Perigrinat.  p.  271.  Phocas 
in  the  same  century,  travelling  from  'Alika, 
comes  first  to  Sepphoris,  then  to  Cana,  and 
then  to  Nazareth  ;  §  10. 

'  Hodoepor.  §  16.  p.  374.  ed.  Mabillon. 
"  Itin.  §  1,   "Ex  quibus  hydria;  duas 
ibi  sunt.    Implevi  aqua  unam,  et  protuli 
ex  ea  vinura." 

'  Onomast.  art.  Cana. 
'  The  Old  Testament  has  only  Kanah 
in  Asher,  southeast  of  Tyre  ;  a  plucc  which 
we  afterwards  visited.    Josh.  19,  28. 
«  Joseph.  Vita  §  16,  64.  B.  J.  1.  17.  5. 
•  John  2,  1.  11.   4,  46.   21,  2. -See 
the  subject  of  Cana  further  discussed  in 
Vol.  III.  Sect.  Ill,  under  Apr.  I'Jth,  1852. 


'  Ibid.  This  triclinium  B.  de  Salig- 
niaco  professes  to  have  seen  in  A.  D.  1522. 
Tom.  IX.  c.  9. 

"  The  account  of  Cana  in  Brocardus, 
affords  a  striking  instance  of  the  differ- 
ence in  the  editions,  or  rather  recensions, 
of  that  writer.  In  the  edition  of  Le  Clerc 
it  is  merely  said,  that  in  proceeding  south- 
east from  'Akka,  the  first  place  that  occurs 
is  Cana  of  Galilee  after  four  leagues ;  c.  7. 
p.  175.  But  in  the  edition  of  Cunisius 
and  Basnage  (Thesaur.  IV.  p.  13),  in  the 
very  same  connection,  is  subjoined  the  ac- 
count of  the  miracle  and  a  description  of 
the  place,  in  tlie  same  words  used  by  Ma- 
rinus  Sanutus  It  might  be  difficult  to 
decide,  which  is  the  original. 

Vol.  II.— 30 


iii.  207-209 


350 


MOUNT  TABOR. 


[Sec.  XTV. 


hour  distant,  and  so  to  Kefr  Kenna  ;  leaving  the  village  el- 
Meshhad  on  a  high  hill  at  the  left,  just  before  reaching  the  latter 
place  thence  it  goes  on  hj  Lubieh  to  the  lake.  The  second 
leaves  Nazareth  over  the  lower  eastern  liills,  and  leading  by  the 
village  'Ain  Mahil  and  the  Khan  et-Tujjar,  turns  more  northeast 
by  Kefr  Sabt  to  Tiberias.  We  followed  a  third  route,  lying  still 
further  to  the  right,  in  order  to  ascend  Mount  Tabor  and  spend 
the  afternoon  and  night  upon  its  summit.  In  doing  this  we 
anticipated  much  gratification,  and  were  not  disappointed.  As 
a  guide,  we  took  with  us  a  young  man  of  Nazareth,  a  Christian, 
recommended  by  Abu  Nasir. 

Setting  otf  from  I^azareth,  or  rather  from  the  fountain  of  the 
Virgin,  at  7.35,  we  came  in  ten  minutes  to  the  top  of  the  low 
hills  on  the  east  of  the  valley,  and  kept  along  on  high  ground, 
directing  our  course  towards  Tabor.  After  half  an  hour  we 
descended  into  and  crossed  a  broad  Wady,  running  out  to  the 
great  plain  on  the  right.  Hitherto  the  hills  had  exhibited  only 
grass  and  herbs  ;  here  they  began  to  be  covered  with  bushes  and 
many  oak  trees  with  caducous  leaves,  the  tirst  of  the  kind  we 
had  yet  remarked.^  Along  the  gradual  ascent  beyond  this  valley, 
there  was  a  large  orchard  of  these  oaks  ;  and  they  extend  more 
or  less  thickly,  quite  to  the  foot  of  Tabor.  At  8|  o'clock  we 
reached  the  brow  of  the  descent  towards  that  mountain  ;  and 
could  look  down  upon  the  low  ridge  wliich  alone  connects  it  on 
the  northwest  with  the  hills  we  had  just  crossed.  Deburieh  was 
visible  below  us  on  the  southwest  slope  of  this  ridge.  Descending, 
we  came  in  twenty-five  minutes  to  the  bottom,  in  a  Wady,  and 
at  o'clock  to  another  Wady  ;  the  two  unite  and  run  out 
southwards  into  the  plain  just  by  Deburieh.  The  branch  of  the 
Damascus  road  passes  up  this  latter  Wady,  and  so  over  the  low 
ridge  to  Khan  et-Tujjar.  We  came  to  the  proper  base  of  the 
mountain  at  9.20  ;  leaving  Deburieh  about  ten  minutes  distant 
on  our  right. 

The  village  of  Deburieh  is  small  and  unimportant,  lying  on 
the  side  of  a  ledge  of  rocks  just  at  the  base  of  Tabor.    It  is 

'  According  to  Schubert,  both  er-Reineh  Kings  14,  25.     Qnaresmins  11,  p.  855. 

and  Kefr  Kenna  suffered  severely  from  tlie  Jerome  too  says,  Proocm.  in  Jonara  :  "  Por- 

earthquake  of  Jan.  1,  18;57.    Koise  III.  p.  ro  Geth  in  secundo  Sapliorim  miliario  qu!B 

222.    But  Mr  Thomson,  who  passed  here  hodic  appellatur  Diociesarea  euntibus  Ty- 

three  weeks  alter  the  event,  in  order  to  seek  beriadem,  baud  grandis  viculus,  ubi  et 

out  the  sufferers,  says  tliat  while  er-Reineh  sepulc  hnim  ejus  ostcnditur."  Benj.imin 

was  a  heap  of  niins,  Kefr  Kenna  sustained  of  Tudela  speaks  of  the  tomb  of  Jonah 

no  injury,  and  had  not  a  house  cracked  ;  in  his  day,  as  on  a  mountain  near  Scppho- 

Missionary  Herald  for  Nov.  1837,  pp.  439,  ris  ;  Itin.  I.  p.  80.  It  would  seem  tlierefore 

442. — At  el-Meshhad  is  one  of  the  many  not  improbable,  that  this  village  may  be 

Muslim  tombs  of  Kcby  Yunas,  the  prophet  the  Geth  of  Jerome. 

Jonah. ;  and  hence  modern  monastic  tradi-  Qucrrtis  jligilop*,  according  to  Schn- 

tiou  has  adopted  this  village  as  the  (iath-  bert,  Keise  III.  p.  172. 
hepher,  where  the  prophet  was  born;  2 
ill,  209.  210 


Junk  18.] 


DEBURIEH.     ASCEirr  OF  TABOR. 


351 


said  to  have  once  had  a  Christian  church,  the  ruins  of  which  are 
still  %'isible. '  This  would  seem  not  improbably  to  be  the  Da- 
berath  of  the  Old  Testament,  belonging  to  Issachar,  but  assigned 
to  the  Le^•ites  ;  the  same  apparently  with  the  Dabira  of  Euse- 
bius  and  Jerome  by  Mount  Tabor  in  the  region  of  Dioctesarea 
and  probably  too  the  Dabaritta  of  Josephus  in  the  great  plaii?.^ 
The  mountain,  as  we  approached  it  on  this  side,  presented 
the  form  of  a  truncated  cone  ;  we  began  to  ascend  it  at  9.25 
from  the  W.  N.  W.  Our  muleteers  at  first  made  some  difficulty, 
on  account  of  the  loaded  animals  ;  their  purpose  had  been  to 
stop  below  and  let  us  ascend  on  foot,  which  by  no  means  tallied 
■with  our  plans.  But  we  found  the  path  good,  except  in  two  or 
three  spots,  and  even  these  were  far  less  difficult  than  the  passes 
of  'Ain  Jidy  and  es-Sufah  ;  so  that  I  rode  with  facility  qi;ite  to 
the  summit.  The  path  winds  considerably,  and  is  obviously 
ancient ;  in  several  places  steps  are  hewn  out  in  the  rock.  The 
soil  is  good  aU  the  way  up  ;  and  the  grass  tail  and  abundant, 
though  now  dried  up.  The  sides  of  the  mountain  are  mostly 
covered  with  bushes  and  orchards  of  oak  trees  (Ilex  and  -S^gi- 
lops),  with  also  occasionally  the  Butm,  Hke  the  glades  of  a  forest, 
presenting  a  beautiful  appearance  and  fine  shade.  We  were  an 
hour  in  reaching  the  top,  and  encamped  at  10^  o'clock  for  the 
day  and  night  on  the  southwestern  brow,  overlooking  the  wide 
extent  of  plains  below.  The  path  by  which  we  ascended  from 
the  W.  N.  W.  is  the  most  feasible  ;  the  acclivity  on  that  side 
being  perhaps  less  steep  ;  yet  there  is  no  part  of  the  mountain, 
where  a  person  on  foot  would  fijid  any  difficulty  whatever  in  the 
ascent. 

Tabor  is  a  beautiful  mountain,  wholly  of  limestone  ;  bearing 
among  the  Arabs,  like  so  many  other  mountains,  only  the  general 
name  Jebel  et-Tur.*  It  stands  out  alone  towards  the  southeast 
fix>m  the  high  land  around  Nazareth  ;  while  the  northeastern 
arm  of  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon  sweeps  around  its  base,  and 
extends  far  to  the  north,  forming  a  broad  tract  of  table  land, 
bordering  upon  the  deep  Jordan  valley  and  the  basin  of  the  lake 
of  Tiberias.  The  mountaia  as  seen  from  the  southwest  presents, 
as  has  been  already  remarked,  the  appearance  of  the  segment  of  a 
sphere  ;  seen  from  the  W.  N.  W.  the  form  inclines  more  to  the 
truncated  cone.    The  top  of  the  mountain,  as  a  whole,  is  rounded 


•  Xeitzsohitz  p.  233.  Pococke  H  L  p.  65. 
Schubert  III.  p.  1 74. 

"  Josh  19,  12.  21,  28.  1  Chr.  6,  57. 
[72.]  Onomast.  art  Dabira  ^afieipd. 

=  Joseph.  Vita  §  62.  B.  J.  2.  21.  3.  See 
however  Rcland  Pal.  p.  737. — William  of 
Tyre  seems  to  speak  of  Deburieh  ;  22.  H  : 
"Locus  sub  monte  "Ihabor,  cui  nomen 


Btiria,  justa  KaLm."  Cotovicns  also  men- 
tions a  Buria  ;  but  he  sets  it  too  far  west, 
where  he  began  to  ascend  the  mountain  on 
foot  to  Nazareth  ;  p.  347.  I  do  not  find 
Deburieh  named  in  any  of  the  earlier  tra- 
vellers. 

*  So  too  in  Arabian  writers :  Abulfeda 
AnnaL  A.  H.  661,  etc. 

iii.  210-212 


35S 


MOUNT  TABOR. 


[Sec.  xnr. 


off,  and  is  perhaps,  in  all,  twenty  nainntes  in  diameter  ;  but  tlie 
proper  summit  consists  of  a  beautiful  little  oblong  plain  or  basin, 
twelve  or  fifteen  minutes  in  length  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E.  by  six  or 
eight  in  breadth.  This  is  skirted  on  the  southwest  by  a  ledge  of 
rocks  of  some  altitude,  covered  with  foundations  and  ruins  ;  and 
on  the  northeast  by  lower  rocks  ;  and  this  higher  ground  on  both 
sides  is  thickly  overgrown  with  bushes  and  small  trees,  while  the 
basin  itself  hes  in  grass  without  trees  or  ruins.  We  pitched  our 
tent  at  the  southeast  extremity  of  this  little  plain,  and  were  dehght- 
ed  with  our  temporary  abode.  No  person  besides  our  party,  was  at 
this  time  on  the  mountain  to  interrupt  us  ;  and  although  there 
was  a  hot  Sirocco  wind,  which  in  the  afternoon  brought  up  a  hazy 
atmosphere,  yet  even  this  was  more  tolerable  here  than  in  the 
plains  below.  At  10  o'clock  the  thermometer  stood  here  at  98° 
F.  At  2  P.  M.  it  had  fallen  to  95°,  At  sunset  it  stood  only  at 
74°  ;  and  the  next  morning  at  sunrise,  at  64°  F. 

We  estimated  the  height  of  Tabor,  after  many  comparisons, 
at  not  over  one  thousand  feet  above  the  plain  ;  and  if  any  thing, 
less.  Indeed,  it  appeared  to  us  to  be  little  more  elevated  above 
Esdraelon,  than  is  Slount  Gerizim  above  the  plain  at  its  foot.* 
The  mountains  towards  the  south,  those  of  Duhy  and  Gilboa,  are 
apparently  at  least  as  high,  and  shut  out  the  prospect  in  that 
direction.  The  former  we  had  first  seen  from  the  high  ground 
south  of  Jenin  and  Kubatiyeh,  where  it  was  nearly  in  a  hne 
between  us  and  Tabor,  and  entirely  excluded  all  view  of  the 
latter  mountain  ;  so  that  not  even  a  trace  of  its  rounded  summit 
was  anywhere  visible.  From  Tabor,  in  like  manner,  no  point  of 
the  mountains  of  Samaria  is  visible  over  the  httle  Hermon.  All 
this  shows,  at  least,  that  Tabor  cannot  rise  much  above  the 
summit  of  the  latter. — As  seen  from  Tabor,  Mount  GUboa  lies 
to  the  left  of  the  little  Hermon,  and  is  somewhat  higher.  Nor 
are  the  highest  of  the  hills  west  of  Nazareth  much  inferior  in 
elevation  to  Tabor  ;  they  shut  out  the  view,  not  only  of  the  bay 
of  'Akka,  but  likewise  of  the  whole  horizon  of  the  sea  ;  which 
is  not  seen  except  over  some  of  the  lower  ridges  in  that  direc- 
tion. 

Immediately  after  our  arrival,  I  took  a  walk  around  the 
whole  brow  of  the  mountain,  in  order  to  examine  the  ruins,  mark 
the  main  features  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  enjoy  the 
glorious  prospect.  This  we  repeated  several  times  during  the 
day  ;  and  also  the  next  morning,  when  the  air  was  again  clear 
and  pure,  and  everything  could  be  seen  with  the  utmost  dis- 

*  So  too  Elliott  estimates  the  height  of  the  sesi,  1748  Par.  feet ;  elevation  of  the 

Tahor  as  not  exceeding  1000 feet;  Travels  plain  at  the  base,  438  feet;  leaving  for  the 

n.  p.  3(;.'$. — The  result  of  Schubert's  ba-  heif^Iit  above  the  plain,  1310  Pur.  feet, 

rometrical    measurement    is    somewhat  This  would  make  it  100  feet  higlicr  than 

greater,  viz.    Elevation  of  Tabor  above  his  estimate  of  Carmel.  Reise  III.  p.  176. 
iii.  212,  213 


JUJIK  18.] 


HEIGHT.  RUINS. 


353 


tinctness. — The  ruins  upon  the  summit  of  Tabor  belong  to  differ- 
ent ages.  All  around  the  top  may  be  traced  the  foundations  of 
a  thick  wall  built  of  large  stones,  some  of  which  are  bevelled, 
showing  that  the  waU  was  perhaps  originally  entirely  of  that 
character.  In  several  parts  are  the  remains  of  towers  and  bas- 
tions. Thus  towards  the  northeast,  almost  beneath  the  brow,  is 
a  structure  apparently  of  this  kind,  which  must  have  been  quite 
extensive.  But  the  chief  remains  are  upon  the  ledge  of  rocks 
on  the  south  of  the  little  basin,  and  especially  towards  its  eastern 
end.  Here  are  high  heaps  of  ruins,  mingled  in  indiscriminate 
confusion,  consisting  of  walls  and  arches  and  foundations,  ap- 
parently of  dwelling-houses  as  well  as  other  buildings,  some  of 
hewn  and  some  of  large  bevelled  stones.  The  walls  and  traces 
of  a  fortress  are  seen  here  and  further  west  along  the  southern 
brow  ;  of  which  one  tall  pointed  arch  of  a  Saracenic  gateway  is 
stni  standing,  and  bears  the  name  of  Bab  el-Hawa,  "  Gate  of 
the  Wind."  Connected  with  it  are  loopholes,  and  others  are 
seen  near  by.  These  latter  fortifications  belong  obviously  to  the 
era  of  the  crusades  ;  but  our  experience  at  Jerusalem  and  else- 
where, had  taught  us  to  refer  the  large  bevelled  stones  to  a  style 
of  architecture  not  later  than  the  times  of  the  Romans  ;  before 
which  period  indeed  a  town  and  fortress  already  existed  on  Mount 
Tabor.  In  the  days  of  the  crusaders  too,  and  earlier,  there  were 
here  churches  and  monasteries. 

On  the  southeast  part,  near  the  highest  point  among  the 
ruins,  is  a  small  vault,  where  the  Latin  monks  from  Xazareth 
celebrate  an  annual  mass  in  memory  of  the  Transfiguration  ;  the 
scene  of  which  an 'early,  though  probably  legendary  tradition, 
places  upon  this  mountain.  The  spot  is  merely  a  rude  cellar 
with  an  altar,  and  a  small  side  vault  with  three  niches  or  altars. 
The  Greeks  show  the  remains  of  a  church  on  the  north  side  of 
the  little  basin  ;  in  which  they  have  a  temporary  altar  and  cele- 
brate the  same  event.  The  Greek  priests  of  Nazareth  are  said 
to  come  hither  on  the  festival  of  the  Virgin  ;  on  which  occasion 
thousands  of  pilgrims  repair  to  the  mountain  with  their  families, 
to  celebrate  the  day.' — The  summit  has  many  cisterns,  now 
mostly  dry  ;  in  one  we  found  good  water.  A  wandering  family 
sometimes  take  up  their  abode  here,  or  a  pilgrim  comes  to  so- 
journ upon  the  sacred  mountain  for  a  few  days.''  The  usual 
loneliness  of  the  spot,  and  its  forest  of  oaks  and  abundant  herb- 
age, have  made  it  the  chosen  retreat  of  numerous  wild  swine. 
We  started  two  of  these  animals  in  our  rambles  around  the 
summit. 

■  Burckhardt  p.  iiM  sq.  Schubert  fell  in  with  a  Syrian  pilgrim, 

"  BuTckhardt  found  here  a  family  of    who  had  come  to  pass  forty  day.s  al  .ne 
Greek  Christians  from  Hauran;  p.  334.    upon  the  mountain;  Reise  EH.  pp.  177, 178. 
Vol.  n.— 30*  ill.  213-215 


354 


MOUNT  TABOR. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


The  view  from  Tabor  is  very  extensive  and  beautiful ;  far 
more  so,  indeed,  than  we  had  anticipated  from  the  relative  height 
of  the  adjacent  mountains.  The  Sirocco  of  the  afternoon  thick- 
ened the  air,  and  for  a  time  dimmed  the  prospect  ;  but  the  next 
morning  was  again  bright,  and  gave  us  the  full  enjoyment  of  one 
of  the  finest  landscapes  in  Palestine.  The  view  towards  the 
whole  western  and  northern  quarter,  between  S.  W.  and  N.  N. 
E.  was  similar  to  that  from  the  Wely  near  Nazareth,  though  less 
near  and  less  distinct.  It  embraced  the  western  part  of  the 
great  plain  with  its  villages,  as  far  as  to  Lejjun  and  Carmel ; 
but  the  sea  view  was  mostly  shut  out  by  intervening  heights. 
Whether  the  sea  is  visible  at  all  on  the  left  of  Carmel,  as  at 
Neby  Isma'il,  I  am  unable  to  say  ;  but  my  impression  is,  that 
we  did  not  thus  perceive  it.  The  northern  end  of  Carmel  like- 
wise, and  the  bay  of  'Akka,  do  not  appear  ;  but  on  the  right  of 
Nazareth  a  portion  of  the  sea  is  seen  in  the  northwest,  as  well 
as  slight  glimpses  in  other  parts.  In  the  north  and  northeast 
are  Safed  and  its  mountains,  the  highest  point  in  all  that  region  ; 
but  overtopped  by  Jebel  esh-Sheikh  and  its  snows  beyond.  Di- 
rectly beneath  us,  in  the  same  direction,  lay  spread  out  the  great 
plain,  which,  sweeping  from  Esdraelon  around  the  base  of  Tabor, 
extends  far  northwards,  and  contains  several  villages.  In  this 
plain,  at  the  distance  of  about  three  hours,  is  seen  J ebel  Hattin 
or  Tell  Hattin,  the  mount  of  Beatitudes  so  called  by  the  Latin 
monks,  a  low  ridge  or  saddle  with  two  points,  called  by  the 
Arabs  Kurun  Hattin,  "  Horns  of  Hattin."  On  the  right  of  the 
same  plain,  the  whole  outline  of  the  basin  of  the  lake  of  Tiberias 
can  be  traced  ;  but  only  a  smaU  spot  of  the  lake  itself  Is  visible 
in  the  northeast  on  the  right  of  Jebel  Hattin. '  Beyond  the  lake, 
the  eye  takes  in  the  high  table  lands  of  Jaulan  and  Hauran  ;  and 
further  south,  beyond  the  Jordan,  the  higher  mountains  of  the 
ancient  Bashan  and  GUead. 

Towards  the  south  the  view  is  of  course  bounded  by  the  ad- 
jacent mountains  of  Duhy  and  Gilboa  ;  the  high  portions  of  the 
latter  being  seen  over  the  low  ridge,  or  rather  the  high  plain, 
running  out  eastwards  from  the  former,  and  forming  there  the 
northern  side  of  the  valley  of  Jezreel.  We  could  look  over  this 
tract  into  the  broad  valley  of  the  Jordan  around  Beisan,  though 
that  place  itself  was  not  visible  ;  and  could  distinctly  perceive, 
that  the  valley  from  the  Avest  spreads  itself  out  to  a  wide  plain 
as  it  enters  that  of  the  Jordan  ;  so  that  the  latter  plain  might 
be  said  to  come  up  and  meet  it,  or  rather  that  a  branch  from  the 
Jordan  vaUey  runs  up  towards  'Ain  Jahld.    On  the  north  of 

•  I  say  this  advisedly ;  because  various    p.  214.    Buckingliam's  Travels  in  Pal.  p. 
travellers  pcem  to  speak  of  8cein<»  much    108.  4to.    Schubert'8  Keise  III.  p.  176. 
more  of  the  lake  from  Tabor.  See  Morisoa 

ill.  215.  216 


June  18.] 


PROSPECT. 


355 


Beisan,  as  seen  from  Tabor,  and  also  from  Zer'in,  tlie  valley  of 
J ezreel  is  not  skirted  hy  mountains,  but  by  the  bigh  table  land 
above  mentioned  ;  to  wbicb  the  side  of  the  valley  rises  by  a 
gradual  ascent. — The  view  extends  in  this  quarter  far  down  the 
Jordan  valley,  and  to  the  mountains  of  Gilead  beyond  ;  but 
those  who  have  thought  they  could  distinguish  from  here  the 
waters  of  the  Dead  Sea,  have  forgotten,  that  the  direction  of  that 
sea  from  Tabor  brings  it  directly  behind  the  mountains  of  Duhy 
and  Gilboa.' 

The  mountain  of  Duhy,  as  already  remarked,  sinks  down 
towards  the  east  into  a  low  ridge,  or  line  of  flat  hills,  along  the 
valley  of  Jezreel.  On  its  northern  side,  as  seen  from  Tabor,  this 
mountain  exhibits  a  double  ridge  ;  that  is,  upon  its  northern 
slope  another  much  lower  ridge  springs  up  and  runs  off  east- 
ward, parallel  to  the  main  mountain  ;  of  which  it  indeed  truly 
constitutes  a  part.  Further  east,  this  ridge  and  that  running 
off  from  the  mountain  itself,  are  about  of  equal  height ;  and 
between  them  lies  the  higher  plain  or  table  land,  above  described 
as  bordering  on  the  valley  of  Jezreel.  In  it  however  is  a  deep 
depression  north  of  Kumieh,  drained  towards  the  south.  The 
eastern  part  of  this  same  tract  is  drained,  according  to  Burck- 
hardt,  by  a  small  Wady,  called  Wady  'Osheh,  which  runs  down 
to  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  at  some  distance  north  of  Beisan.* 

North  of  this  tract,  the  somewhat  lower  plain  around  Tabor 
fills  up  the  space  quite  to  the  brow  of  the  Jordan  valley,  and 
northwards  towards  Lubieh  and  Hattin.  Here  in  the  northeast  is 
seen  the  Khan  et-Tujjar ;  from  which  the  bed  of  a  seemingly  shal- 
low Wady  nans  first  southwards,  and  then  southeast  and  breaks 
down  through  the  hills  to  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  about  half  an 
hour  north  of  Wady  'Osheh. ^  This  is  there  called  Wady  el-  Bireh, 
4  apparently  from  a  village  of  that  name  in  the  vicinity,  marked 
in  our  lists.  All  along  this  Wady,  a  small  silvery  thread  of 
water  was  visible,  coming  from  the  fountain  near  the  Khan, 
This  Wady  as  it  descends  to  the  Jordan  valley,  is  deep  ;  but 
further  north,  the  plain  appears  to  slope  up  eastwards  gradually 
to  the  very  brow  of  the  cliffs  over  the  Ghor  and  lake  of  Tiberias, 
presenting  there  no  appearance  whatever  of  hills  as  seen  from 
this  side. 

It  was  to  us  a  matter  of  particular  interest,  to  ascertain,  if 
possible,  the  line  of  division  between  the  waters  running  to  the 
Jordan,  and  those  flowing  to  the  Mediterranean  through  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon.  This  it  was  not  difficult  to  do,  as  the  plain 
lay  spread  out  like  a  map  before  us,  and  aU  its  charmels  and 

»  Cotovicus  p.  355.     D'Arvieux  Me-       ^  Burckhardt's  Travels,  p.  342. 
moires,  Tom.  II.   p.  284.  Par.   1735.       '  Burckhardt,  ibid. 
Schubert's  Reise  lU.  p.  176. 

iii.  216-218 


356 


MOUNT  TABOR, 


[Sec  XIV. 


water-courses,  though  now  mostly  dry,  were  nevertheless  dis- 
tinctly \'isible.  The  water-shed,  then,  is  within  the  arm  of  the 
great  plain  on  the  south  of  Tabor,  about  on  a  line  between  this 
mountain  and  the  top  of  the  little  Hermon.  AU  the  waters 
east  of  this  line,  go  to  the  Jordan  through  Wady  el-Bireh,  in 
which  water  was  now  running  ;  and  from  the  village  of  Endor 
on  the  northern  slope  of  the  lower  ridge  of  Hermon,  a  shallow 
Wady  passes  down  northeast  to  join  the  same.  Not  far  west 
of  Endor,  another  little  Wady  in  like  manner  goes  off  north- 
west to  join  those  running  towards  the  Mediterranean.' 

On  the  northern  slope  of  the  mountain  of  Duhy,  just  below 
the  summit  towards  the  northwest  is  seen  the  small  village  of 
the  same  name.  Somewhat  lower  down,  in  the  same  direction, 
is  the  little  hamlet  of  Nein  ;  and  further  east  on  the  northern 
slope  of  the  lower  parallel  ridge^  lies  Endor,  merely  an  ordinary 
village.  These  two  are  ancient  places,  to  which  I  shall  recur 
again.  On  the  line  of  low  hills  stretching  off  eastwards  from 
the  little  Hermon,  we  could  perceive  again  Kumieh,  which  we 
had  seen  from  Zer'in  ;  while  on  the  northern  Hne  of  hills,  the  ex- 
tension of  the  lower  parallel  ridge,  between  the  Wadys  'Osheh 
and  el-Bireh,  he  the  villages  el-Murussus,  Denna,  and  Kaukab 
el-Hawa.*  Somewhere  in  the  same  region  are  also  Tumrah, 
Kefrah,  and  Shiltta.^  North  of  Wady  el-Bireh,  towards  the 
brow  of  the  Jordan  vaUey,  lie  the  \'illages  Sirin,  'Aulam,  etc. 
This  last  may  not  improbably  be  the  Ulama  of  Eusebius  and 
Jerome,  twelve  Roman  miles  from  Diocaesarea  towards  the  east.* 

From  the  southeast  part  of  the  summit  of  Tabor,  we  took 
many  important  bearings,  recorded  in  the  note  below.^ 

Mount  Tabor  is  several  times  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testa- 


'  We  were  the  more  particular  in  this 
examination,  because  the  fountain  near 
Khan  et-Tujjar  is  sometimes  said  to  be  the 
source  of  tlie  Kishon,  and  to  flow  oflF  around 
Mount  Tnbor  westwards.  So  D'Arvieux 
expressly;  Memoires,  Par.  1735.  Tom. 
n.  p.  271),  280.  Mr  Paxton  also  errone- 
ously makes  a  branch  of  the  Kishon  rise 
nonh  of  Tabor,  and  flow  east  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  then  south  and  west  around  its 
foot.    Letter  xx.  p.  178.  Lond.  18.S9. 

^  Burckhardt  passed  near  el-Muriissus 
in  going  from  Nazareth  to  Beisan ;  he 
mentions  also  the  other  two  villages  ;  Tra- 
vels p.  342.  Kaukab  el-Huwa,  the  Belvoir 
of  the  Franks,  was  celebrated  during  the 
crusades ;  see  further  on. 

*  Has  this  perhaps  any  connection  with 
the  Beth-Shittah  of  Judg.  7,  22,  through 
■which  the  Midianites  fled  when  defeated 
by  Gideon  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel? 

■*  Onomast.  art.  Ulamaus. 
iii.  218.  219 


'  Bearings  from  Mount  Tabor,  beginning 
at  the  Wely  above  Nazareth  and  proceed- 
ing towards  the  right :  Nebv  Isma'il  N. 
68  W.  'Ain  Mahil  N.  54°  W.  Mes-hed 
K  10'  E.  (?)  esh-Shajerali  N.  12'  E. 
LiibiehX.  12  E.  Safed  N.  24' E.  Jebel 
esh-Sheikh  or  Hermon  about  N.  28°  E. 
Khan  et-Tuyar  N.  32'  E.  Jebel  Hattin, 
middle,  N.  34"  E.  Kefr  Sabt  N.  44=  E. 
Tiberias,  not  visible,  about  N.  63°  K 
Ma'derah  E.  Wady  el-Bireh  as  it  passes 
down  to  the  Jordan  vallev  S.  52'  E. 
Kaukab  el-Hawa  S.  37  E.  Kefrah  S. 
25  E.  Beis.'>n,  not  visible,  about  S.  15° 
E.  Gilboa,  eastern  end  of  hisih  part.,  S. 
Tumrah  S.  3"  W.  Kumieh  ^S.  10  W. 
Endur  S.  16'  W.  Wezar  S.  16  W.  Little 
Hermon,  east  end  of  high  part,  S.  23 '  W. 
Kefr  .Musr  S.  26'  W.  Little  Hermon, 
summit,  S.  35°  W.  Village  Duhy  S.  37' 
W.    Nein  S.  40°  W. 


Jzy-E  18.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


357 


ment  ;  first  as  on  the  border  of  Issachar  and  Zebulun  ;  and  then 
as  the  place  where  Deborah  and  Barak  assembled  the  warriors 
of  Israel,  before  their  great  battle  with  Sisera.'  The  beauty  of 
the  mountain  and  its  conspicuous  position,  rendered  it  a  favour- 
ite object  of  poetic  contemplation  ;  and  when  the  Psalmist 
exclaims  :  *'  Tabor  and  Hermon  shall  rejoice  in  thy  name,"  he 
selects  these  two  as  the  representatives  of  all  the  mountains  of 
Palestine  ;  the  former  as  the  most  graceful,  and  the  latter  as 
the  loftiest.''  There  appears  also  to  have  been,  in  those  days,  a 
city  of  the  same  name,  doubtless  situated  upon  the  mountain, 
which  belonged  to  the  tribe  of  Zebulim,  but  was  assigned  to  the 
Levites.^ 

In  the  New  Testament,  Mount  Tabor  is  not  mentioned.  In 
Greek  and  Roman  writers,  the  name  takes  the  form  Itabvrion  or 
Atabyrion.  which  appears  also  in  the  Septuagint.*  The  histo- 
rian Polybius  relates,  that  Antiochus  the  Great  of  Syria,  after 
having  captured  the  city  Philoteria  near  the  lake  of  Tiberias,* 
"  ascended  the  mountain  and  came  to  Atabyrion,  a  place  lying  on 
a  breast-formed  height,  having  an  ascent  of  more  than  fifteen 
stadia  ;  and  by  stratagem  and  wile  he  got  possession  of  the 
city,"  which  he  afterwards  fortified.'  This  was  in  the  year  218 
B.  C.  and  shows  that  the  former  city  upon  the  mountain  still 
remained.  According  to  Josephus,  a  battle  took  place  at  Mount 
Itabyrion  about  53  B.  C.  between  the  Eoman  forces  under  the 
proconsul  Gabinius  and  the  Jews  under  Alexander,  son  of 
Aristobulus  ;  in  which  ten  thousand  of  the  latter  were  slain.^ 
At  a  later  period,  J osephus  himself  caused  Mount  Tabc>r  to  be 
fortified,  along  with  various  other  places.'  He  describes  the 
mountain  as  having  an  ascent  ot  thirty  stadia  on  the  north  it 
was  inaccessible  ;  and'the  summit  was  a  plain  of  twenty-six 
stadia  in  circumference.  This  whole  circuit  Josephus  caused  to 
be  enclosed  with  a  wall  in  forty  days  ;  the  materials  and  also 
water  being  brought  from  below,  since  the  inhabitants  had  only 
rain-water."'  This  account,  although  exaggerated,  corresponds 
well  with  the  remains  stUl  found  on  the  moimtain."    Still  later, 

'  Josh.  19,  22 ;  comp.  ts.  12.  Jndg.  -t,  xpv<f^f>^i  8e   nark  rhif  Koiphr  rovrop 

6.  12.  14.    Joseph.  Ant.  5.  L  22.  ib.  5.  iyttpa  kou  trrpaTTiyiificeTi  Karicx^  "r^i"  x<^- 

5.  3.  Xiy. — ' Ajr^aXiai-ufros  8e  koI  to  'Araffiptoy, 

'  Ps.  89,  12.  Comp.  Jer.  46,  18.  Hos.  iy*'Cev{e.     See  Eeland.  Palest  p.  599. 

5,  L  Jahi  Bibl.  Arch.  U.  L  p.  374. 

'  1  Chr.  6,  77.    Pertaps  also  the  city  '  Jos.  Antiq  14.  6.  3.    B.  J.  1.  8.  7. 

is  meant  in  Josh.  19,  22.  Jahn  BibL  ArchjeoL  XL  L  p.  546. 

*  Hos.  5,  1  '\TaSvpw¥ ;  comp.  Hieron.  »  Jos.  Vita  §  37.  B.  J.  2.  20.  6. 
Comm.  in  loc.    Josephus  L  c  Onomast.  •  Rufinus  reads  t«-entT  stadia,  -which 
art.  Itab'T  on.  Polvb.  5.  70.  6  'Arafivpoiy.  corresponds  better  with  the  fifteen  stadia 

'  For  Philoteria  see  Reland  PaL  p.  954.    of  Poljbius  and  with  the  truth-  Eeland 

•  Poljb.  5.  70.  6.  .  .  .  vTfff Pti\e  riir    PaL  p."  332. 

optuniy  ncaj  xof ijr  frl  'AraBvpuur  •  i  kutcu        '*  Jos.  B.  J.  4.  1.  8. 
fjify  i-r\  k6<i>ou  fiajTrofiiovs,  r^ty  Se  ■wp6<r-       "  See  above,  pp.  352,  353. 
•fiaaw  ixfl  rKeioy  fj  TevreKoiScKa  (TraZivy 

iiL  219-221 


358 


MOUNT  TABOR. 


[Sec.  XrV. 


and  after  Josephus  liimself  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
Romans,  a  great  multitude  of  the  Jews  took  refuge  in  this 
fortress  ;  against  whom  Vespasian  sent  Placidus  with  six  hun- 
dred horsemen.  By  a  feint,  he  induced  the  great  body  to  pur- 
sue him  into  the  plain,  where  he  slew  many  and  cut  off  the 
return  of  the  multitude  to  the  mountain  ;  so  that  the  inhabi- 
tants, who  were  suffering  from  want  of  water,  made  terms  and 
surrendered  themselves  and  the  mountain  to  Placidus.' 

It  thus  appears,  that  from  the  earhest  times,  a  fortified  city 
had  existed  on  Mount  Tabor.  The  language  of  Josephus 
implies,  that  the  city,  as  well  as  the  fortress,  remained  in  his 
day  ;  for  he  speaks  expressly  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  as 
straitened  for  water  ;  in  distinction  from  the  body  of  strangers 
who  had  occupied  the  mountain. 

We  hear  nothing  more  of  Mount  Tabor  until  the  fourth 
century  ;  when  it  is  often  mentioned  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome  in 
the  Onomasticon,  but  only  in  reference  to  its  general  character, 
and  as  a  known  point  from  which  to  determine  the  position  of 
various  places.^  In  the  same  century,  however,  appears  to  have 
sprung  up  the  opinion,  which  soon  grew  into  a  tradition,  that 
the  summit  of  Mount  Tabor  had  been  the  place  where  our  Lord 
was  transfigured  in  the  presence  of  his  three  disciples  ;  and  that 
this,  therefore,  was  "  the  holy  mountain "  referred  to  by  St. 
Peter.'  That  century,  as  we  have  seen,  was  the  hotbed  of  Hke 
superstitions,  which  have  spread  their  legendary  fruits  far  and 
wide  over  Palestine  and  over  Christendom.^ 

Eusebius,  who  died  about  A.  D.  340,  makes  no  allusion 
whatever  to  the  opinion  in  question  ;  although  nothing  would 
have  been  more  natural,  had  it  then  existed  ;  inasmuch  as  he 
describes  the  mountain  in  reference  to  th^  Old  Testament.  The 
first  notice  of  Tabor  as  the  place  of  the  transfiguration,  appears 
a  few  years  later,  as  a  passing  remark,  in  the  works  of  Cyril  of 
Jerusalem  f  and  Jerome  twice  mentions  the  same  thing,  though 
shghtly,  and  so  as  to  imply  that  there  was  not  yet  a  church 
upon  the  summit.*  All  these  circumstances,  in  connection  with 
the  fact  that  the  Evangelists  nowhere  make  the  slightest  allu- 
sion to  Tabor,  go  to  show  that  the  legend  was  of  recent  origin  ; 
and  that  the  foreign  ecclesiastics,  who  now  swarmed  in  Palestine, 
had  probably  pitched  upon  Tabor  as  the  scene  of  the  transfigu- 

'  Jos.  B.  J.  4.  1.  8.    Josephus  himself  '  Cyrill.  Hieros.  Cat.  12.  16.  p.  170.  ed. 

had  been  captured  some  time  before ;  B.  Touttce. 

J.  3.  8.  1-9.  "  Hieron.  Ep.  44,  ad  Marcell.  p.  552, 

'  Onomast.   arts.    Tliahor,   Itahyrium.  "  Pcrgemus  ad  Itabyrium  et  tabemacula 

See  also  arts.  Dabira,  Ci.ion,  Nazareth,  Salvatoris."    Ep.  8G,  Epitaph.  Paulae,  p. 

Nairn,  etc.    Reland  Pal.  p.  333.  677,  "  Scandebat  montem  Thabor,  in  quo 

'  Matt.  17,  1  sq.    Mark  9,  2  sq.    Luke  transfiguratus  est  Dominus." — These  "  ta- 

9,  28  sq.    2  Pet.  1,  18.  bcrnacula"  can  hardly  have  been  already 

*  See  Vol.  I.  p.  251  sq.  churches, 
iii.  221, 222 


Jtoe  18.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


359 


ration,  simply  as  being  the  most  strildng  mountain  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  lake  of  Galilee.  The  context  of  the 
narrative  seems  to  imply,  as  has  been  shown  by  Lightfoot  and 
Reland,  that  the  mount  of  Transfiguration  is  rather  to  be  sought 
somewhere  around  the  northern  part  of  the  lake,  not  very  far 
from  Cfesarea  Philippi,  where  there  are  certainly  mountains 
enough.'  But  a  circumstance  which  those  writers  overlooked, 
and  which  puts  Mount  Tabor  in  this  case  entirely  out  of  the 
question,  is  the  fact  above  substantiated,  that  long  before  and 
after  the  event  of  the  transfiguration,  the  sinnmit  of  Tabor  was 
occupied  by  a  fortified  city. 

Yet  the  legend  ha\dng  once  got  footing,  continued  to  gain 
ground  ;  the  mountain  became  more  sacred,  and  churches  were 
erected.  Towards  the  close  of  the  sixth  century,  Antoninus 
Martyr  speaks  here  of  three  churches,  corresponding  to  the  three 
tabernacles  proposed  to  be  erected  by  Peter.*  A  century  later 
(about  A.  D.  696)  Arculfus  found  also  the  same  three  churches 
on  Tabor,  and  a  large  monastery  with  many  cells  ;  the  whole 
being  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  stone.  ^  St.  Willibald  about  A. 
D.  765,  mentions  in  like  manner,  the  monastery  and  a  church.* 
Sfewulf,  about  A.  D.  1103,  speaks  only  of  three  monasteries  of 
ancient  construction,  corresponding  to  the  three  tabernacles  ; 
but  this  is  probably  an  error  instead  of  churches.'  In  this  state 
the  crusaders  found  the  mountain. 

We  have  seen  above,  that  Tancred,  to  whom  Galilee  was 
assigned  as  a  fief,  erected  a  Latin  church  upon  Mount  Tabor ; 
and  this  appears  to  have  been  soon  followed  by  a  Latin  monas- 
tery, tenanted  by  Black  friars  of  the  reformed  order  of  Benedic- 
tines of  Clugny  in  France  ;  whose  dispute  with  the  archbishop 
of  Nazareth,  and  its  amicable  adjustment  in  A.  D.  1111,  have 
already  been  related.^  But  their  quiet  was  not  of  long  contin- 
uance ;  for  during  the  temporary  incursion  of  the  Miihammedans 
from  Damascus  in  A.  D.  1113,  the  convent  was  laid  waste  and 
the  monks  massacred.'  The  convent  was  probably  soon  restored. 
In  A.  D.  1183  the  monasteries  on  Tabor  were  assaulted  by  a 
portion  of  the  troops  of  Saladin,  during  his  encampment  at  and 
below  'Ain  Jalud  ;  but  were  preserved  by  the  bravery  of  the 
monks,  and  of  the  country  people  who  took  refuge  with  them.* 

'  Lightfoot  Hor.  Hebr.  in  Marc.  9,  2.       '  Append,  ad  Sigebert.  Gemblac.  Chro- 

Reland  TaL  p.  334-336.  nogr.  in  Pistor.  Scriptor.  Rer.  Germ.  ed. 

'  Itin.  §  6.  Struve,  Tom.  I.  p.  365.    Comp.  Fulch. 

'  Adamnanus  de  Locis  Sanct.  2.  27.  Camot.  -tO.  p.  423  sq.    Will.  Tjt.  II.  19. 

*  HodcBpor.  §  16.  p.  374.  ed.  Mabillon.  AVilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  II.  p.  374. 

'  S.-BWTilf  Peregrin,  p.  270.  »  Will.  Tyr.  22.  26.  Wilken  ib.  III.  iL  p. 

'  See  above,  p.  342.    "  Abbatia  nigro-  231 — William   of  Tyre   here  meutiona 

mm  mouachorum ;  "  Jac.  de  Vitr.  .58.  p.  particularly  only  the   Greek  monastery, 

1078.  L.  de  Suchem,  Itin.  p.  95.  Reissb.  called  St.  Elias. 
p.  851. 

iii.  222.  223 


360 


MOUNT  TABOR. 


[Sec.  XTV. 


Two  years  aftenvards,  in  A.  D.  1185,  Phocas  describes  here  two 
monasteries,  one  Greek,  the  other  Latin.  The  former  was 
towards  the  left  or  north  ;  the  latter  was  tenanted  by  a  multi- 
tude of  Latin  monks,  and  stood  upon  the  highest  point  of  all, 
towards  the  southeast.  The  altar  occupied  the  very  spot,  where 
the  transfiguration  was  supposed  to  have  taken  place. ' 

In  A.  D.  1187,  not  long  before  the  battle  of  Hattin,  Mount 
Tabor  was  laid  waste  by  the  troops  of  Saladin.*  Twenty-five 
years  afterwards  (A.  D.  1212),  Melek  el-'Adil  the  brother  of 
Saladin  and  now  •  Sultan  of  Damascus,  as  a  check  upon  the 
Christian  forces  in  'Akka,  erected  upon  this  mountain  a  strong 
fortress,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen  ;  he  not  only 
employed  his  troops  in  this  service,  but  collected  workmen  from 
the  provinces.^  In  A.  D.  1217,  the  pilgrim  host  from  'Akka  laid 
siege  to  this  fortress,  which  was  defended  by  chosen  troops  ;  so 
that  the  Christians  were  obliged  to  abandon  the  attack  after 
two  fierce  and  unsuccessful  assaults.  Yet  their  attempt  brought 
this  fruit,  that  the  fortress  was  razed  by  order  of  Melek  el-'Adil 
himself.*  Whether  the  monasteries  were  destroyed  during  these 
events,  we  are  not  informed  f  but  at  any  rate,  the  work  of 
desolation  was  completed  in  A.  D.  1263,  under  Sultan  Bibars, 
while  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  By  his  orders, 
not  only  was  the  church  at  Nazareth,  but  also  that  of  the  Trans- 
figuration on  Mount  Tabor,  levelled  to  the  ground.'  Brocardus, 
about  A.  D.  1283,  mentions  here  only  the  ruins  of  various 
palaces  and  towers,  already  the  retreat  of  many  wild  beasts  ; 
and  such  the  summit  of  Tabor  has  remained  unto  the  present 
day.'  In  later  times,  the  Greek  church  which  formerly  existed 
here,  has  commonly  been  ascribed  to  Helena  ;  but  as  we  have 
had  occasion  to  see,  in  opposition  to  all  ancient  testimony.' 

Of  the  places  seen  from  Mount  Tabor,  the  names  of  Endor, 
Nein,  and  Kaukab  el-Hawa,  demand  some  further  illustration. 

Endor  is  obviously  the  Endor  of  the  Old  Testament,  as- 
signed to  Manasseh,  though  lying  without  the  borders  of  that 
tribe  ;  mentioned  also  in  connection  with  the  victory  of  Deborah 
and  Barak ;  but  chiefly  known  as  the  abode  of  the  sorceress, 
whom  Saul  consulted  on  the  eve  of  the  fatal  battle  of  Gilboa.* 

'  Phocas  de  Locis  Sanct.  §  11.  the  fortress;  Itin.  p.  95.  Reissb.  p.  851. 
»  Wilken  ib.  III.  ii.  p.  27C.  Wilkeii  Gesch.  der  Kreuzz.  VII.  p.  4CI, 

•  Abulfeda  Annal  A.  H.  609.  Tom.  TV.  and  the  authorities  there  cited.  Reiuaud 
p.  248.    Marin.  Sanut.  p.  206.    Wilken  Extraits  pp.  488,  489. 

ib.  VI.  p.  63.  '  Brocardus,  c.  6.  p.  175.  Sir  J.  Mann- 

♦  Wilken  ib.  \^.  pp.  149-153,  and  the  denlle,  p.  113.  Lond.  1839.  L.  de  Suchcm, 
authorities  there  cited.    Marin.  Sanut.  p.  1.  c. 

207.    Ueinaud  Extraits  p.  387.  '  Niceph.  Callist.  8.  30.  See  above,  Vol. 

'  According  to  L.  de  Surhetn  the  mo-  I.  p.  375. 

na&terics  were  originally  fortified  with  walls  "  Josh.  17,  11.    Ps.  83,  10.    1  Sam.  28, 

and  towers,  constituting  perhaps  portions  of  7  sq. 

iii.  224.  225 


JCNE  18.] 


ENDOR,  NEIN,  ETC. 


361 


The  name  does  not  occur  in  the  New  Testament ;  but  in  the 
days  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  Endor  was  still  a  large  village  four 
Koman  miles  south  of  Mount  Tabor,  corresponding  to  the 
present  site.'  It  was  recognised  in  the  time  of  the  crusades, 
and  is  mentioned  by  Brocardus  ;  but  appears  afterwards  to  have 
been  again  lost  sight  of,  at  least  partially,  until  the  seventeenth 
century.* — The  Arabic  orthography  of  this  name,  obtained  from 
an  intelligent  native,  and  correct  according  to  the  present 
pronunciation,  exhibits  perhaps  a  solitary  instance,  where  the 
letter  'Ain  of  the  Hebrew  has  in  the  Arabic  passed  over  into  a 
softer  letter  at  the  beginning  of  a  word  ;  perhaps  too  the  only 
instance,  where  the  Hebrew  word  B71  (fountain),  does  not  in 
Arabic  retain  the  corresponding  and  usual  form  ' Ain.^ 

Nein  is  the  Nain  of  the  New  Testament,  where  occiu-red  the 
aifecting  scene  of  our  Lord's  raising  the  widow's  son.''  Eusebius 
and  Jerome  describe  it  as  not  far  from  Endor  ;  the  crusaders 
recognised  it ;  and  it  has  since  been  mentioned  by  most  travel- 
lers to  the  present  day.*  It  has  now  dwindled  to  a  small 
hamlet,  occupied  at  most  by  a  few  families. 

Kaukab  el-Hawa,  as  we  have  seen,  lies  upon  the  brow  of 
the  Jordan  valley,  near  the  extremity  of  the  line  of  hills 
between  the  Wadys  'Osheh  and  el-Bireh.*  According  to  Ara- 
bian writers,  Kaukab  was  a  fortress  of  the  Christians  ;  and  was 
subdued  and  destroyed  by  Saladin  after  the  capture  of  Safed  in 
A.  D.  1188.'  Frank  writers  make  no  mention  of  any  fortress 
of  this  name  ;  but  the  situation  corresponds  exactly  to  that  of 
the  castle,  which  they  call  Belvoir  or  Belvedere,  erected  by  the 
Christians.  It  is  described  by  William  of  Tyre  as  lying  upon 
the  mountain  between  Beisan  and  the  lake  of  Tiberias,  not  far 
from  Mount  Tabor ;  and  by  another  writer  as  captured  by 
Saladin  in  the  year  above  mentioned.*  The  name  Belvoir 
appears  afterwards,  in  the  text  and  on  the  map  of  Marinus 


'  Onomast.  arts.  uEndor  ('ArivSuip), 
Endor  ('Hi/Suip). 

^  Brocardus,  c.  6.  p.  176.  Marin.  Sanut. 
p.  248.  Endor  is  indeed  mentioned  by 
Breydenbach,  Anselm,  and  Zuallart,  but 
apparently  only  as  they  copied  Brocardus. 
Quaresmius  makes  no  allusion  to  it.  We 
find  it  again  in  Doubdan,  p.  580.  Nau, 
p.  633.    Maundrell,  Apr.  I9th,  etc.  etc. 

'  See  VoL  I.  p.  255.  n.  2. 

*  Luke  7,  11  sq. 

'  Ouomast  art.  Nairn.  Brocardus,  c. 
6.  p.  176.  Jlarin.  Sanut.  p.  249.  Cotovic. 
p.  347.  Quaresmius  II.  p.  851.  Maundrell, 
Apr.  19th.  etc.  The  te.xt  of  Eusebius  now 
reads  twdve  Roman  miles  from  Tabor ; 
that  of  Jerome  two;  both  are  obviously 
corruptions. 

Vol.  II.— 31 


'  See  above,  p.  356. 

'  Bohaed.  Vit.  Stilad.  pp.  76,  88,  et 
Schultens  Ind.  Geogr.  art.  Cancheba. 
Mejr  ed-Din  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  III.  p. 
215.  Reinaud  Extr.  p.  232  sq  Wilken 
Gesch.  der  Kr.  IV.  p.  245,  and  Bell,  p  84. 

'  Jac.  de  Vitry  mentions  the  building 
of  this  fortress  by  the  Christians  along 
with  Safed;  c.  49.  Will.  Tyr.  22.  16. 
"  Postea  reversus  Saladinus  in  Gulilceam, 
Belvedere  castrum  munitissimuin,  quod 
fines  Jordanis  custodiebat,  vius  Tiberiadis, 
Neapolim,  et  Nazareth  anguj.tabut,  per 
inediam  compulit  ad  deditionera  ;"  Sicardi 
Cremon.  Chronicon,  in  Muratori  Scriptor. 
Rer.  Italicar.  T.  VII.  p.  606.  WUkeu  ib. 
p.  245. 

iii.  225,  226 


362 


MOTIIfT  TABOB. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


Sanutus  in  the  fottrteenth.  century,  who  asciibes  the  building  of 
it  to  king  Fulco,  probably  about  A.  D.  1140.' 


From  the  summit  of  Tabor  we  had  our  last  view  of  the 
great  plain  of  Esdraelon  ;  and  I  therefore  subjoin  here,  what 
remains  to  be  said  respecting  the  plain  and  its  waters,  so  far  as 
they  go  to  form  the  river  Kishon.  Singular  as  it  may  appear,  ' 
after  so  many  centuries,  during  which  Palestine  has  been  over- 
run with  swarms  of  pilgrims  and  travellers,  there  yet  exists  no 
correct  nor  intelligible  account  of  the  eastern  portions  of  this 
plain.  Even  the  great  map  of  Jacotin,  exact  and  faithful  as  it 
is  for  the  northern  portions  of  the  plain,  and  the  arm  around 
Tabor,  is  nevertheless  entirely  without  accuracy  in  respect  to 
the  portions  eastward  of  Zer'in  and  Jenin.^ 

The  celebrated  pla,in  of  Esdraelon,  now  known  among  the 
natives  as  Merj  Ibn  'Amir,  exclusive  of  the  three  great  arms 
towards  the  east,  may  be  said  to  lie  in  the  form  of  an  acute 
triangle.  A  line  forming  the  eastern  side,  drawn  from  Jenin 
along  the  western  ends  of  Gilboa  and  Little  Hermon,  so  as  to 
strike  the  northern  mountains  not  far  from  the  mount  of  Pre- 
cipitation, would  not  vary  much  from  the  magnetic  meridian  ; 
this  indeed  was  nearly  the  course  travelled  by  us  ;  and  the 
length  of  this  side  of  the  triangle  is  not  far  from  six  hours. 
From  Jenin,  as  we  have  seen,  the  hills  that  skirt  the  plain  on 
that  side,  and  also  the  line  of  Carmel,  stretch  off  from  S.  E.  to 
N.  W.  or  more  exactly,  from  S.  E.  by  S.  to  N.  W.  by  N.  On 
the  northern  side  of  the  plain,  the  mountains  which  there  rise 
more  abruptly,  extend,  as  seen  from  Tabor,  in  the  general 
direction  from  E.  X.  E.  to  W.  S.  W.  and  run  down  at  length  into 
a  hne  of  lower  hills  towards  Carmel,  between  the  great  plain  on 
the  left  and  the  valley  which  drains  el-Buttauf  on  the  right.  A 
narrow  valley  along  the  base  of  Carmel,  between  that  mountain 
and  these  hills,  affords  a  passage  for  the  Kishon  from  the  great 
plain  to  the  sea. — The  length  of  this  northern  side  of  the  tri- 
angle of  the  plain,  is  apparently  four  or  five  hours. 

East  of  this  large  triangle,  which  is  everywhere  a  level  tract 
of  fertile,  though  now  neglected  soil,  the  plain  of  Esdraelon 
sends  out  towards  the  brow  of  the  Jordan  valley  the  three  great 
arms  already  described     each  nearly  an  hour  in  breadth,  and 

'  Marin.  Sanut.  pp.  1C6,  247.    Brey-  unaccountably  transferred  to  the  south 

denbach  mentions  it  also  in  the  same  po-  side  of  the  momitaln  of  Dfjhy. 

gition,  under  the  name  of  Castk  Btlliforth;  »  See  above,  pp.  316,  320,  330  sq.  The 

Reissb.  p.  126.  plain,  as  we  have  seen,  beionfrs  to  the 

'  I  may  add  too,  that  the  village  of  government,  and  is  only  partially  culti- 

Endt  r  on  the  French  map  is  placed  very  vated;  see  above  pp.  315,  319,324,  332. 

much  too  far  west ;  while  Kein  is  most  Comp.  also  p.  46,  above, 
iii.  227  228 


Jvjnt  18.] 


THE  BIVER  KISHOy. 


363 


separated  from  each  other  hj  the  ridges  of  Gilboa  and  Little 
Hermon.  The  remarkable  and  distinsruishing  feature  of  these 
three  great  portions  of  the  plain  is,  that  while  both  the  northern 
and  southern  decline  towards  the  west,  and  their  waters  flow  off 
through  the  Kishon  to  the  Mediterranean ;  the  middle  arm 
sinks  down  between  them  eastwards,  so  that  its  waters,  from  a 
point  within  the  triangle  as  above  described,  run  with  a  more 
rapid  descent  to  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  along  what  was 
anciently  known  as  the  valley  of  Jezreel. 

Through  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  "  ancient  river  "  Kishon 
is  of  old  represented  as  pouring  its  waters  in  such  abundance,  as 
to  "sweep  away"  the  troops  of  Sisera  during  the  battle  of 
Deborah  and  Barak  ;*  and  we  still  find  the  same  river  a  consid- 
erable stream,  under  the  name  of  el-Muktitta',  flowing  along 
the  base  of  Carmel  into  the  bay  of  'Akka.  But,  as  already 
remarked,  in  crossing  the  whole  plain  from  Jenin  to  Xazareth 
on  the  16th  of  June,  although  we  passed  several  channels  of 
some  size,  running  westwards  from  both  the  northern  and  south- 
em  arms,*  yet  not  one  drop  of  water  did  we  find  in  all  those 
parts  of  the  plain,  which  in  the  rainy  season  send  their  waters 
to  the  Mediterranean. 

But  this  was  a  year  of  drought  ;  and  it  would  be  a  false 
conclusion,  to  aflirm  for  this  reason,  as  Shaw  has  done,  that  the 
Ki*hon  has  no  communication  with  Tabor,  and  never  flowed 
through  the  plain.  ^  Xot  improbably  in  ancient  times,  when  the 
country  was  perhaps  more  wooded,  there  may  have  been  perma- 
nent streams  throughout  the  whole  plain,  like  that  which  stiU 
runs  eastwards  along  the  middle  arm  ;  and  even  now,  in  ordinarr 
seasons,  duriug  the  winter  and  spring,  there  is  an  abundance  of 
water  on  the  plain  flowing  westwards  to  form  the  Kishon.  The 
large  fountains  all  along  the  southern  border,  furnish  at  such 
times  more  powerful  streams  ;  and  all  the  water-courses  from 
the  lulls  and  along  the  plain,  are  full  and  overflowing.  During 
the  battle  of  Mount  Tabor,  between  the  French  and  Arabs, 
April  16th,  1799,  many  of  the  latter  are  expressly  said  to  have 
been  drowned  in  the  stream  coming  from  Debiirieh,  which  then 
inundated  a  part  of  the  plain.*  Mom-o,  in  crossing  the  arm  of 
the  plain  from  Solam  to  Xazareth,  on  the  first  or  second  of 
May,  describes  himself  as  passing  in  half  an  hour  from  Solam 
"  a  considerable  brook  from  the  eastward,  and  afterwards  some 

'  Juig.  5,  21,  "The  river  of  Kishon  tains  of  Tahor  and  Hermon;  with  which 

swept  them  away,  that  ancient  river,  the  it  has  no  commnni cation"    Shaw  makes 

river  Kishon."  the  whole  len^h  of  the  Kishon  to  be  only 

'  See  above,  pp.  318,  319,  331.  about  seven  miles. 

'  Shaw's  Travels  4to.   p.  274,   "Mr  *  Burckhardt's  Travels,  p.  339.  See 

Sandys  and  others  have  been  mistaken  in  above,  p.  328.  n. 
making  the  Kishon  flow  &om  the  monn- 

iii.  228-230 


364 


FLAEs  OF  ESDRAELOK. 


[Sec  XIV. 


Others,  which  flow  into  a  small  lake  on  the  northern  side  cf  the 
plain,  and  eventually  contribute  to  swell  the  Kishon."'  This  ac- 
count corresponds  with  the  channels  we  saw.  In  April,  1829, 
Prokesch,  in  travelling  directlv  from  Ramleh  to  Xazareth,  entered 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon  at  or  near  Lejjun  ;  here  he  came  upon 
the  Kishon,  flowing  in  a  deep  bed  through  marshy  ground  ;  and 
after  wandering  about  for  some  time  to  find  the  way  through  the 
morass,  was  at  length  set  right  by  an  Arab  who  pointed  out  the 
proper  ford.* 

All  these  considerations,  and  especially  these  marshes  in  the 
region  of  Lejjun  or  Megiddo,  folly  bear  out  the  sacred  writer,  in 
affirming  that  the  forces  of  Sisera  were  swept  away  by  the  Ki- 
shon  ;  swoUen  as  the  stream  probably  was  by  the  tempest  and 
rain,  with  which  the  Lord  interfered  in  behalf  of  the  Israel- 
ites.'^ 

The  earlier  writers  were  therefore  justified,  in  placing  a  prin- 
cipal source  of  the  Kishon  in  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Tabor  ;* 
although  probably  the  branch  fed  from  the  southern  arm  of  the 
plain  and  the  southern  hills,  is  in  general  not  less  important. 
The  water-shed  in  the  arm  of  the  plain  between  Tabor  and  the 
Little  Hermon,  as  we  have  seen,  is  about  on  a  line  between 
those  two  mountains  although  during  the  rains,  much  water 
must  necessarily  come  from  the  Wadys  northwest  of  Tabor,  and 
there  form  what  Burckhardt  calls  the  river  of  Deburieh,  issuing 
upon  the  great  plain  near  that  village. 

Yet  in  regard  to  this  source  of  the  Kishon,  a  most  singular 
error  has  prevailed  ever  since  the  time  of  the  crusades,  which 
seems  not  whoUy  to  be  done  away  even  in  the  present  century. 
I  find  it  first  in  Brocardus ;  who  relates,  that  the  torrent  Kishon 
has  its  source  in  the  rain  water  which  descends  from  the  eastern 
side  of  Tabor,  whence  the  stream  flows  partly  eastwards  to  the 
lake  of  Galilee,  and  partly  westwards  to  the  Mediterranean.* 
There  is  so  much  foundation  for  this  report,  as  may  be  found  in 
the  fact,  that  aU  the  waters  on  the  eastern  side  of  Tabor,  includ- 
ing the  fountain  near  the  Khan  et-Tujjar,  do  actually  flow  off 
eastwards  through  "Wady  el-Bireh  to  the  Jordan  ;  but,  as  we  have 

*  Monro,  Snmmer  Ramble  L  p.  281.  atelycaEed  x^^f^^i  «torn»-bTOok,  winter 

Yet  so  confused  is  this  writer's  narratiTB,  torrent    Sept  Jodg.  4,  13.  5,  21.  etc. 

that  he  goes  on  to  place  Little  Hermon  Enseb.  L  c 
still  an  hour  further  north ;  although  he       '  See  p.  3.56,  aboTBi. 
had  before  correctly  described  Sjlam,       *  Brocardus,  c.  6.  7.  p.  176.  Mirin. 

where  he  had  lodged,  ag  ^ing  at  the  foot  Sanntuj  copies  Brocardus,  p.  2o2.  This 

of  Hermon  ;  p.  279.  story  is  repeated  by  travellers  down  to  the 

'  Prokesch  Reise  ins  h.  Land  p.  129.  middle  of  the  last  centary  ;  e.  g.  Cotoric. 

'  Jndg.  5,  20.  21 ;  ccm^.  5,  4.  Joseph,  p.  127.  Donb<lan,  p.  5S1.  Mariti  Voyajre*, 

Ant  5.  5.  4.  Tom.  II.  pp.  121,  169.  N'euw.  1791.  The 

'  Onomast.  art  Citon.    In  Greek  the  same  is  also  brought  forward  by  BoMO- 

Eishoo,  like  the  Eldron,  is  very  appropri-  muller,  BibL  Geogr.  IL  L  pi. 
iiL  230  231 


JxrsK  18.] 


THE  RIVER  KISHON. 


365 


seen  above,  only  the  western  and  southern  parts  of  Tahor  send 
their  waters  to  the  Mediterranean.' 

It  appears,  then,  that  the  Kishon  in  this  part  of  the  plain,  is  not 
now  a  permanent  stream  ;  but  usually  flows  only  during  the  sea- 
son of  rain,  and  for  a  short  time  afterwards."  Yet  the  river,  as  it 
enters  the  sea  at  the  foot  of  Carmel,  never  becomes  dry  ;  and  we 
must  therefore  seek  for  its  perennial  sources  along  the  base  of 
that  mountain.  Whether  the  brook  at  Lejjun  reaches  the  bed 
of  the  Kishon  during  the  summer,  we  are  not  informed  ;  but 
the  main  sources  appear  to  be  lower  down,  in  the  valley  by 
which  the  channel  issues  from  the  plain.  "When  Maundrell 
crossed  the  Kishon  here  on  the  22d  of  March,  three  and  a  l>alf 
hours  from  Lejjun,  the  water  was  low  and  inconsiderable.  Shaw 
is  the  only  traveller  who  appears  to  have  noticed  the  sources  of 
the  permanent  stream.  "  In  travelling  under  the  eastern  brow 
of  Carmel,"  he  says,  "  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
sources  of  the  river  Kishon,  three  or  four  of  which  He  within 
less  than  a  furlong  of  each  other.  These  alone,  without  the 
lesser  contributions  nearer  the  sea,  discharge  water  enough  to 
form  a  river  half  as  big  as  the  Isis."'  The  length  of  the  stream 
from  these  sources  to  the  sea,  he  estimates  at  seven  miles,  or 
about  two  and  a  half  hours.  It  was  probably  somewhere  along 
this  permanent  stream,  that  Elijah  slew  the  prophets  of  Baal.* 

The  quantity  of  water  in  the  Mukutta'  as  it  passes  through 
the  lower  plain  to  the  sea,  is  not  inconsiderable.  Schubert  ford- 
ed it  in  May  in  travelling  directly  from  Xazareth  to  Haifa,  and 
found  it  scarcely  forty  feet  in  breadth,  and  three  or  four  feet 
deep  ;  the  water  coming  half  way  up  the  bodies  of  the  mules.^ 
Monro  crossed  the  river  near  its  mouth,  at  the  southeast  nook 
of  the  bay  of  'Akka,  in  a  boat  ;  he  describes  the  stream  as 
about  thirty  yards  in  width,  and  deep  ;  so  that  the  asses  with 
their  heads  tied  to  the  boat,  were  compelled  to  swim.'  Yet 
Shaw  relates,  that  the  Kishon  when  not  swollen  by  the  rains, 
"  never  falls  into  the  sea  in  a  full  stream,  but  insensibly  perco- 

'  See  above,  p.  356.  of  the  prophets  of  Baal,  some  travellers 

'  We  crossed  the  Mukutta'  in  the  plain  are  disposed  to  derive  the  modem  name  of 
in  18o2;  see  VoL  in.  Sect.  Ill,  under  the  river  el-Mukutta',  following  the  mean- 
Apr.  21st.  ing  seciiit,  excidit,  of  the  Arahic  verb  So 

'  Shaw's  Travels  4to.  p.  274.  Shaw  D'Arviens,  Mora.  II.  p.  294.  Berggren 
savs  these  fountains  are  called  "  Has  el-  Reisen,  II.  p.  230.  But  among  the  com- 
Kishon,"  which  cannot  be  true  as  to  the  mon  people  the  name  sijrnifies  merely  '  the 
Arabs,  because  the  name  Kishon  is  here  ford,'  from  another  meaning  of  the  same 
Tinknowu.  They  would  more  probably  verb,  trajeeit  flumen.  See  Frevtag's  Les. 
bear  the  name  of  Ras  el-M>ikutta' :  and  Arab.  IH  p.  465.  D'Arvieus  learnedly 
such  it  would  seem  from  D'Arvieux  is  refers  the  name  Kishon  (French  Cison)  to 
actually  the  case  ;  Meraoires  IL  p.,  294.  the  same  slaughter ;  it  being,  he  says,  de- 
Paris,  1735.  The  ponds  of  which  Shaw  rived  from  the  Latin  ecedere. 
speaks,  four  miles  northeast  of  these  foun-  '  Reise  HI.  p.  206. 
tains,  do  not  exist  '  Summer  Ramble  I.  p.  56. 

*  1  Kings  18,  40.    From  this  slaughter 

ToL.  II.— 31*  iii.  231-233 


366 


PLAIN  OF  ESDEAELON. 


[Sec.  XIV. 


lates  througli  a  bank  of  sand,  which  the  north  winds  throw  up 
against  the  mouth  of  it ;  "  thus  he  found  it  in  the  middle  of 
Ajiril  A.  D.  1722,  when  he  passed  it.' 

Such  were,  in  general,  the  results  of  our  observations  and 
inquiries  respecting  the  noble  plain  of  Esdraelon  and  the  objects 
around  it.  We  took  leave  of  it  from  the  summit  of  Mount 
Tabor,  as  it  lay  extended  before  us,  quiet  and  peaceful,  in  the 
brilliant  light  of  an  oriental  morning  ;  so  tranquil  indeed,  that 
it  was  difficult  to  connect  with  it  the  idea  of  battles  and  blood- 
shed, of  which  for  a  long  succession  of  ages  it  has  been  the  cho- 
sen scene.  Here  Deborah  and  Barak,  descending  with  their 
forces  from  Mount  Tabor,  attacked  and  discomfited  the  host  of 
Sisera  with  his  "  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron,"  from  Endor  to 
Taanach  and  Megiddo,  where  the  Kishon  swept  them  away.* 
In  and  adjacent  to  the  plain,  Gideon  achieved  his  triumph  over 
the  Midianites  ;  and  here  too  the  glory  of  Israel  was  darkened 
for  a  time,  by  the  fall  of  Saul  and  Jonathan  upon  Gilboa.^  It 
was  also  adjacent  to  Aphek  in  the  plain,  that  Ahab  and  the 
Israelites  obtained  a  miraculous  victory  over  the  Syrians  under 
Benhadad  ;  while  at  Megiddo,  the  pious  Josiah  feU  in  battle 
against  the  Egyptian  monarch.^  Then  came  the  times  of  the 
Romans,  with  battles  under  Gabinius  and  Vespasian.'  The 
period  of  the  crusades  furnishes  likewise  its  account  of  contests 
in  and  around  the  plain  f  and  almost  in  our  day  the  battle  of 
Mount  Tabor  was  one  of  the  triumphs  of  Napoleon.'  From 
Mount  Tabor  the  view  took  in  also,  on  the  one  side,  the  region 
of  Hattin,  where  the  renown  of  the  crusaders  sunk  before  the 
star  of  Saladin  ;  while,  not  far  distant,  on  the  other  side,  the 
name  of  'Akka  or  Ptolemais  recalls  many  a  deadly  struggle  of 
the  same  epoch.  There  too  Napoleon  was  baffled  and  driven 
back  from  Syria  ;  and  in  our  own  day,  torrents  of  blood  have 
flowed  within  and  around  its  walls,  during  the  long  siege  and 
subsequent  capture  of  the  city  by  the  Egyptian  army  in  A.  D. 
1832. 

The  ink  with  which  these  lines  were  penned,  was  hardly 

'  Shaw's  Travels  4to.  p.  274.    See  also  between  one  hundred  and  fifty  knights, 

Irby  and  Mangles,  p.  194.  Mariti  Voyages  both  Hospitalers  and  Templars,  with  600 

II.  p  120.  Neuw.  1791.  foot,  and  the  Saracen  troops  under  Melek 

"  Judg.  4,  12-15.  vs.  19-21.    Ps.  83,  el-'Adil.      The   Christians   were  almost 

9.  10.  totally  destroyed;   the  Grand  Master  of 

'  Judg,  c.  7.  1  Sam.  29,  1.  c.  31.    See  the  Hospitalers  slain  ;  while  the  Grand 

above,  p.  327.  Master  of  the  Templars  escaped  with  diffi- 

♦  1  Kings  26,  26-30.— 2  Chr.  35,  20-24.  culty.  Hugo  Plagon  in  Martene  et  Dn- 
2  K.  2:i,  29.  30.  rand  T.  V.  p.  597  sq.    Rad.  Coggeshal. 

'  See  above,  p.  357.  Chr<m.  Terrse  S.  ibid.  T.  V.  p.  549  «q. 

•  See  above,  pp.  359,  360.  Reinaud  Gaufr.  Vinisauf.  I.  2.  p.  248.  Wilken 
Extraits  p  384,  387,  488,  etr.— In  A.  D.    Gesch.  der  Kr.  HI.  ii.  p.  267  »q. 

1187  a  tierce  and  fatal  conflict  took  place       '  See  above,  p.  328  n. 
in  the  plain  around  Tabor,  near  the  Kishon, 

iii.  233,  234 


jOTia]  HISTORICAL  yOTICES.  367 

dry,  when  the  coasts  of  Syria  were  again  visited  by  war  ;  and 
'Akka  became  the  closing  scene  of  the  struggle,  between  the 
allied  English  and  Austrian  fleets  and  the  forces  of  Muhammed 
'Aly.  On  the  third  day  of  November  1840,  'Akka  was  bom- 
barded for  several  hours  ;  until  the  explosion  of  a  magazine  de- 
stroyed the  garrison,  and  laid  the  town  in  ruins. 

iii.234 


SECTION  XY. 


FROM  MOUNT  TABOR  BY  THE  LAKE  OF  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 

Tuesday,  June  \^th,  1838.  The  sun  rose  gloriously  upon 
us  as  we  sat  at  the  door  of  our  tent,  upon  the  summit  of  Tabor. 
A  very  heavy  dew  had  fallen  during  the  night ;  so  that  the  tent 
was  wet  as  with  rain.  After  the  sun  had  been  up  about  half 
an  hour,  a  fog  came  on  and  veiled  everything  below  from  our 
view.  We  now  prepared  to  depart ;  but  three  of  our  mules 
had  strayed  away  during  the  night,  and  this  detained  us  for  an 
hour.  Meanwhile  the  fog  cleared  away,  and  we  had  again  the 
glorious  prospect  of  yesterday,  now  stUl  more  distinct  and  map- 
like. The  summit  of  Tabor  is  subject  to  such  morning  fogs, 
which  hang  around  it  like  a  fleecy  crown. 

We  set  off  at  length  at  7.35  from  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
going  down  the  same  way  we  had  come  up.  The  view  towards 
the  northwest  over  the  hills  of  Nazareth  was  charming,  covered 
as  they  are  with  orchards  of  oaks  ;  which,  standing  singly,  have 
much  the  appearance  of  apple  trees.  Our  path  led  through 
similar  glades  along  the  flank  of  Tabor.  We  came  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  main  descent  at  8^  o'clock  ;  and  then  kept  more  to 
the  right  along  high  ground  to  gain  the  Damascus  road,  which 
we  struck  at  8.40,  on  the  top  of  the  low  connecting  ridge,  between 
Tabor  and  the  northwestern  hills.  After  a  stop  of  ten  minutes 
to  adjust  the  loads,  we  proceeded  along  this  road  to  the  Khan. 
The  descent  here  from  the  ridge  just  mentioned,  is  hardly  per- 
ceptible, in  comparison  with  the  ascent  on  the  other  side  ;  this 
eastern  plain  being  higher  than  that  on  the  southwest  of  Tabor. 
At  o'clock  there  was  a  well  on  our  left ;  and  ten  minutes  after- 
wards we  reached  Khan  et-Tujjar,  in  a  shallow  Wady  of  some 
breadth,  running  off  southwards  through  the  plain. 

The  Khan  itself  lies  in  the  Wady,  and  is  much  broken 
down  ;  though  a  few  people  still  house  among  its  ruins.  Close 
by  on  the  left  of  the  path,  on  the  gentle  acclivity  which  forms 
the  side'of  the  Wady,  stands  another  quadrangular  building  of 
about  the  same  size  and  appearance,  but  in  better  preservation. 

iil  235,  236 


Jo-z  19.] 


KHAN  ET-TUJJAR.  LUBIEH. 


369 


This  may  have  been  another  Khan,  though  it  has  more  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  castle,  like  that  of  'Akabah.  Both  were  once 
important  structures,  having  towers  at  the  comers  ;  and  were 
erected  for  the  accommodation  and  protection  of  caravans,  pass- 
ing upon  this  great  high  road  between  Damascus  and  Egypt. 
In  the  Khan  is  a  spring  of  water ;  but  the  chief  fountain,  whose 
little  stream  we  had  seen  from  Tabor,  flowmg  off  through  Wady 
el-Bireh  to  the  Jordan,  rises  some  five  or  ten  minutes  further 
south  in  the  Wady.' — At  this  Khan  a  weekly  fair,  Suk  el-Khan, 
is  held  every  Monday,  which  is  frequented  by  the  people  of 
Tiberias,  Nazareth,  and  all  the  adjacent  villages.  It  had  yes- 
terday drawn  away  from  home  a  large  portion  of  the  people  of 
Nazareth. 

From  the  Khan,  the  Damascus  road  proceeds  to  Kefir  Sabt, 
and  descends  to  the  shore  of  the  lake  beyond  Tiberias.  We 
followed  a  path  lying  more  to  the  left,  towards  Lubiek  At  1Q|- 
o'clock,  we  came  to  a  broad'  low  tract  of  land,  running  fi*om 
west  to  east,  a  flat  of  fine  fertile  soil,  drained  off  towards  the 
right  by  a  narrow  Wady  to  the  larger  basin  beyond  Kefr  Sabt ; 
which  place  was  now  about  half  an  hour  distant  on  our  right, 
on  somewhat  higher  ground.  The  basin  here  mentioned  is  a 
broad  and  deeper  fertUe  tract,  beginning  on  the  east  of  Lubieh, 
and  extending  S.  S.  E.  between  the  higher  plain  on  the  edge  of 
which  Kefr  Sabt  stands,  and  the  ridge  along  the  lake  south  of 
Tiberias.  At  the  southern  end,  it  breaks  down  through  this 
ridge  by  a  narrow  Wady  to  the  Jordan,  just  below  where  the 
latter  issues  from  the  lake.  This  basin  is  called  by  Burckhardt 
Ard  el-Hamma.*  Besides  Kefr  Sabt,  lying  on  the  high  ground 
on  its  southwestern  side,  the  ruined  villages  Dameh  and  Bessum 
are  seen  further  south  along  the  foot  of  the  same  acclivity. 
There  was  now  no  water  visible  in  this  whole  tract ;  though 
Burckhardt  speaks  of  a  fountain  'Ain  Dameh  half  an  hour 
distant  from  Kefr  Sabt,  probably  near  the  ruin  of  the  same 
name. 

On  the  north  of  the  low  flat  above  described,  our  path  led  up 
a  rocky  acclivity,  to  a  more  elevated  tract,  on  which  stands  the 
village  of  Lubieh.  Half  an  hour  before  reaching  that  village, 
we  had  on  our  left  the  beginning  of  the  fine  plain  which  runs 
off  westward  between  the  hills,  having  on  its  northern  side  the 
large  village  of  Tur'an,  and  near  its  southwest  corner  the  village 
of  Kefr  Kenna  ;  both  of  which  were  here  in  sight.'  This  plain  is 
fertile  and  beautiful ;  its  waters  run  off  at  the  northwest  corner 
to  the  large  parallel  plain  el-Buttauf,  near  which  Seffurieh  is  situ- 

'  According  to  Prokesch,  Kankab  el-    the  name  Ard  el-Ahmar;   see  VoL  III. 
Hawa  bears  from  the  Khan  S.  38"  E.  Reise    Sect.  VIII,  under  May  18th. 
ins  heiL  Land,  p.  137.  '  For  Kefr  Kenna  see  above,  p.  346  sq. 

'  Travels  p.  333.    We  afterwards  heard 

iii.  236,  237 


370 


FROM  MOUNT  TABOR  TO  TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


ated.  The  Tell  of  this  latter  place  could  here  be  seen  ;  and 
also  the  Wely  near  Nazareth.  The  road  from  Nazareth  passes 
from  Kefr  Kenna  through  this  plain  to  Lubieh. 

The  large  village  of  Lubieh,  which  we  reached  at  11  o'clock, 
has  an  old  appearance  it  stands  upon  a  low  Tell,  with  a  deep 
valley  on  the  east  and  a  broader  one  on  the  north,  with  a  foun- 
tain running  towards  the  Ard  el-Hamma.  It  suffered  greatly 
from  the  earthquake  of  the  preceding  year.''  A  road  leads  from 
this  place  directly  to  Tiberias  ;  but  we  kept  on  N.  E.  by  N.  in 
order  to  visit  the  TeU  and  village  of  Hattin.  The  country 
continues  undulating ;  rocky  swells  in  the  high  plain,  with  in- 
tervening valleys.  The  road  passes  down  to  Hattin  on  the  west 
of  the  Tell ;  as  we  approached,  we  turned  off  from  the  path 
towards  the  right,  in  order  to  ascend  the  eastern  horn,  which  we 
reached  at  12  o'clock. 

As  seen  on  this  side,  the  TeU  or  mountain  is  merely  a  low 
ridge,  some  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  height,  and  not  ten  minutes  in 
length  from  east  to  west.  At  its  eastern  end  is  an  elevated  point 
or  horn,  perhaps  sixty  feet  above  the  plain  ;  and  at  the  western 
end  another  not  so  high  ;  these  give  to  the  ridge  at  a  distance 
the  appearance  of  a  saddle,  and  are  called  Kurun  Hattin, 
"  Horns  of  Hattin."^  But  the  singularity  of  this  ridge  is,  that 
on  reaching  the  top,  you  find  that  it  lies  along  the  very  border 
of  the  great  southern  plain,  where  this  latter  sinks  off  at  once, 
by  a  precipitous  offset,  to  the  lower  plain  of  Hattin  ;  from  which 
the  northern  side  of  the  Tell  rises  very  steeply,  not  much  less 
than  four  hundred  feet.  Below,  in  the  north,  lies  the  village  of 
Hattin  ;  and  further  towards  the  north  and  northeast  a  second 
similar  offset  forms  the  descent  to  the  level  of  the  lake. 

The  summit  of  the  eastern  horn,  is  a  little  circular  plain  ;  and 
the  top  of  the  lower  ridge  between  the  two  horns,  is  also  flattened 
to  a  plain.  The  whole  mountain  is  of  limestone.  On  the  eastern 
horn  are  the  remains  of  a  small  building,  probably  once  a  Wely,* 
with  a  few  rough  ruins  of  no  import ;  yet  the  natives  now  dig- 
nify the  spot  with  the  name  el-Medineh.  This  point  commands 
a  near  view  of  the  great  plain  over  which  we  had  passed,  north 
of  Tabor,  and  also  of  the  basin  Ard  el-Hamma  ;  the  latter  lying 
spread  out  before  us  with  fields  of  varied  hues,  like  a  carpet.  On 
the  other  side,  the  eye  takes  in,  even  here,  only  the  northern 

'  It  is  mentioned  by  Bohaeddin,  Vit.       *  According  to  Bohaeddin  a  tomb  of 

Sal.  p.  68  Jethro,  Kabr  Shu'eib,  stood  upon  this  Tell 

'  Mr  Thomson  who  passed  this  way  in  liis  day,  i.  c.  at  the  close  of  the  twelfth 

three  weeks  after  the  earthquake,  describes  century.    Vita  Salad,  p  G9.    The  same 

the  place  as  a  heap  of  ruins  ;  one  hundred  is  mentioned  in  the  Jewish  Itinerary  in 

and  forty-three  per.sons  were  killed.  Miss.  Hottinger's  Cippi  Hebraic!,  p.  74.  Ed.  2. 

Herald,  Nov.  1837,  p.  439.  Quaresmius  supposes  the  remains  to  be 

"  Bohaeddin  calls  the  whole  ridge  Tell  those  ol'  a  chapel ;  IL  p.  856. 
Hattin  ;  Vit.  Salad,  p.  09. 
iii.  237-239 


Jujfs  19.] 


KURU^r  HATTiy. 


371 


part  of  the  lake  of  Tiberias,  and  on  its  western  shore  the  little 
plain  of  Gennesareth  ;  while  in  the  north  and  northwest  Safed 
and  a  few  other  villages  are  seen  upon  the  hills.  The  prospect 
is  in  itself  pleasing  ;  but  bears  no  comparison  with  that  which 
we  had  just  enjoyed  from  Mount  Tabor.' — This  Tell  is  nearly 
on  a  line  between  Tabor  and  Hermon,  the  latter  bearing  about 
K  N.  E.  p.  and  the  former  nearly  S.  S.  W.  ^W.* 

The  Kuriin  Hattin  are  held  by  the  Latins  to  be  the  mount 
of  Beatitudes,  the  place  where  the  Saviour  delivered  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  to  the  multitude  standing  on  the  adjacent  plain. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  form  or  circumstances  of  the  lull  itself 
to  contradict  this  supposition  ;  but  the  sacred  writers  do  not 
specify  any  particular  height  by  name  ;  and  there  are  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  lake  perhaps  a  dozen  other  mountains,  which 
would  answer  just  as  well  to  the  circumstances  of  the  history. 
It  might  therefore  be  difficult  to  say,  why  this  spot  should  have 
been  selected  as  the  scene  of  our  Lord's  discourse  ;  unless,  per- 
haps, because  its  position  and  pectiliar  configuration  render  it 
rather  a  prominent  object. 

Further,  this  tradition  is  found  only  in  the  Latin  church  ; 
the  Greeks  know  nothing  of  it,  as  we  learned  by  repeated  inquiry 
at  Nazareth  and  elsewhere  ;  nor  have  they  any  tradirion  whatever 
connected  with  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  This  circumstance 
leads  naturally  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  whole  matter  is  of 
Latin  origin  ;  probably  one  of  the  scions  of  foreign  growth, 
grafted  by  the  crusaders  upon  the  already  luxuriant  stock  of 
earlier  Greek  tradition.  The  historical  notices  extant  confirm 
the  same  view.  The  motintaii  is  fijst  mentioned,  as  the  scene 
of  our  Lord's  discourse,  by  Brocardus  about  A.  D.  1283  ;  and 
also  as  the  spot  where  he  fed  the  five  thousand  with  the  five 
loaves  ;^  though,  the  place  of  this  latter  miracle  was  earlier 


'  Dr  Clarke's  account  of  this  prospect  is 
escesiivelv  overcharged  and  exageemted. 
He  does  not  scruple  to  say.  that  here  "  a 
view  was  presented,  which  for  ite  grandeur, 
independently  o!"  the  interest  excited  hy 
the  different  objects  contained  in  it,  has 
no  parallel  in  the  Holy  Land  !  "  p.  453.  -tto. 
He  ventures  to  make  this  sweeping  asser- 
tion, without  having  himself  been  either 
upon  Tabor,  or  Carmel,  or  Gerizim,  or 
the  hill  above  Xazareth,  or  the  tower  of 
Ramleh.  or  any  other  important  point  of 
view  in  all  Palestine,  Pococke's  account 
is  more  modest,  but  exhibits  a  strange 
jumble  of  names;  VoL  II.  i.  p.  6". 

'  Other  places  in  sight  from  Tell  Hattin, 
bore  as  follows :  Safed  N.  11  E.  Ard  el- 
Hamma  S.  S.  E.  Bessiim  S.  15'  R  Da- 
meh  S.  5=  E.  Kefr  Sabt  S.  21=  W.  Lu- 
bieh  S.  57  \V.    Wely  by  Nazareth  S.  71' 


W.  SeflFurieh  S.  80'  W.  el-MughArX.  17' 
W.  el-Mansurah  X.  13=  W.— These  last 
two  villages  are  in  the  district  esa-Sh;ighiir, 
lying  between  those  of  'Akka  and  Safed. 
Lord  Belmore  and  his  party  left  the  road 
between  Xazareth  and  Tiberias  a  little 
west  of  Lubieh,  and  travelled  directly  to 
Jubb  Yiisuf  (east  of  Safed  ',  pa.^sing  west 
of  Hattin.  About  four  hours  from  Lubieh, 
they  came  in  sight  of  el-Migh  u-  on  the 
side  of  a  high  hill  on  the  lefL  Lower  down 
the  hin  is  a  copious  fountain,  and  near 
by  it  the  village  el-Mansurah.  Richard- 
son's Travels  IL  p.  142. 

'  Brocardus  c.  4.  p.  173.  So  too  Brey- 
denbach  in  Reissb.  p.  122.  Anselrai  Descr. 
Terr.  S.  p.  781.  B.  de  &ili;maro  Tom.  IX. 
a  8.  Cotovic.  p.  357.  Adrichom.  p.  IIL 
Quaresmius  XL  p.  856. 

HL  239,  240 


372 


FROM  MOUNT  TABOR  TO  TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


Bhown,  as  it  is  also  now,  on  the  broad  ridge  about  an  hour  south- 
east of  the  mount,  towards  Tiberias.'  But  all  earlier  writers,  both 
Latin  and  Greek,  although  they  speak  of  the  miracle  of  the  five 
loaves,  are  wholly  silent  as  to  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.'  Hence, 
while  the  concurrence  of  the  two  churches,  in  their  tradition  as 
to  the  place  of  the  former  miracle,  certainly  cannot  estabhsh  its 
identity,  inasmuch  as  the  earhest  trace  does  not  reach  back  be- 
yond the  fourth  century  ;  stUl  more  is  the  total  silence  of  the 
Greek  church  as  to  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  fatal  to  the  Latin 
hypothesis,  which  connects  that  discourse  with  the  mountain  in 
question. 


On  the  high  uneven  plain,  extending  southwards  between 
the  Tell  or  Kurun  Hattin  and  el-Lubieh,  took  place  on  the  fifth 
of  July,  A.  D.  1187,  the  celebrated  and  fatal  battle  of  Hattin.^ 
This  was  the  great  and  decisive  conflict  of  the  crusades  ;  between 
the  flower  of  the  Christian  strength  and  chivalry  on  the  one  side, 
with  the  sovereign  at  their  head  ;  and  on  the  other,  the  eager 
gathering  of  the  Muhammedan  might,  led  on  by  the  Sultan 
Saladin  in  person.  It  resulted  in  the  almost  total  annihilation 
of  the  Christian  host ;  and  was  followed  by  the  immediate  sub- 
jugation of  nearly  all  Palestine,  including  Jerusalem,  to  the 
Muslim  yoke.  The  power  of  the  Franks  in  the  Holy  Land  was 
thus  broken  ;  and  although  the  monarchs  and  princes  of  Europe 
undertook  expeditions  thither  for  more  than  seventy  years  after 
this  event,  yet  the  Christians  were  never  able  to  regain  in  Pal- 
estine the  footing,  which  they  had  held  before  this  memorable 
catastrophe. 

The  usurpation  of  the  crown  of  Jerusalem  in  August  of  the 
preceding  year,  by  the  weak-minded  Guy  of  Lusignan,  had  em- 
bittered against  him  a  powerful  rival,  Count  Raymond  of  Tripolis, 
and  many  other  barons  ;  and  Eaymond,  who  was  now  lord  also 
of  Tiberias  and  Galilee,  had  even  entered  into  negotiations  with 
Saladin  and  received  from  him  aid.''    Yet  a  truce  had  been  con- 


'  Here  are  four  or  five  large  blocks  of 
black  stone,  called  by  the  Arabs  Hej;"iren- 
Nasara,  '  Stones  of  the  Christians,'  and  by 
the  Latins  '  Mensa  Christi ;'  which  an  early 
tradition  marks  as  the  site  of  the  miracle 
of  the  five  thousand.  Quaresmius  II.  p. 
856.  Burckhardt  p.  .^30.  Bori;gren  Reise 
II.  p.  256.  See  the  next  Note. — It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  remark,  that  tlie  tra- 
dition attached  to  this  spot  can  only  be 
legendary  ;  since  the  feeding  of  the  five 
thousand  took  place  on  the  east  side  of 
the  lake  ;  and  probably  also  that  of  the 
four  thousand. 

^  So  among  Latin  writers :  Adamnanus 

iii.  240-242 


A.  D.  607;  2.  24.  SjEwulf  A.  D.  1103, 
p.  271.  Greek  writers  :  Phocas  in  1185, 
§  11.  Epiphanius  Hagiopol.  in  13th  cent, 
in  L.  Allatii  Symraikta,  Col.  Agr.  1653.  p. 
62. — Jerome  may  also  not  improbably 
allude  to  the  same  spot ;  I  'p.  44,  ad  Mar- 
cell.  T.  IV.  ii.  p.  552.  ed.  Mart. 

The  l)attle  occurred  on  Saturday ; 
which  Wilken  reckons  as  the  5th  of  •July, 
while  Reinaud  counts  it  as  the  4th.  Wilkeu 
Gesch.  der  Kr.  III.  ii.  p.  282.  Reinaud 
Extr.  p.  194. 

*  See  generally  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr. 
III.  ii.  p.  250-258,  aud  the  authorities 
there  cited. 


June  19.] 


BATTLE  OF  HATTIN. 


373 


eluded  with  the  Sultan,  and  the  Christians  now  hoped  for  repose  ; 
when  suddenly,  the  compact  was  broken  by  the  reckless  Eaynald 
of  Chatillon,  then  lord  of  Kerak,  who  faithlessly  fell  upon  and 
plundered  a  caravan  of  merchants,  passing  from  Damascus  to 
Arabia.  He  not  only  laid  his  prisoners  in  chains  ;  but  refused 
to  deUver  up  both  them  and  the  booty,  when  demanded  by 
Saladin  according  to  the  terms  of  the  truce.  The  enraged  Sul- 
tan swore  a  solemn  oath,  to  put  Raynald  to  death  with  his  own 
hand,  should  he  ever  fall  into  his  power.  The  Christians  were 
soon  alarmed  by  the  dire  intelligence  of  immense  preparations  on 
the  part  of  Saladin,  to  avenge  their  breach  of  faith.  Hosts  of 
well-appointed  warriors  were  rapidly  assembled  at  Damascus, 
not  only  from  the  Syrian  provinces,  but  also  from  Mesopotamia, 
Eg}'pt,  and  Arabia.' 

This  dreadful  note  of  preparation  induced  the  Christian 
princes  to  lay  aside  their  strife  ;  and  after  an  apparent  reconcili- 
ation, they  formed  a  rendezvous  and  encampment  at  the  fountain 
of  SeffCirieh.*  Here  was  assembled  the  most  stately  host,  which 
had  ever  fought  against  the  Saracens  in  the  Holy  Land.  The 
Hospitalers  and  Templars  came  with  many  troops  from  their 
various  castles  ;  Count  Raymond  with  his  forces  appeared  from 
Tiberias  and  Tripohs  ;  and  also  Raynald  with  a  train  of  knights 
from  the  fortresses  of  Kerak  and  Shobek.  Other  barons  with 
their  knights  and  followers  flocked  to  the  camp  from  Neapolis, 
Coesarea,  Sidon,  and  Antioch  ;  the  king  too  was  present  with  a 
host  of  knights  and  hired  troops.  The  army  thus  collected 
amounted  to  two  thousand  knights  and  eight  thousand  foot 
soldiers  ;  besides  large  bodies  of  light-armed  troops  or  archers. 
The  holy  cross  also  was  brought  from  Jerusalem  into  the  camp, 
by  the  bishops  of  Ptolemais  and  Lydda.^ 

For  five  weeks  the  Christian  army  waited  at  the  fountain  of 
Seflfurieh  ;  when  at  length  the  hosts  of  Saladin  broke  in  like  a 
flood  upon  the  land.  They  advanced  by  the  northern  end  of 
the  lake  of  Tiberias.  Liglxt  detachments  preceded  the  main 
army  ;  these  penetrated  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Nazareth,  and 
also  to  Jezreel  and  Mount  Gilboa,  laying  waste  the  land  with 
fire  and  sword,  and  desolating  Mount  Tabor.  The  Sultan  en- 
camped upon  the  heights  north  of  Tiberias,  in  the  hope  of  being 
attacked  by  the  Christian  army.  They  did  not  appear  ;  and  he 
therefore  sent  his  light  troops  to  take  possession  of  Tiberias. 
They  easily  became  masters  of  the  city  ;  and  the  wife  of  Count 
Raymond  with  her  children  retired  to  the  castle.^ 

•  Wilken  ibid.  p.  264  sq.— The  Arabian  '  Wilken  ibid.  p.  265,  272,  273,  See 

historian  'Emar  ed-Din  gives  a  ditferent  above,  p.  345. 

account  of  the  occasion  of  Siiladin's  oath  ^  Ibid.  pp.  274,  275, 

against  Kaynuld ;    Reinaud  Extraits  p.  ■*  Ibid.  pp.  275,  276 
198.  n. 

Vol.  II.— 32  iii.  242,  243 


374  FEOM  MOUNT  TABOR  TO  TIBERIAS,  [Sec.  XV. 

Intelligence  of  this  event  reached  the  Christian  camp  on  the 
third  of  J uly  ;  and  the  king  immediately  called  a  council  of  war 
to  decide  upon  the  measures  to  be  pursued.  The  general  voice 
at  first  was,  to  march  in  close  army  for  the  deliverance  of  Tibe- 
rias ;  it  being  well  understood,  that  this  movement  would  involve 
a  general  battle  with  the  Saracenic  army.  Count  Eaymond, 
although  of  aU  others  personally  the  most  interested,  gave 
different  advice.  Experience  had  taught  him,  that  the  Fabian 
policy  was  most  successful  against  Saladin  ;  and  he  therefore 
counselled  to  avoid  a  battle,  to  fortify  the  camp,. and  to  await 
the  attack  of  the  Sultan  at  SefFurieh.  Here  they  had  water  and 
other  resources  in  abundance,  and  might  hope  for  success  ;  if 
they  abandoned  this  position  and  marched  towards  Tiberias,  they 
exposed  themselves  at  once  to  the  constant  attacks  of  the  Sara- 
cenic army,  in  a  region  without  water,  under  the  fierce  summer 
heat  ;  where,  exhausted  and  harassed  on  eveiy  side,  their  retreat 
might  easily  be  cut  off.  This  advice  was  so  judicious,  and  rested 
on  grounds  so  strong,  that  it  was  unanimously  approved  by  the 
king  and  barons  ;  with  the  single  exception  of  the  rash  and  in- 
solent Grand  Master  of  the  Templars.  The  council  broke  up  at 
midnight. ' 

The  barons  had  scarcely  laid  themselves  down  to  rest,  when 
the  trumpets  sounded  ;  and  heralds  proclaimed,  throughout  the 
camp,  the  orders  of  the  king,  that  all  should  arm  immediately. 
After  the  council  broke  up,  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Templars 
had  gone  to  the  king,  and  overwhelmed  liim  with  reproaches, 
for  listening  to  what  he  called  the  traitorous  advice  of  the  Count 
of  Tripolis  ;  conjuring  him  not  to  suffer  such  a  stain  of  coward- 
ice to  rest  upon  the  Christian  name.  The  fickle-minded  sover- 
eign jdelded  to  his  impetuosity  ;  and  gave  orders  to  arm.  The 
barons  now  repaired  to  his  tent  to  warn  him  against  so  fatal  a 
stop  ;  but  he  was  putting  on  his  armour,  and  gave  them  no 
audience.  They  followed  his  example  with  indignation  ;  the 
army  was  drawn  up,  and  the  march  began  towards  Tiberias 
without  delay. 

This  movement  of  the  Christian  army  fell  in  completely 
with  the  ardent  wishes  and  plans  of  Saladin  ;  who  was  confi- 
dent of  victory,  could  he  but  draw  the  Franks  from  their 
position,  and  bring  on  a  general  battle.  On  receiving  the 
intelligence  from  his  scouts,  he  immediately  despatched  his 
light  troops  to  harass  the  Christians  upon  the  march  ;  and 
posted  his  main  army,  as  it  would  seem,  along  the  high  ground 
above  the  lake,  between  Tiberias  and  Tell  Hattin.  In  the 
,  afternoon  of  the  same  day  (Friday),  the  Christian  army  reached 
the  open  ground  around  el-Iiubieh,  wliere  the  most  violent  onset 

'  Wilken  ibid.  pp.  277,  278.  "  Wilken  ibid.  pp.  278,  279. 

ui.  243-245. 


June  19.] 


BATTLE  OF  HATTIN, 


375 


of  this  day  took  place,  on  the  part  of  the  light  troops.'  But 
the  Frank  warriors  were  already  so  exhausted  by  the  burning 
heat  of  the  day,  coupled  with  tormenting  thirst  and  want  of 
water,  as  well  as  by  the  continual  attacks  of  the  enemy,  that 
they  were  scarcely  able  longer  to  bear  up  against  the  assaults. 
Fear  and  dismay  spread  throughout  their  ranks,  and  various 
omens  of  direful  import  were  recognised.  Instead  of  pressing 
on  to  attack  at  once  the  main  army  of  Saladin,  and  at  least 
break  through  to  the  lake  of  Tiberias,  so  as  to  obtain  a  supply 
of  water,  the  feeble  Guy  gave  orders  to  encamp  on  the  high 
rocky  plain,  without  water,  in  sight  of  the  enemy  ;  and  thus 
defer  the  conflict  till  the  following  morning.  This  fatal  step  is 
said  to  have  been  counselled  by  Count  Eaymond  ;  from  treach- 
ery, as  some  aver  ;  and  to  it  the  Franks  with  one  voice  ascribe 
the  disasters  of  the  following  day.^ 

The  night  was  dreadful.  The  Christians,  already  tormented 
with  thirst,  stood  in  continual  fear  of  a  night  attack.  The 
Saracens  approached  close  to  their  camp,  and  set  on  fire  the 
dry  shrubs  and  herbage  round  about  ;  the  heat  and  smoke  of 
which  served  to  increase  still'  more  the  distress  of  the  Franks. 
The  latter  passed  the  whole  night  under  arms,  anxiously  wait- 
ing for  the  dawn.  But  the  morning  brought  them  no  consola- 
tion. They  saw  themselves  upon  this  rocky  plain,  surrounded 
by  the  hostile  hosts  of  Saladin  ;  from  whom  there  was  now  no 
escape  except  in  the  chances  of  battle.  How  different  the 
auspices  under  which  the  two  armies  entered  upon  the  conflict ! 
On  the  side  of  the  Christians,  a  feeble  leader,  divisions,  despond- 
ency, exhaustion  from  thirst  and  watching,  and  the  feeling 
that  they  were  forsaken  of  God  ;  on  the  other  side,  Saladin,  the 
most  renowned  of  all  the  champions  of  Islam,  and  his  hosts 
flushed  with  confidence,  and  eager  to  rush  upon  the  foe.  The 
result  could  hardly  be  doubtful  for  a  moment. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  enter  upon  the  details  of  the  battle  ; 
nor  do  they  seem  indeed  to  be  preserved  with  enough  of  exact- 
ness, to  enable  us  to  trace  them  fuEy.  Sufiice  it  to  say,  that 
wherever  the  Christian  warriors  pressed  forward  in  solid  masses, 
there  the  Saracens  gave  way  at  once  ;  yet  hovered  everywhere 
around,  and  harassed  the  Franks  by  continual  Othk  upon  their 
more  exposed  parts.  It  was  the  policy  of  Saladin,  to  let  the 
Christians  weary  themselves  out  by  a  series  of  fruitless  charges  ; 
well  knowing,  that  heat  and  thirst  would  not  fail  to  do  their 
work,  and  prepare  for  him  an  easy  prey.    The  Hospitalers  and 

'  So  Boh.ieddin  expressly,  Vita  Sal.  no  other  trace  seems  to  remain  ;  Wilken 
p.  68.    Frank  writers  mention  somewhere    ibid.  p.  280. 

here  a  place  called  Marescallia,  half  way  '  AVilken  ibid.  pp.  280-282.  Reinaud 
between  SefiFurieh  and  Tiberias,  of  which    Extraits  pp.  191,  192. 

iii.  245,  24C 


376 


FROM  MOUNT  TABOR  TO  TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


Templars,  and  also  the  archers,  fought  with  their  wonted  valour, 
so  long  as  their  strength  held  out.  The  foot  soldiers  at  length, 
exhausted  and  pining  with  thirst,  broke  their  ranks  ;  some 
threw  down  their  arms  and  surrendered  at  discretion  ;  another 
party  fled  and  were  pursued  and  cut  to  pieces  ;  while  the  great 
body  withdrew  in  confusion  to  the  summit  of  Tell  Hattin. 
Hence  they  were  summoned  by  the  king,  to  return  to  the 
combat  and  support  the  knights  in  protecting  the  holy  cross  ; 
but  to  this  order  they  gave  no  heed. 

The  king  then  directed  the  conflict  to  cease,  and  the  knights 
to  encamp  around  the  cross.  This  they  attempted  in  great 
disorder  ;  but  the  Saracens  now  pressed  upon  them,  and  let  fly 
showers  of  arrows  ;  by  one  of  which  the  bishop  of  Ptolemais, 
who  bore  the  cross,  was  slain.  In  this  extremity,  Guy  gave 
command  to  renew  the  fight ;  but  it  was  too  late.  Surrounded 
by  the  foe,  the  knights  of  Count  Eaymond,  when  ordered  to  ad- 
vance, raised  the  cry  of  "  Sauve  qui  pent ! "  and  put  their  horses 
to  full  speed  over  the  bodies  of  their  fallen  brethren.  The 
Count  himself,  and  several  other  chiefs,  followed  their  example  ; 
and  rushing  through  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  which  opened  to 
let  them  pass,  escaped  by  a  shameful  flight  in  the  direction  of 
Tyre.  All  now  was  lost.  The  king  withdrew  to  the  height  of 
Tell  Hattin,  and  with  his  brave  followers  drove  back  the  Sara- 
cens as  they  attempted  to  ascend.  Three  times  did  the  latter 
storm  the  height ;  at  length  they  got  possession  of  it ;  and  the 
Christians  were  either  made  prisoners,  or  driven  headlong  down 
the  steep  precipice  on  the  northern  side.  Among  those  who  sur- 
rendered were  king  Guy  himself,  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Tem- 
plars, Eaynald  of  Chatillon,  Honfroy  of  Toron,  and  the  bishop 
of  Lj'dda,  the  last  bearer  of  the  holy  cross.  The  cross  itself 
had  already  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.' 

Such  was  the  terrific  overthrow  of  the  Christian  army  and 
the  Christian  power.  .  After  the  conflict  had  ceased  for  want  of 
victims,  the  captive  princes  were  led  before  the  Sultan,  in  the 
antechamber  of  his  paviHon,  as  yet  hardly  pitched.  Saladin 
received  them,  as  became  a  brave  and  noble  warrior,  with  mild- 
ness and  respect.  On  Eaynald  alone  his  eye  fell  fiercely  ;  for 
lie  remembered  Kis  oath  against  him.   He  ordered  sherbet  cooled 

'  Reinaud  Extraits  pp.  194-196.  Wil-  tie,  in  order  to  preserve  itfrom  the  infidels; 
ken  ibid.  pp.  282-288.  The  capture  of  tliough  lie  was  not  able  afterwards  to  find 
the  cross  by  the  Saracens  is  asserted  by  it  again ;  WUken  ibid.  p.  288.  n.  But  in 
Bad.  Cotrgeshale,  p.  557;  and  also  by  the  "  Extraits "  of  Reinaud,  first  published 
Gaufr.  Vinisauf,  1.  5.  Wilken,  writing  in  1822,  and  again  in  1829,  the  circum- 
in  A-  D.  1819,  remarks,  that  no  Arabian  stances  of  the  capture  of  the  cross  are 
writer  then  known  mentions  the  circum-  narrated  by  'Einad  ed-I)in,  as  having  hap- 
stance;  and  he  relates  from  Hugo  Plagon  pcncd  before  the  last  confiiet  upon  Tell 
the  story  of  a  Templar,  who  professed  to  Ilattin  ;  p.  195.  No  writer,  however,  ex- 
have  buried  the  cross  on  the  field  of  bat-  plains  what  became  of  it  afterwards, 
iii.  246-248 


JVXE  19.] 


BATTLE  OF  HATTIiT. 


377 


with  ice  to  be  presented  to  the  king  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  when 
the  latter  passed  it  to  Raynald,  Saladin  bade  the  interpreter 
declare  to  the  king:  "Thou  givest  him  drink,  not  I;"  in 
allusion  to  the  well  known  Arab  custom,  that  whoever  gives 
food  or  drink  to  another,  is  bound  to  protect  him  at  all  hazaixls. 
The  prisoners  were  then  removed  ;  and  aU  except  Raynald 
ha\'ing  been  refreshed  with  food,  they  were  reconducted  to  the 
presence  of  Saladin  in  his  tent.  The  Sultan  had  determined 
on  his  course.  Addressing  himself  to  Raynald  with  looks  of 
wrath,  he  reminded  him  of  his  cruelty  and  insolence  against 
the  Muhammedans  and  their  religion,  and  invited  him  now  to 
embrace  the  doctrines  of  the  prophet.  As  Raynald  declared 
that  he  would  live  and  die  only  in  the  Christian  faith,  Saladin 
rose  from  his  seat,  drew  his  scimetar,  and  with  a -single  blow 
struck  through  the  shoulder  of  the  prisoner.  The  attendantt) 
rushed  upon  him  and  despatched  him.  The  terrified  king  and 
other  prisoners  expected  to  share  the  same  fate  ;  but  Saladin 
reassured  them,  declaring  the  massacre  of  Raynald  to  be  only 
the  punishment  due  to  his  atrocities. — AU  the  captive  knights, 
both  of  the  Hospital  and  of  the  Temple,  were  beheaded  without 
mercy  and  in  cold  blood,  to  the  number  of  two  hundred.  The 
king  and  captive  princes  were  transferred  to  Damascus.' 

Saladin  was  not  slow  to  profit  by  his  victory.  The  fortresses 
of  the  Christians  throughout  the  country,  had  been  weakened 
by  drawing  ofi"  their  garrisons  to  the  camp  at  Sefi"urieh  ;  and 
the  stately  host  which  there  assembled,  had  now  perished,  or 
been  made  prisoners  at  Hattin.  The  castle  of  Tiberias  surren- 
dered the  next  day  ;  two  days  afterwards  the  Sultan  marched 
against  'Akka,  to  which  he  laid  siege  ;  parties  of  troops  spread 
themselves  through  the  land  in  various  directions,  subduing  the 
smaller  places  ;  and  before  the  end  of  September,  'Akka,  Cae- 
sarea,  Yafa,  Askelon,  and  all  the  cities  of  the  northern  coast, 
except  Tyre,  as  far  as  to  Beirut,  were  ir>  the  hands  of  the  con- 
queror. The  grand  catastrophe  was  completed  ;  and  the  power 
of  the  Christians  in  Palestine  fully  broken,  by  the  capitulation 
of  the  Holy  City  ;  which  t^ok  place  on  the  third  day  of  Octo- 
ber, three  months  after  the  battle  of  Hattin.* 


'  This  account  of  Raynald's  death  is 
drawn  cliiefly  from  Bohaeddin,  pp.  70,  71. 
Comp.  Wilken  ib.  p.  289.  Reinaud  Extraits 
p.  198. — The  Frank  writers  who  give  the 
details  of  the  battle  of  Hattm  are :  Ber- 
nardus  Thesaur.  in  Muratori  Scriptores 
Rer.  Ital.  Tom.  VII.  c.  152  sq.  Radulph 
Coggesliale  in  Mart«ne  et  Durand  Tom. 
V.  p.  553  sq.  Hugo  Plagon,  ibid.  p.  600 
Vol.  II. -32* 


sq. — Arabian  cotemporary  writers  are : 
Bohaeddin  the  secretary  and  friend  of 
Saladin,  Vit.  Sal.  p.  67  sq.  Ibn  el-Athir 
in  Reinaud  Extraits  pp.  1()0-199.  'Emad 
ed-Din,  ibid.  The  latter  writer,  and  per- 
haps also  the  two  others,  were  present 
during  the  battle. 

■  Wilken  ib.  pp.  291-311. 

iiL  248,  249 


378 


FROM  MOUKT  TABOR  TO  TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


We  descended  from  Tell  Hattin,  the  scene  of  the  last 
strupgle  in  the  memorable  conflict  above  described  ;'  and  at 
12.25  bent  our  course  "westwards  to  regain  the  road  we  had  left. 
As  however  this  lay  at  some  distance,  we  preferred  to  turn  down 
a  cattle-track  nearer  at  hand,  though  still  circuitous  ;  a  steep 
and  stony  path,  through  a  narrow  and  very  rugged  side  Wady. 
This  brought  us  down  at  12.50  to  a  fine  fountain,  bursting  out 
just  under  the  western  end  of  the  Tell,  still  in  the  ravine.  A 
few  paces  before  coming  to  the  fountain,  are  the  remains  of  a 
large  stone  building.  AU  the  cattle  of  the  village  seemed 
collected  around  the  water ;  so  that  at  first  we  could  hardly 
approach  it. 

The  village  of  Hattin  lies  close  at  hand,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  ravine,  which  here  opens  out  northwards  into  the  lower 
plain.  It  is  an  ordinary  village  of  no  great  size  ;  the  houses 
are  of  stone,  meanly  built.  The  plain  is  narrow,  hardly  twenty 
minutes  in  breadth,  running  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E.,  and  forming 
the  middle  step  of  descent  from  the  high  plain  south  of  TeU 
Hattin,  to  that  of  Mejdel  and  the  lake  itself  On  the  southwest 
it  is  sldrted  by  the  ridge  or  offset,  of  which  the  long  Tell  forms 
a  part ;  the  latter  rising  on  this  side  nearly  or  quite  four 
hundred  feet.*  On  the  northeast  it  is  bordered  by  what,  as  here 
seen,  is  a  slight  swelling  ridge,  but  on  the  other  side  descends 
steeply  some  three  hundred  feet  to  the  plain  of  Mejdel  and  the 
lake. 

Through  this  plain,  called  Sahil  Hattin,  passes  down  the 
bed  of  a  mountain  torrent,  now  dry,  which  has  its  rise  in  the 
hills  east  of  'Arrabeh  and  Deir  Hanna.  At  a  point  about  forty 
minutes  N.  75°  E.  from  the  village  of  Hattin,  this  torrent 
breaks  down  abraptly  through  the  ridge  to  the  plain  of  Mejdel, 
by  a  steep,  narrow  valley,  called  "Wady  el-Hamam.  In  the 
precipitous  sides,  are  the  singular  ruins  and  caverns  of  the 
castle  Kul'at  Ibn  Ma'an,  of  which  I  shall  speak  further  on. 
Just  at  the  upper  end  of  this  gap,  on  the  south  side,  are  the 
ruins  of  what  appears  to  have  been  an  ancient  town.  It  bears 
N.  80^  E.  from  Hattin,  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  dis- 
tant ;  and  the  people  said,  that  among  the  niins  were  columns 
and  tlie  remains  of  churches.  It  is  called  Irbid,  and  is  unques- 
tionably the  spot,  which  Pococke  describes  under  the  name  of 
"  Baitsida  ; "  where  were  columns  and  the  ruins  of  a  large 
churcli,  with  a  sculptured  door-case  of  white  marble.' 

That  traveller  held  it  to  be  the  Bethsaida  of  Galilee  ;  and 

■  So  Ibn  el-Athlr  expressly,  Reinaud  Bay  there  are  here  "a  few  Romau  ruins;" 

Extr.  p]).  195,  196.  p.  299.  [91.] — See  an  account  of  our  visit 

»  Sie  above,  p.  370.  in  1852,  in  Vol  IIL  Sect.  VIII,  under  May 

'  Pococke  Vol.  II.  i.  p.  68.— Irby  and  18tk 
Mangles  -wTite  the  nnme  "  Erbed ; "  and 
iii.  249-251 


JONB  19.] 


HATTIN.  IRBID. 


379 


granting  his  report  of  the  name  to  be  correct,  there  would  be 
httle  room  for  doubt  in  the  case.  But  here,  as  in  manj'  other 
instances,  I  must  question  the  accuracy  of  Pococke's  intbrma- 
tion.  We  inquired  of  old  and  young  ;  but  no  one  knew  of  any 
other  ruins  in  the  vicinity,  nor  of  any  other  name  than  Irbid. 
We  repeated  particularly  the  names  of  Bethsaida  and  Chora- 
zin ;  but  no  one  had  ever  heard  them.  And  afterwards,  we 
made  similar  inquiries  at  Tiberias  and  all  along  the  lake,  but 
with  no  better  success.  I  must  therefore  beheve  that  Pococke 
was  mistaken  in  the  name ;  or  heard  it  perhaps  from  the 
monks,  or  from  Arabs  in  some  way  connected  with  them  ;  or 
not  impossibly  inquired  of  his  Arab  guide,  if  that  were  not 
Bethsaida,  and  received  an  affirmative  reply.'  That  this  name 
is  not  now  known  among  the  common  people,  is  very  certain  ; 
and  there  is  also  good  reason  to  suppose,  that  this  place  is  no 
other  than  the  ancient  Arbela  of  Josephus  ;  the  form  Irbid 
being  probably  a  corruption  for  Irbil.  I  shall  recur  to  this 
topic  again  when  I  come  to  speak  further  of  the  Kul'at  Ibn 
Ma'an  ;  with  wliich  these  ruins  are  said  to  be  connected. 

We  left  Hattin  at  1  o'clock  for  Tiberias,  keeping  near  the 
foot  of  the  Tell  on  a  general  course  about  S.  E.  by  E.  along  the 
plain.  In  this  direction  were  numerous  threshing-floors  belong- 
ing to  the  ■village  ;  and  the  people  were  yet  engaged  in  gather- 
ing the  harvest  on  the  plain.  As  we  passed  on,  the  opening  of 
Wady  el-Hamam  and  the  site  of  Irbid  lay  about  twenty 
minutes  distant  on  our  left ;  but  the  ruins  are  so  nearly  levelled 
to  the  ground,  that  we  could  not  distinctly  make  them  out, 
even  at  this  short  distance.  Not  far  beyond  is  a  low  water-shed 
in  the  plain,  dividing  it  into  two  basins  ;  that  which  we  had 
passed  is  drained  by  the  Wady  el-Hamam  ;  while  the  waters  of 
that  to  which  we  now  came,  run  off  through  another  smaU 
Wady,  which  in  like  manner  breaks  down  through  to  the  lake, 
a  Httle  more  than  half  an  hour  north  of  Tiberias. 

Across  this  latter  basin  ran  a  small  dry  water-course,  coming 
down  from  the  higher  plain  on  our  right,  from  near  the  reputed 
place  of  the  miracle  of  the  five  loaves  and  five  thousand.  Down 
the  same  Wady  passes  the  main  Damascus  road,  as  it  comes 
from  Mount  Tabor  ;  leaving  Tiberias  at  some  distance  on  the 
right.  We  kept  on  our  course,  in  the  direction  of  Tiberias, 
towards  the  top  of  the  intervening  ridge,  to  which  the  plain 
here  runs  up  by  a  gradual  ascent.  As  we  rode  along,  many 
flocks  of  the  Semermer  or  locust  bird  flew  up  around  us  ;  and 

'  See  the  remarks  on  p.  112  of  VoL  L  its  name  was  KMn  "  Bat  Szaida ;  "  Zach's 
In  the  same  way,  perhaps,  Seetzen,  at  the  Monatl.  Corr.  XVUI.  p.  348.  Rejsen  L  p. 
well  known  Khan  Minyeh,  was  told  that    344,  345. 

iii.  251,  252 


380 


TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


we  could  perceive,  that  almost  every  bird  had  a  locust  in  its 
mouth.    They  are  a  great  blessing  to  the  country. 

At  2 J  o'clock  we  reached*  the  brow  of  the  height  above 
Tiberias,  where  a  view  of  nearly  the  whole  lake  opened  at  once 
upon  us.  It  was  a  moment  of  no  little  interest ;  for  who  can 
look  without  interest  upon  that  lake,  on  whose  shores  the 
Saviour  lived  so  long,  and  where  he  performed  so  many  of  his 
mighty  works  ?  Yet  to  me,  I  must  confess,  so  long  as  we 
continued  around  the  lake,  the  attraction  lay  more  in  these 
associations,  than  in  the  scenery  itself.  The  lake  presents 
indeed  a  beautiful  sheet  of  Umpid  water,  in  a  deep  depressed 
basin  ;  from  which  the  shores  rise  in  general  steeply  and 
continuously  all  around,  except  where  a  ravine,  or  sometimes 
a  deep  Wady,  occasionally  interrupts  them.  The  hills  are 
rounded  and  tame,  with  httle  of  the  picturesque  in  their  form  ; 
they  are  decked  by  no  shrubs  nor  forests  ;  and  even  the  verdure 
of  the  grass  and  herbage,  which  earlier  in  the  season  might  give 
them  a  pleasing  aspect,  was  already  gone  ;  they  were  now  only 
naked  and  dreary.  Whoever  looks  here  for  the  magnificence  of 
the  Swiss  lakes,  or  the  softer  beauty  of  those  of  England  and 
the  United  States,  will  be  disappointed.  My  expectations  had 
not  been  of  that  kind  ;  yet  from  the  romantic  character  of  the 
scenery  aroimd  the  Dead  Sea,  and  in  other  parts  of  Palestine,  I 
certainly  had  anticipated  something  more  striking  than  we 
found  around  the  lake  of  Tiberias.'  One  interesting  object 
greeted  our  eyes,  a  little  boat  with  a  white  sail  gliding  over  the 
waters  ;  the  only  one,  as  we  afterwards  found,  upon  all  the 
lake. 

We  descended  the  slope  obliquely  from  the  northwest  to- 
wards Tiberias.  Here  we  had  our  first  sight  of  the  terrors  of 
an  earthquake,  in  the  prostrate  walls  of  the  town,  now  present- 
ing little  more  than  heaps  of  rains.  At  3  o'clock  we  were 
opposite  the  gate  upon  the  west ;  and  keeping  along  between 
the  wall  and  the  numerous  threshing-floors  still  in  operation,  we 
pitched  our  tent  ten  minutes  later,  on  the  shore  of  the  lake 
south  of  the  city. 

Tiberias,  in  Arabic  Tubariyeh,  lies  directly  upon  the  shore, 
at  a  point  where  the  heights  retire  a  little,  leaving  a  narrow 
strip,  not  exactly  of  plain,  but  of  undulating  land,  nearly  two 
miles  in  length  along  the  lake.  Back  of  this  the  mountain 
ridge  rises  steeply.  The  town  is  situated  near  the  northern  end 
of  this  tract,  in  the  form  of  a  narrow  parallelogram,  about  half 
a  mUe  long  ;  surrounded  towards  the  land  by  a  thick  wall,  once 

■  "The  lake  of  Tiberias  is  a  fine  sheet    gether  devoid  of  character."    Irby  and 
of  water,  but  the  land  about  it  has  no    Mangles,  p.  294.  [89.] 
Btriking  features,  and  the  scenery  in  alto- 

iii.  252-254 


Jrxi:  19.] 


THE  LAKE.     THE  JEWS. 


381 


not  far  from  twenty  feet  liigh,  with  towers  at  regular  interv-als. 
Towards  the  sea,  the  city  is  open.  The  castle  is  an  irregular 
mass  of  huilding  at  the  northwest  corner.  The  walls  of  the 
town,  as  we  have  seen,  were  thrown  down  by  the  earthquake  of 
Jan.  1,  1837  ;  and  not  a  finger  had  as  yet  been  raised  to  build 
them  up.  In  some  parts  they  were  still  standing,  though  with 
breaches  ;  but  from  every  quarter,  footpaths  led  over  the  ruins 
into  the  city.  The  castle  also  suffered  greatly.  Very  many  of 
the  houses  were  destroyed  ;  indeed  few  remained  without  injury. 
Several  of  the  minarets  were  thrown  down  ;  but  a  slender  one 
of  wood  had  escaped.  We  entered  the  town  directly  from  our 
tent,  over  the  prostrate  wall,  and  made  our  way  through  the 
streets  in  the  midst  of  the  sad  desolation.  Many  of  the  houses 
had  already  been  rebuilt  in  a  hasty  and  temporary  manner. 
The  whole  town  made  upon  us  the  impression,  of  being  the 
most  mean  and  miserable  place  we  had  yet  visited  ;  a  picture 
of  disgusting  filth  and  frightful  wretchedness. 

The  Jews  occupy  a  quarter  in  the  middle  of  the  town,  adja- 
cent to  the  lake  ;  this  was  formerly  suiTOimded  by  a  wall  with  a 
single  gate,  which  was  closed  every  night.  We  found  many 
Jews  in  the  streets  ;  but  although  I  addressed  several  of  them  in 
German,  I  could  get  only  a  few  words  of  reply,  enough  to 
make  out  that  they  were  chiefly  from  Russian  Poland,  and  could 
not  speak  German.  The  men  were  poor,  haggard,  and  filthy ; 
the  shadows  of  those  I  had  so  often  seen  in  the  fairs  of  Leipsic. 
The  Jewish  females,  of  whom  also  we  saw  many,  looked  much 
better,  and  were  neatly  dressed  ;  many  of  them  in  white.  Ti- 
berias and  Safed  are  the  two  holy  cities  of  the  modem  Jews  in 
ancient  Galilee  ;  hke  Jerusalem  and  Hebron  in  Judea.  This 
place  retains  something  of  its  former  renown  for  Hebrew  learn- 
ing ;  and  before  the  earthquake  there  were  here  two  Jewish 
schools. ' 

Upon  this  people,  it  was  said,  fell  here  in  Tiberias  the  chief 
weight  of  the  earthquake  ;  and  a  large  portion  of  the  hundreds 
who  then  perished,  were  Jews.^  A  Muhammedan,  with  whom 
my  companion  fell  into  conversation  at  the  threshing-floors, 
related,  that  he  and  four  others  were  returning  down  the  moun- 
tain west  of  the  city  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  earthquake 
occurred.  All  at  once  the  earth  opened  and  closed  again,  and 
two  of  his  companions  disappeared.    He  ran  home  affrighted ; 

>  Bnrckhardt  p.  326.    Elliott's  Travels  weeks  after  the  earthquake,  brining  alms 

n.  p.  34G — Stepb.  Schtilz  in  17.54  found  and  aid  to  the  sufferers  from  Beirut,  there 

here  twenty  youths  studying  the  Talmud ;  probably  perished  at  Tiberias  about  seven 

Leitungen,  etc.  Th.  V.  p.  200  sq.  hundred  persons,  out  of  a  population  of 

»  See  also  Schubert's  Reise  III.  p.  234.  twenty-tive  hundred.    Miss.  Herald,  Nov. 

According  to  the  report  of  Mr  Thomson,  1837." p.  438. 
who  \i8ited  Safed  and  Tiberias  not  three 

iiL  254,  255 


382 


TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


and  found  that  his  "svife,  mother,  and  two  others  in  the  family, 
had  perished.  On  digging  next  day  where  his  tvro  companions 
had  disappeared,  they  were  found  dead  in  a  standing  posture.' 

The  earthquake  gave  of  course  a  terrible  blow  to  the  pros- 
perity of  the  town.  All  the  statistics  we  could  now  obtain, 
were  to  the  following  import.  Before  the  earthquake  the  taxa- 
ble Muslims  were  numbered  at  two  hundred  ;  of  whom  more 
than  one  hundred  had  perished,  or  been  impressed  as  soldiers. 
The  Christians  are  all  Greek  Cathohcs  ;  and  number  from  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  ;  whUe  the  men  among 
the  Jews  were  reckoned  between  one  hundred  and  fifty  and  two 
hundred.  This  gives  scarcely  a  population  of  two  thousand 
souls.^  The  fuUest  account  of  Tiberias  in  modern  times,  and 
particularly  of  the  Jews,  is  by  Burckhardt.^ 

Close  on  the  shore,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town,  is  the 
church  dedicated  to  St.  Peter  ;  a  long  narrow  vaulted  building, 
rude  and  without  taste,  which  has  sometimes  been  compared  not 
inaptly  to  a  boat  turned  upside  down.  It  is  in  fact  merely  a 
long  vault  with  a  pointed  arch,  without  windows  ;  having  at  its 
west  end  a  very  small  court.  This  court  and  church  have  been 
the  usual  resting  place  of  Frank  travellers  in  Tiberias  ;  and 
have  in  this  way  become  somewhat  notorious,  for  the  swarms  of 
fleas  by  which  they,  as  weU  as  all  the  houses  of  the  town,  are 
infested.*  The  church  belongs  to  the  Latin  convent  of  Naza- 
reth ;  the  monks  \asit  it  annually  on  St.  Peter's  day  and  cele- 
brate mass  ;  at  other  times  it  is  lent  to  the  Greek  Catholics  of 
Tiberias.'  Latin  monastic  tradition  places  the  edifice  on  the 
spot,  where  the  miraculous  draught  of  fishes  took  place  after  our 
Lord's  resurrection,  and  where  he  gave  his  last  charge  to  Peter.* 
Almost  as  a  matter  of  course,  too,  the  building  of  the  church  is 


=  In  A.  D.  1759,  Oct  30th,  Tiberias 
■was  in  like  manner  laid  waste  by  a  similar 
earthquake.  Mariti,  who  visited  it  soon 
after,  describes  it  as  utterly  in  ruins ;  and 
says  that  several  buildings  were  swallowed 
np;  Voyages  II.  p.  165,  166.  Neuw.  1791. 
According  to  Volney,  tlie  shocks  of  the 
same  earthquake  continued  for  three 
months  to  disquiet  the  inhabitants  of 
Mount  Lebanon ;  and  20,000  persons 
were  reported  to  have  perished  in  the  val- 
ley of  el  Bukii'a;  Vovage  I.  p.  276,  Paris 
1787.  Comp.  Bachiene  Th  II.  Bd.  IV.  p. 
134. — I  have  not  been  able  to  find  any 
more  full  account  of  this  earthquake  ; 
■which  .seems  to  have  been  not  less  terrific 
than  tliat  of  1837. 

"  In  1836  there  are  said  to  have  been 
three  hundred  families  of  Jews  in  Tiberias; 
Elliott's  Travels  II.  p.  316.  Burckhardt 
in  1812  gives  the  populatioa  at  4000  souls, 

iii.  255-257 


of  -whom  one  fourth  part  were  Jews;  p. 
322.  In  1815  the  number  of  houses  is 
given  by  Turner,  on  the  authority  of  a 
respectable  Jew,  at  400  Turkish,  100  Jew- 
ish, and  50  Christian  ;  Tour  etc.  II.  p.  140. 
Berggren  in  1822,  also  on  Jewish  author- 
it}',  gives  the  number  of  souls  at  over 
4000,  of  whom  oiJy  some  300  were  said 
to  be  Jews.  Reise  II.  p.  244. 

'  Travels  pp.  320-328.  Sec  also  Scholz 
p.  248. 

*  Hasselquistp.  181.  Burckhardt  p.  320. 
Turner  p.  140,  142.  Irby  and  Mangles 
pp.  294,  295.  [89,  90.]  Monro  I.  pp.  309, 
313,  316.  The  natives  are  said  to  havo 
here  the  current  saying  :  "  The  king  of 
the  fleas  has  his  court  at  Tubariyeh;" 
Clarke's  Travels  in  the  Holy  Land  p.  478. 
4to.  Irbv  and  Mangles  1.  c.  Turner  1.  o. 

'  Burckh.  p.  322.  Turner  L  c 

•  John  c.  21. 


JirxE  19.] 


THE  EARTHQUAKE. 


THE  BATHS. 


383 


ascribed  to  Helena,  or  at  least  to  the  fourtli  century  ;  and  even 
Dr  Clarke  chimes  in  with  this  absurdity.'  The  pointed  arch 
necessarily  limits  its  antiquity  to  the  time  of  the  crusades,  at 
the  earliest  ;  and  Irby  and  Mangles  further  noticed,  "  that  one 
of  the  stones  of  the  building  had  part  of  an  inverted  Arabic 
inscription  on  it,"  which  also  goes  to  contradict  the  legend.^ 
We  observed  no  other  traces  of  antiquity  within  the  walls. ^ 

Passing  out  of  the  city  again  to  our  tent,  we  kept  on  south- 
wards along  the  lake,  to  visit  the  celebrated  warm  baths.  On 
the  way  are  many  traces  of  ruins,  evidently  belonging  to  the 
ancient  city,  and  showing  that  it  was  situated  here  ;  or,  at  least, 
extended  much  further  than  the  modem  town  in  this  direction. 
They  consist  mostly  of  foundations,  with  traces  of  walls,  heaps 
of  stones,  and  a  thick  wall  for  some  distance  along  the  sea. 
Near  the  middle  lie  several  scattered  columns  of  gray  granite, 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  long  ;  and  at  some  distance,  a  single  solitary 
column  is  stUl  standing.*  Among  the  threshing-floors  on  the 
west  of  the  town,  were  also  two  blocks  of  a  column  of  polished 
red  Syenite  granite,  about  three  feet  in  diameter  ;  they  were  said 
to  have  been  carried  thither  from  these  ruins.  These  traces  of 
ancient  remains  extend  nearly  to  the  baths.' 

The  baths  are  on  a  part  of  the  shore  a  little  elevated  above 
the  lake,  at  the  southern  end  of  the  strip  of  land  above  described, 
and  about  thirty-five  minutes  from  the  city.  There  is  an  old 
bathing  house,  now  in  decay,  though  baths  for  the  common 
people  are  still  kept  up  in  it.*  A  new  building  has  been  erected 
a  few  rods  farther  north  by  Ibrahim  Pasha  ;  it  was  commenced 
in  1833,  and  passes  here,  and  with  reason,  for  a  splendid  edifice. 
The  principal  or  public  bath  occupies  the  centre  of  the  building, 
consibting  of  a  large  circular  apartment,  with  a  marble  pavement 
all  around  the  circular  reservoir  in  the  middle,  to  which  several 
steps  lead  down.    The  roof  is  supported  by  columns.    There  are 

'  Xicephoras  Callistns  in  the  14th  cen-  tioned :   e.  g.  by  Quaresmius  11.  p.  86-1. 

tuiT  places  here  one  of  Helena's  reputed  Van  Egmond  and  Heyman  IL    p.  33. 

chnrches;  8.  30.    See  above,  YoL  I.  p.  Burckhardt  p.  328.    Burckhardt  says  also, 

375.   Clarke's  Travels  etc.  pp.  465,  466,  that  there  are  other  remains  on  the  north 

4to.    See  the  historical  notices  of  Tiberias  of  the  t  vrn,  on  a  hill  close  to  the  lake, 

fiirther  on.  .  which  commands  the  town  and  seems  to 

■  Travels  p.  295.  [89.]  have  been  once  fortified  ;  p.  329.  Irby 

'According  to  Burckhardt,  "in  the  and  Mangles,  p.  293.  [89.]  But  these  are 
street,  not  far  from  the  church,  is  a  large  probably  not  older  tian  the  eighteenth 
stone,  formerly  the  architrave  of  some  eentnry;  see  further  on,  p.  394. 
building ;  upon  which  are  sculptured  in  '  This  is  the  building  described  by 
bas-rtlief  two  lions  seizing  two  sheep."  Burckhardt ;  p.  339.  According  to  See- 
Travels  p.  322.  tzen  it  was  erected  by  Jezz'r  Pasha; 

*  Burckhardt  speaks  also  of  columns  of  Zach's  Mouatl.  Corr.  XVIIl.  p.  349.  Rei- 

gray  granite  lying  here  in  the  lake ;  and  of  sen  L  p.  348.    In  Hasselquist's  day  there 

others  opp^'l^ite  the  town,  likewise  in  the  was  only  a  miserable  house  in  ruins ;  p. 

water :  pp  321,  328.  557.    Quaresmius  speaks  only  of  a  hut 

'  The  same  ruins  have  been  often  men-  (tugurium^  with  two  rooms  ;  II.  p.  866. 

iiL  257)  258 


384 


TIBEEIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


several  doors,  and  between  them  niches  or  recesses  in  the  wall, 
for  the  use  of  the  bathers.  We  passed  through  this  apartment, 
and  found  the  heat  and  steam  so  very  oppressive,  that  I  was 
glad  to  regain  the  open  air.  In  the  same  building  are  private 
rooms  for  wealthier  guests  ;  furnished  in  an  uncommonly  good 
oriental  style.  In  the  one  we  entered,  was  a  large  and  beautiful 
bath  of  white  marble.  Just  above  the  old  building  is  the  round 
reservoir,  arched  over  ;  in  which  the  water  from  the  springs  is 
first  collected,  and  suffered  to  cool  to  the  proper  temj^erature  for 
the  use  of  the  new  baths.  There  are  no  traces  of  antiquity 
visible  around  the  baths.' 

According  to  the  bath-keeper,  there  are  four  springs  ;  one 
flowing  out  under  the  old  building,  and  three  others  at  intervals 
of  a  few  paces  further  south.^  A  covered  channel  now  runs 
along  before  them  all,  collecting  the  water  and  conducting  it  to 
the  reservoir  ;  so  that  the  comparatively  small  quantity  which 
still  flows  in  their  former  channels  down  to  the  sea,  appears 
merely  as  if  oozing  out  of  the  groixnd,  rather  than  as  coming 
from  large  springs.  The  more  southern  were  said  to  be  the 
largest.  The  water,  as  it  issues  from  the  ground,  is  too  hot  to 
bear  the  hand  in  it ;  a  pocket  thermometer  held  for  some  time 
in  the  water,  and  then  examined  in  the  air,  stood  at  140°  F. 
Our  friend  Mr  Hebard,  a  short  time  before,  had  carefully  ex- 
amined his  thermometer  while  still  in  the  water,  and  found  it 
standing  at  144°  F.^  The  taste  is  excessively  salt  and  bitter,  like 
heated  sea  water  ;  there  is  also  a  strong  smell  of  sulphur,  but 
no  taste  of  it.  The  water  deposits  a  sediment  as  it  runs  down 
to  the  sea,  which  differs  in  colour  below  the  different  springs, 
being  in  one  white,  in  another  greenish,  in  a  third  reddish  yellow, 
etc.  I  am  not  aware  that  the  water  has  ever  been  carefully 
analyzed.*  These  baths  are  regarded  as  efficacious  in  rheumatic 
complaints,  and  in  cases  of  debility  ;  and  are  visited,  principally 
in  July,  by  people  from  all  parts  of  Syria. 

'  Irby  and  Mangles  speak  of  a  wall  than  at  ordinary  times.    See  Mr  Thom- 

beyond  the  springs,  running  from  the  lake  son's  report,  Miss.  Herald  Nov.  1837,  p. 

to  the  mountain's  side  ;  they  regard  it  as  438. 

the   fortification    of   Vespasian's   camp,       ■*  Monro  speaks  of  an  analysis  made  for 

•which  is  not  improbable;  p.  294.  [89.]  him  by  Dr  Turner,  the  result  of  which  is 

See  Jos.  B.  J.  3.  10.  1  ;  comp.  4.  1.  3.  given    very  unsatisfactorily  as  follows: 

'  The  mountain  has  here  a  dark  basaltic  "  The  deposite  consists  chiefly  of  carbonate 

appearance.      Hasselquist   describes  the  of  lime,  with  a  very  small  proportion  of 

rocks  under  which  the  sjjriiigs  flow  out,  as  muriatic  salts,  diflTering  in  no  respect  from 

composed  of  a  black  and  somewhat  brittle  that  of  the  Dead  Sea;"  Summer  Ramble 

sulphureous  stone,  which  he  seems  to  re-  I.  p.  312.    Pococke  brought  home  a  bottle 

gard  as  the  stink-stone  of  tlie  Dead  Sea ;  of  these  waters,  and  says  :  "  It  was  found, 

p.  .556.    See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  512.  that  they  had  in  them  a  considerable 

'  At  the  time  of  the  earthquake,  Jaa  quantity  of  gross  fixed  vitriol,  sftine  alum, 

1,  1837,  and  for  some  days  afterwards,  the  and  a  mineral  salt ;  "  Vol.  II.  i.  p  69.  See 

quantity  of  water  flowing  from  the  springs  also  Hasselquist  Keise  p.  556.  Burckhardt 

is  said  to  liave  been  immensely  increased ;  p.  329. 
it  was  also  thoi'ght  to  have  been  hotter 

iii.  258-260 


Jose  19.] 


HOT  SPRIXGS. 


385 


These  warm  fountains  are  mentioned  by  Pliny,  and  also  not 
tinfrequently  by  Josephus  and  in  the  Talmud.'  According  to 
Josephus,  they  were  not  far  from  Tiberias,  and  were  called 
Ammaus,  signifying  '  warm  baths  ; '  so  that  this  name  would 
seem  to  be  very  probably  merely  the  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew 
Hammath,  which  has  the  same  signification,  and  was  the  name 
of  a  town  belonging  to  the  tribe  of  Naphtali.*  The  Talmud 
also  everywhere  speaks  of  these  baths  as  the  ancient  Hammath  ; 
and  although  this  position  would  perhaps  faU  more  naturally 
within  the  limits  of  Zebulun,  yet  the  i)lace  might  still  have 
been  assigned  to  another  tribe,  as  was  done  in  so  many  other 
instances.*  The  present  Arabic  word  for  warm  baths,  is  in  like 
manner  the  kindred  form  Hammam — Vespasian  for  a  time  had 
a  fortified  camp  near  these  springs.*  I  find  no  further  direct 
mention  of  them,  except  in  the  Rabbinical  writings  already  refer- 
red to,  untn  the  time  of  the  crusades  ;  when  Benjamin  of  Tudela 
describes  them.  They  are  rarely  spoken  of  by  subsequent 
travellers  before  the  seventeenth  century.' 

"We  returned  from  the  baths  ;  and  as  we  sat  at  evening  in 
the  door  of  our  tent,  looking  out  over  the  placid  surface  of  the 
lake,  its  aspect  was  too  inviting  not  to  allui'e  us  to  take  a  bath 
in  its  limpid  waters.  The  clear  and  gravelly  bottom  shelves 
down  in  this  part  very  gradually,  and  is  strewed  with  many 
pebbles.  In  or  after  the  rainy  season,  when  the  torrents  from 
the  neighbouring  hills  and  the  more  northern  mountains,  stream 
into  the  lake,  the  water  rises  to  a  higher  level,  and  ovei-flows  the 
court-yc.rds  of  the  houses  along  its  shore  in  Tiberias.'  The  lake 
furnishes  the  only  supply  of  water  for  the  inhabitants  ;  it  is 
sparkling  and  pleasant  to  the  taste  ;  or  at  least  it  was  so  to  us, 
after  drinking:  so  long  of  water  carried  in  our  leathern  bottles. 
Indeed,  I  should  not  have  hesitated  to  have  joined  Josephus  and 
Quaresmius  in  pronouncing  it  sweet  and  most  potable,"  had  not 
some  of  our  party  discerned  in  it  a  sHght  brackish  taste  ;  which, 
considering  the  very  copious  brackish  fountains  that  flow  into  it, 
is  not  improbable.'    Along  the  shore,  Schubert  picked  up  shells 

'  PliiL  H.  X.  5.  15,  "  Ab  occidente  Ti-  Salignaco  Tom.  EL  c.  9.  Cotovic.  p.  359. 

beriade,  aquis  calidis  salnbrL"    Joseph.  Quaresmius  II.  p.  866,  eta  etc. 
Ant.  18.  2.  3.    B.  J:  2.  21.  6.  ib.  i.  1.  3.       «  Bnrckhardt  p.  332.    Turner's  Tour 

Vit  §16.    l  or  the  Talmndic  passafres,  see  IL  p.  1-12.    See  the  remarks  on  the  rise 

Lightfwt  Op.  II.  pp.  224,  225.  Bustorf  of  the  Jordan,  above.  Vol.  I.  pp.  oil, 

Tiberias  p.  1?<.  542. 

'  Joseph.  'A/jLuaovs  Ant.  18.  2.  3.  B  J.       '  .Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  10.  7,  Ai'uinj  

4.  1.  3.    Heb.  rsn  Hammath,  Josh.  19,  fKvKiia   re   o/ias  icrrl  koI  rrortfiuri.Tri. 

35.  Quaresmius  11.  p.  862,  "  Xon  ccBnosse. 

'  Lightf  JOt  1.  c.  Reknd  Palaest  p.  161,  paludosjp,  vel  amarae,  sed  clarae,  dnlces, 

1036.  potabiles,  et  fecnndse." 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  10.  1 ;  comp.  4.  1.  3.  '  Schubert  limits  the  brackish  taste  of 
See  above,  p.  3S4.  n.  1.  water  to  the  shallow  places  along  th» 

'  E.  g.  Abulfeda  Tab.  Sjr.  p.  84.  B.  de  shore ;  IIL  pp.  237,  238. 

Vol.  II.— 33  iii.  260,  261 


386 


TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


of  the  same  species  of  fresh-vrater  snails,  whicli  he  had  before 
found  on  the  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Jordan.' 

The  lake  is  fuU  of  fish  of  various  kinds  ;  and  Hasselquist 
■was  the  first  in  modem  times,  to  note  the  remarkable  circum- 
stance, that  some  of  the  same  species  of  fish  are  met  with  here, 
as  in  the  Kile,  riz.  Silunis  and  Mvgil  (chub),  and  likewise 
another  which  he  calls  Spams  Galikeus,  a  species  of  bream.' 
We  had  no  difficulty  in  procuring  an  abundant  supply  for  our 
evening  and  morning  meal ;  and  found  them  dehcate  and  well 
flavoured.  The  fishing  is  carried  on  only  from  the  shore  ;  it  is 
usually  farmed  out  by  the  government ;  but  we  did  not  learn  on 
what  terms  it  was  at  present  held.^  The  little  boat  which  we 
had  seen  with  its  white  sail,  as  we  descended  to  the  city,  was 
now  lying  on  the  eastern  shore  five  or  six  miles  distant ;  it  had 
gone  thither  in  order  to  fetch  wood  ;  and  we  pleased  oureelves 
with  the  idea  of  taking  a  sad  in  it  upon  the  lake  the  next  day. 
Schubert  saw  here  no  boat  the  preceding  year  ;  though  my  com- 
panion found  one,  probably  the  same,  in  1834  and  again  in  1835.* 

The  view  of  the  lake  from  Tiberias  embraces  its  whole  extent, 
except  the  southwest  extremity.  The  entrance  of  the  Jordan 
from  the  north  was  distinctly  visible,  bearing  N.  E.  by  N.  with  a 
plain  extending  from  it  eastwards.  Further  west,  Safed  was 
also  seen,  N.  6^  W.  Upon  the  eastern  shore,  the  mountain,  or 
rather  the  wall  of  high  table  land,  rises  with  more  boldness  than 
on  the  western  side,  and  two  deep  ra's'ines  are  seen  breaking  down 
through  to  the  lake.  That  towards  the  north  is  the  Wady 
Semak  of  Seetzen  and  Burckhardt  ;  the  more  southern  one  is 
"Wady  Fik,  bearing  E.  by  N.  and  having  its  head  near  the  town 
of  the  same  name.^  The  view  of  the  southern  end  of  the  lake 
is  cut  ofi"  by  a  high  promontory  of  the  western  mountain,  which 
projects  considerably,  not  far  bej'ond  the  hot  springs  ;  we  could 
distinguish  only  the  southeast  corner  of  the  sea,  bearing  about  S.  S. 
E.    "We  would  gladly  have  followed  the  shore  southwards  to  the 

'  Schubert  m.  pp.  23",  238.  boat  had  fallen  to  pieces  the  year  before  ; 

'  Hassclq.  Reise  pp.  181,  389,  412  sq.  p.  332.   According  to  Tnmer,  it  had  been 

428  sq.    Josephus  speaks  also  of  kinds  of  built  by  Jezzilr  in  order  to  bring  wood  from 

fishes  peculiar  to  this  lake,  B.  J.  3.  10.  7.  the  eastern  shore;  II.  p.  141.    Irby  and 

'  When  Burckhardt -nas  here  in  1812,  JIangles  in  1818  found  no  boat  wliatever, 

the  fishery  of  the  lake  was  rented  at  700  p.  2il5,  [90,]  although  Richardson  a  year 

piastres  a  year ;  Trav.  p.  332.  earlier  speaks  of  seeing  two ;  Vol  II.  p. 

*  Schubert  Reise  III.  p.  237.    Pococke  429.    According  to  Berggren  there  wa3 

made  an  excursion  upon  the  lake  in  a  none  in  1 822,  II.  p.  242 ;  and  Prokeseh 

boat,  whi^h  was  kept  "in  order  to  bring  affirms  the  same  in  1829  ;  p.  139. 

wood  from  the  other  side  ; "  II.  i.  p.  C'J. —  '  Seetzen  in  Zach's  Mou.  Corr.  XYIIl 

Seetzen  in  180G  found  a  .  ingle  boat  on  the  p.  317.    Reisen  I.  p.  343.    Burckhardt  p. 

lake,  but  not  in  a  state  to  be  u^ed  ;  Zach's  281.    For  the  Wady  and  village  of  lilt, 

MouatL  Corr.  XVIII.  p.  350.    Reisen  I.  p.  see  more  in  Burckhardt,  p.  279  sq. 
SaO.    Burckhardt  in  1812  sajs  the  only 

m.  261-263 


Jbsk  19.] 


SOUTH  E>*D  OF  THE  LAKE. 


387 


outlet  of  the  lake,  where  the  Jordan  issues  firom  it ;  but  our 
time  did  not  permit. 

The  distance  to  the  southern  end  of  the  lake,  according  to 
Pococke,  is  four  toiles  from  Tiberias  ;  according  to  Mr  FLsk  it  is 
one  hour  from  the  baths.'  Pococke  went  thither,  and  describes 
the  end  of  the  sea  as  narrow  ;  the  Jordan  issues  near  the  western 
side,  at  first  running  south  for  about  a  furlong,  and  then  turning 
west  for  half  a  mile.  In  this  space,  between  the  river  and  the 
lake,  there  is  a  rising  groxmd  called  Kerak,  where  at  present  is  a 
Muslim  village  apparently  recently  sprung  up.  Pococke  speaks 
here  only  of  traces  of  fortifications  and  ruins  ;  and  so  too  See- 
tzen  and  others.  On  the  west  of  this  is  a  long  bridge,  or  cause- 
way on  arches,  over  marshy  ground  ;  under  which  the  water 
flows  into  the  Jordan  when  the  lake  is  high,  making  the  site  of 
Kerak  an  island.  There  are  likewise  remains  of  a  bridge  over 
the  Jordan  itself*  Here  was  unquestionably  the  site  of  the 
ancient  Tarichfea,  which  Josephus  describes  as  situated  below 
the  mountain  on  the  lake,  thirty  stadia  south  of  Tiberias.^  This 
was  one  of  the  cities  fortified  by  Josephus  himself ;  and  was 
taken  with  great  slaughter  by  Titiis,  acting  under  the  orders  of 
Vespasian.* 

Ab-Dut  a  quarter  of  an  hour  east  of  the  Jordan,  on  the  shore 
of  the  lake  at  its  most  southern  pDint,  lies  the  village  of  Se- 
makh,  containing  thirty  or  forty  poor  mud  houses,  and  a  few 
built  of  black  stone.  According  to  Burckhardt,  the  beach  along 
this  part  of  the  sea  is  a  fine  gravel  of  quartz,  flint,  and  tuf- 
wacke  ;  there  is  no  shallow  water  ;  the  lake  being  of  consider- 
able depth  close  in  shore,  and  without  either  reeds  or  rushes. 
The  Ghor  is  here  not  cultivated,  except  a  small  tract  around 
Semakh.  The  village  is  iohabited  by  Muslims  and  a  few  Greek 
Christians.* 


-  Pococke  VoL  K  L  p.  70.  See  life 
of  Fiik:  also  Afi^s.  Herald.  1*24.  p.  308, 
etc.  Berggren  has  also  one  hour ;  Beise 
n.  p.  246. 

'  This  description  is  drawn  chie9j-  frcnn 
Pococke,  Descr.  of  the  East.  n.  L  p.  70. 
It  is  confirmed  farther  by  Hardv,  Notices 
of  the  Holy  Land.  Loni  ISSi.  p.  236. 
Berggren  Eeis-.n  IL  p.  246.  Irbv  and 
Manxes  pp.  2?6, 300.  [90, 91.]  The  bridge, 
accopliag  to  the  latter,  has  ten  arches.  See 
also  Lvncb's  021  Report,  p.  16,  and  Map. 
Xarrat.  p.  172. 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  10.  1.  Trta  §  32. 
Pliny  says  also  of  the  lake  :  "  A  meridie, 
Tarichaea :  ab  ocoidente  Tlberiade,  aqois 
calidis  salubri  : "  H.  X.  5.  15.  See  Beland 
Palaest.  p.  1026, 

*  Jos  B.  J.  3.  10.  1-6.  Pococke  and 
also  Xrby  and  Mangles  (as  above  died) 


soggest,  that  the  place  may  have  heen  for- 
tined  by  cntting  a  channel  on  the  ire^em 
ade,  by  which  means  it  woald  be  snrroond- 
ed  with  water. 

'  Bnrckhardt  pp.  275,  276.  For  a  de- 
scription of  the  Gh.-jr  and  the  Jordan  below 
the  Lake  of  Tiberias,  see  abore,  VoL  L 
pp.  537^540 :  also  ToL  HI.  Sect.  Vn,  un- 
der May  loth.  1>52. — Besides  Kerri  and 
Semakh,  the  fallowing  places  were  named 
to  ns  as  lyin^  so^th  of  the  lake  in  the 
Ghc  r,  viz.  el-'Obeidiyeh  and  d-Buk'ah  oa 
the  western  bank  of  the  Jonlaii ;  and  Del- 
hemiyeh  on  the  eastern  bank  oi^Kxate  the 
latter,  aboat  half  a  mile  abore  the  month 
of  the  Yarm-ik.  Oa  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  lake,  are  Ehorbet  es-Simrah  an  hour 
from  Semakh,  and  'ABweirib.'ai  farther 
north  ;  comp.  Burckhardt  p.  279. 

iii.  263  264 


388 


TIBEKIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


I  have  already  adverted  to  the  probable  depression  of  the 
lake  of  Tiberias  below  the  Mediterranean  ;  a  depression,  how- 
ever, the  amount  of  which  is  even  yet  not  accurately  ascer- 
tained.' This  gives  to  the  deep  basin  of  the  lake,  and  the 
adjacent  shores  and  valleys,  a  climate  and  vegetable  character 
similar  to  those  around  Jericho  ;  though  less  intense  and  less 
marked.  The  thermometer  at  sunset  stood  at  80°  F.  and  at 
sunrise  the  next  morning  at  75°  F.  A  Sirocco  wind  the  next 
day  raised  it  to  95°  F.  but  it  had  stood  at  the  same  point  and 
even  higher  on  the  summit  of  Tabor.  The  winter  is  apparently 
much  more  severe  and  longer  at  Tiberias,  than  at  Jericho  ;  and 
ewn  snow  sometimes,  though  very  rarely,  falls.  At  the  latter 
place  the  wheat  harvest  was  nearly  completed  on  the  14th  of 
May  ;  while  here  at  Tiberias  it  was  in  about  the  same  state  of 
advance  only  on  the  19th  of  June.  This  diJBference  may  not 
improbably  arise,  in  part,  from  the  greater  depth  and  breadth  of 
the  Ghor  around  Jericho,  shut  in  as  it  is  by  far  loftier  and  more 
naked  mountains  ;  and  then,  too,  from  the  more  extensive  and 
powerful  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  from  those  mountains,  and 
from  the  broad  tracts  of  desert  sand  which  occupy  the  southern 
portions  of  the  great  valley. 

The  products  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  around  Tiberias,  are 
not  unlike  those  near  Jericho  ;  but  plants  of  a  more  southern 
clime  are  here  less  predominant.  Scattered  palm  trees  are 
seen  ;  and  further  north,  at  least  around  Mejdel,  the  thorny 
Nubk  appears  again  ;  as  also  the  oleander,  which  we  had  found 
in  such  abundance  in  and  near  Wady  Miisa.*  Indigo  is  also 
raised,  but  in  no  great  quantity.^  The  usual  productions  of  the 
fields  are  wheat,  barley,  millet,  tobacco,  melons,  grapes,  and  a 
few  vegetables.  The  melons  raised  along  the  shores  of  the  lake 
of  Tiberias,  are  said  to  be  of  the  finest  quahty,  and  to  be  in 
great  demand  at  'Akka  and  Damascus,  where  that  fruit  ripens 
nearly  a  month  later. ^ — The  main  formation  along  the  lake  is 
everywhere  limestone  ;  yet  around  Tiberias,  and  as  one  ap- 
proaches it  from  above,  black  basaltic  stones  are  found  scattered 
upon  the  surface  of  the  ground,  having  a  volcanic  appearance  ; 
indeed  the  walls  and  houses  of  Tiberias  are  in  part  buUt  of 
them.^     Towards  the  north  end  of  the  lake,  as  we  shall  see, 

'  See  above,  Vol.  11.  p.  183 ;  also  Note  and  that  several  people  had  it  in  their  gar 

XXX,  end  of  Vol.  I.  den? ;  ibid.    Schubert  searched  for  it ;  but 

'  For  the  N'ubk  see  above,  Vol  I.  pp.  could  neither  find  it  nor  hear  of  it ;  Reise 

505,  5G0.  For  the  oleander,  see  Vol  IL  p.  III.  p.  238. 

126.  »  Burckhardt  p.  321.    Schnbert  111  p. 

'  Tomer  p.  141.    Comp.  above,  Vol  I.  232.    Dr  Clarke  remarked  b.valtic  pbe- 

p.  561.  nomena  between  Kefr  Kenna  and  Tur'dn  ; 

*  Burckhardt  pj  323.    Bnrckhardt  was  p.  447;  comp.  p.  46 1.  4to.    Indeed,  the 

told,  that  the  ahrab  which  prodaces  the  stones  all  along  that  plain  are  volcanic 
balsam  of  Mecca,  thrives  well  at  Tiberias, 

iiL  264-206 


JCSK  19.] 


CLIMATE. 


FOUNDED  BY  HEROD. 


389 


they  are  much  more  fi-equent,  and  thickly  cover  the  ground  in 
Bomo  places. 

The  earliest  notice  we  have  of  the  city  of  Tiherias,  is  in 
the  Xew  Testanient and  then  in  Joseph  us.  The  latter  re- 
lates, that  the  city  was  founded  by  Herodes  Antipas  on  the 
lake  of  Gennesareth,  near  the  warm  baths  called  Ammaus  ; 
and  was  so  named  in  honour  of  his  friend  and  patron  the  em- 
peror Tiberius.*  The  Jewish  historian  gives  no  hint  of  its  being 
built  up  on  the  site  of  any  former  place  ;  but  the  Eabbins,  with 
one  voice,  regard  it  as  occupying  the  place  of  the  Kakkath  of 
the  Old  Testament  ;  and  Jerome  affirms  that  it  was  anciently 
called  Chinnereth.^  The  first  hypothesis  seems  to  have  arisen, 
merely  from  the  juxtaposition  of  the  names  Eakkath  and  Ham- 
math  in  the  biblical  text,  the  latter  of  which  the  Eabbins  held 
to  be  at  the  warm  baths  ;  *  the  second  is  mentioned  by  J erome 
himself  merely  as  a  report.^  Both  are  obviously  mere  conjec- 
tures, which  can  neither  be  proved  nor  directly  disproved  ;  though 
the  cii-cumstance  mentioned  by  Josephus,  that  there  were  here 
many  ancient  sepulchres,  so  that  the  new  city  could  not  be  in- 
habited by  Jews  without  becoming  ceremonially  polluted,  seems 
to  show  that  no  town  had  formerly  occupied  the  precise  spot.* 

Herod  collected  inhabitants  from  aU  quarters  for  has  new 
city,  and  granted  them  many  privileges  ;  he  built  here  a  royal 
palace,  which  was  afterwards  destroyed  in  a  popular  tumult  ; 
and  favoured  the  city  so  far,  that  Tiberias  became  the  capital 
of  Galilee,  and  was  not  improbably  Herod's  chief  residence.'' 
During  his  life,  and  for  some  time  afterwards,  it  took  rank  of 
the  earher  Sepphoris  ;  at  a  later  period  it  was  bestowed  by  Xero 
with  a  part  of  Gahlee  on  the  younger  Agrippa,  who  restored 
Sepphoris  to  its  former  rank  as  the  chief  city  of  the  district.' 
In  the  J ewish  war  which  ended  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
Tiberias  bore  also  a  conspicuous  part  ;  especially  during  the 
command  of  Josephus  in  Galilee,  who  fortified  the  city,  and  had 
frequent  occasion  to  visit  it.'  At  that  time  there  was  here  an 
immense  J evdsh  proseucJia,  a  house  or  place  of  prayer,  in  which 
he  convened  a  public  assembly  of  the  people.'"  The  city,  as 
also  Tarichfea,  still  belonged  to  Agrippa  ;  and  Vespasian  under- 

'  John  6,  1.  23.  21,  1.  »  Jos.  Ant.  18.  2.  3.  Eosenmiiller  Bibl. 

'  Jos.  Ant  18.  2.  3.  B.  J.  2.  9.  1.  Geogr.  II.  ii.  p.  75  sq. 

'  Josh.  19,  35.    Lightfoot  0pp.  IL  p.  '  Jos.  ^\jit.  ibid.— Vita  §  12,  13.— Ibid. 

223.— Hieron.  Comm.  in  Ezech.  48,  21,  §  9.  Bachiene  Th.  H.  §  693.  Kosenmul- 

"  Tiberias  quae  olim  appellabatnr  Chene-  ler  1.  c.  p.  76. 

reth."    Oiiomast.  art.  Chenrurcth.  Comp.  •  Jos.  Vita  §  9,  45,  65.     Antiq.  20.  8. 

Deut.  3,  17.  Josh.  11,  2.  1  K.  15,  20.  4.    B.  J.  2.  13.  2.    See  above  under  Sef- 

*  Josh.  19,  35.    See  above,  p.  385.  furieh,  p.  345. 

'  Onomast.  art.  Chmncrcth  :  "  Tiberia-  «  Joseph.  Vita  §  8  sq.  12  sq.  17  sq.  32  sq. 

dem  fernnt^  hoc  primum  appellatnm  no-  53  sq.  G3  sq. — B.  J.  2.  20.  6. 

mine."   This  passage  is  added  by  Jerome  ;  "  Id.  Vita  §  54. 
Eusebius  does  not  mention  the  rumour. 

Vol.  II.— 33*  iii.  266,  267 


390 


TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  XV. 


took  to  subdue  them  again  to  his  allegiance?  As  lie  approached 
Tiberias,  the  principal  inhabitants  went  out  to  meet  him  and 
made  their  submission,  imploring  peace.  This  was  granted,  in 
accordance  with  the  wish  of  Agrippa  ;  and  the  Koman  army  en- 
tered and  occupied  the  town.'  They  afterwards  erected  a  forti- 
fied camp  at  Ammaus,  probably  not  far  south  of  the  warm 
baths  ;  which  continued  to  be  the  head  quarters  during  the  siege 
of  Tarich^a.  That  city  was  captured  by  troops  under  the 
command  of  Titus  ;  but  great  numbers  of  the  inhabitants  hav- 
ing escaped  by  water  in  their  boats  and  smaU  craft,  Vespasian 
caused  boats  to  be  built  in  order  to  pursue  them  on  the  lake. 
A  naval  battle  took  place,  in  which  the  Jews  were  totally  over- 
thrown. In  this  lake  fight,  and  in  the  capture  of  the  city,  the 
slain  amounted  to  six  thousand  five  hundred  persons.  Twelve 
hundred  more,  who  were  either  too  old  or  too  young  to  bear  arms 
or  to  labour,  were  put  to  death  in  cold  blood  in  the  stadium  of 
Tiberias.^ 

It  was  probably  in  consequence  of  this  voluntary  submission 
of  the  city  of  Tiberias  to  Vespasian,  that  the  Jews,  after  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  in  still  later  times,  were  not  only 
permitted  to  reside  here  unmolested,  but  enjoyed  many  privi- 
leges. Indeed,  the  terrible  catastrophes,  which  both  under 
Titus  and  Adrian  drove  them  from  the  south  of  Palestine,  and 
cut  off"  their  approach  to  Judea  and  J erusalem,  seem  not  to  have 
fallen  upon  them  with  a  like  exterminating  power  in  Galilee.' 
They  continued  to  occupy  this  district  in  great  numbers  ;  and 
Epijihanius,  himself  a  native  of  Palestine,  relates  in  the  fourth 
century,  that  especially  Tiberias,  Sepphoris,  Nazareth,  and  Ca- 
pernaum, had  long  been  inhabited  exclusively  by  Jews  ;  and 
none  of  any  other  nation,  neither  heathen,  nor  Samaritan,  nor 
Christian,  was  permitted  to  dwell  among  them.*  Indeed,  in  his 
age,  or  shortly  before,  they  had  rebelled  against  the  Romans,  and 
Sepphoris  been  laid  in  ruins.^ 

Tiberias  itself  appears  to  have  remained  undisturbed  during 
all  these  commotions,  ending  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish 
commonwealth.  Coins  of  the  city  are  still  extant,  bearing  the 
names  of  the  emperors  Tiberius,  Claudius,  Trajan,  Adrian, 
and  Antoninus  Pius.'  It  would  seem  too  that  Adrian  under- 
took here  the  building  of  a  large  temple  ;  which,  being  left 
unfinished,  bore  afterwards  the  name  of  the  Adrianium.'  At 

»  Jos.  B.  J.  3.  9.  7,  8.  '  See  also  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  377. 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  10.  1,  5,  6,  9,  10.  '  Eckhcl  Doctr.  Numni.  Tom.  TIL  p. 

Comp.  4.  1 .  3.  426.  Mionnet  Medailles  Ant.  Tom.  V.  pw 

»  See  above,  Vol.  I.  pp.  367-3G9,  371.  483  sq. 

*  Epiphan.  iidv.  H.-eres.  1.  11.    0pp.  T.  '  i:pii)bnn.  adv.  Hser.  1.  12.  p.  136.  R»- 

I.  p.  13(;.  Pai-Ls  1022.    Reland  Palajst.  p.  land  I'al.  1039. 

1038  8q. 

iii.  267-269 


Jmre  19] 


EAELT  HEBREW  SCHOOL. 


391 


any  rate,  Galilee,  arid  especially  Tiberias,  became  the  cbief  seat 
of  the  Jews  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  their  expul- 
sion from  Judea.  The  national  council  or  Sanhedrim,  accord- 
inof  to  Jewish  accounts,  which  at  first  had  been  transferred  to 
Jabneh,  came  after  several  removes  to  Sepphoris  and  then  to 
Tiberias.'  This  was  about  the  middle  of  the  second  century, 
under  the  presidency  of  the  celebrated  Rabbi  Judah  Hakkodesh  ; 
and  from  this  time,  Tiberias  became  for  several  centuries  the 
central  point  of  Jewish  learning. 

Here  their  most  esteemed  Rabbins  taught  in  the  syna- 
gogues ;  and  a  school  was  formed  for  the  cultivation  of  their 
law  and  language.  As  head  of  this  school.  Rabbi  Judah  col- 
lected and  committed  to  writing  the  great  mass  of  Jewish  tra- 
ditional law,  now  known  as  the  Mishnah  ;  an  immense  work, 
which  was  completed,  according  to  the  best  accounts,  about 
A.  D.  190,  or  as  some  say  in  A.  D.  220.*  Rabbi  Judah  died 
soon  after  ;  and  with  him  faded  the  chief  glory  of  the  academy. 
The  latter  however  continued  to  flourish  more  or  less  for  several 
centuries  ;  although  the  school  of  Babylon  soon  became  its  rival, 
and  at  a  later  period  eclipsed  its  fame.  In  the  third  century 
(A.  D.  230-270)  Rabbi  Jochanan  compiled  here  the  Gemara,  a 
supplement  and  commentary  to  the  Mishnah,  now  usually 
known  as  the  Jerusalem  Talmud.^  In  the  same  school  is  sup- 
posed to  have  arisen  the  great  critical  collection  known  as  the 
Masora,  intended  to  mark  and  preserve  the  purity  of  the  He- 
brew text  of  the  Old  Testament.*  In  the  days  of  Jerome,  the 
school  of  Tiberias  continued  (^.pparently  to  flourish  ;  for  that 
father  employed  one  of  its  most  admired  teachers  as  his  in- 
structor ia  Hebrew.^  After  this  time  there  seem  to  exist  no 
further  certain  accounts  respecting  it. 

Already,  under  the  reign  of  Constantino,  the  exclusive  pos- 
session, which  according  to  Epiphanius  the  Jews  had  held  of 
Tiberias  and  other  towns  of  Galilee,  was  broken  in  upon  ;  and 
J osephus,  a  Jew  who  had  embraced  Christianity,  was  empowered 
by  that  emperor  to  erect  churches  in  Tiberias,  Sepphoris,  Naza- 
reth, Capernaum,  and  other  neighbouiing  villages.    In  Tiberias, 

'  Ligbtfoot.  0pp.  Tom.  11.  p.  141-145.  and  minute ;  and  is  more  esteemed  by  the 

Ultraj.  1699.  Jews.    Buxt.  Tiber,  p.  24r-28.  Ligbtfoot 

■■'  Buxtorf  Tiberias  p.  19-24.    Ligbtfoot  L  c.  p.  149. 

0pp.  T.  n.  p.  145. — See  in  general  Bas-  '  Buxtorf  Tiber,  p.  28  sq.    Ligbtfoot  1. 

nage  Hist,  des  Juifs,  Tom.  IIL  p.  564.  c.  p.  149. 

Rotterd.  1707.  ^  Hieron.  in  PkeC  ad  libr.  Paralipom. 

'  Buxtorf  Tiber,  p.  23.    Ligbtfoot  1.  c.  ad  Domnionem  et  Rogat.  0pp.  Tom.  I.  p. 

p.  145. — The  Gemara  or  Talmud  of  Baby-  1418.  ed.  Mart.  "De  Tiberiade  quendam 

Ion  was  the  product  of  the  Babylonian  Legis  doctorem,  qui  apud  Hebraeos  admi- 

school,  and  contains  their  commentary  and  ratione  habebatur,   assumpsi,  et  contuli 

eupplenient  to  the  Mishnah.    It  is  referred  cum  eo  a  vertice,  quod  aiunt,  ad  extremum 

to  the  sixth  century ;  is  much  more  full  nnguem,"  etc. 

iu.  269,  270 


392 


TIBERIAS. 


[Sec.  X7. 


he  chose  for  the  site  of  the  church  the  unfiftished  temple  above 
mentioned,  called  the  Adrianium  ;  and  being  hindered  in  hia 
proceedings  by  magic  arts,  he  was  able  to  overcome  them  by  a 
miracle,  which  led  to  the  conversion  of  many  Jews.'  Epipha- 
nius  sjieaks  at  the  same  time  of  a  bishop  of  Tiberias  f  but  we 
have  no  other  notice  of  any  such  dignitary,  until  the  name  of 
John,  bishop  of  Tiberias,  appears  among  the  subscriptions  of 
the  Robber  synod  of  Ephesus,  A.  D.  449,  and  again  at  the  coun- 
cil of  Chalcedon  A.  D.  451.'  Another  John  appears  in  A.  D. 
518  ;  George  in  A.  D.  553  ;  and  a  bishop  BasiHus  is  named  so 
late  as  the  eighth  century.* 

Justinian,  in  the  sixth  century,  rebuilt  the  walls  of  Tiberias  ; 
and  the  city  is  barely  mentioned  by  Antoninus  Martyr.^  On 
the  approach  of  the  Persian  army  under  Chosroes  against  Jeru- 
salem, in  A.  D.  614,  the  Jews  of  Tiberias  and  the  neighbouring 
parts  of  Gahlee  are  said  to  have  joined  the  expedition  ;  and  to 
them  Eutychius  ascribes  the  chief  slaughter  of  the  Christians,  on 
the  capture  of  the  Holy  City.'  The  emperor  Heraclius,  on  his 
return  from  Persia,  is  reported  to  have  passed  through  Tiberias 
on  his  way  to  Jerusalem,  bearing  the  true  cross.^  With  the  rest 
of  Palestine,  both  Tiberias  and  Galilee  in  A.  D.  637  yielded  to 
the  arms  of  the  Khalif  Omar  and  passed  under  the  Muhamme- 
dan  dominion.  The  only  further  notice  of  the  city  before  the 
crusades,  seems  to  be  that  of  WilUbald,  about  A.  D.  765,  who 
describes  it  as  then  containing  many  churches  and  a  synagogue 
of  the  Jews.' 

Very  soon  after  the  crusaders  obtained  possession  of  the  Holy 
Land,  the  district  of  Galilee,  as  we  have  seen,  was  given  by 
Godfrey  of  Bouillon  as  a  fief  to  Tancred  ;  who  subdued  Tiberias, 
and  erected  here  a  church,  as  well  as  others  in  neighbouring 
places.'  The  city  was  also  made  the  seat  of  a  Latin  bishop,  the 
only  suffragan  of  the  archbishopric  of  Nazareth  ;  and  the  title 
continued  in  the  Latin  church  for  nearly  two  centuries.'"  The 
city  appears  to  have  remained  without  interruption  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Christians  until  A.  D.  1187  ;  and  the  assault 
upon  it  by  Saladin  in  that  year,  became  the  immediate  occasion 
of  the  great  battle  of  Hattin,  already  described,  so  fatal  to  the 

'  Epipban.  adv.  Hiier.  1.  4-12.  pp.  127-  "  See  Vol.  I.  p.  387.  n.  1. 

137.  '  Anastasius  Biblioth.  p.  101.  ed.  Paris. 

»  Ibid.  1.  4.  p.  128.  See  above,  Vol.  I.  p.  388. 

'  Labb.  Concil.  Tom.  IV.  pp.  118,  267,  "  Hodoepor.  §  IG,  "  Ibi  sunt  mulfeB  ec- 

312.  Ibid.  pp.  82,  328,  460,  etc.  Le  Quien  clesia;  et  synngogoe  Judajonim." 

Oriens  Cbrist.  III.  p.  708.  "  See  above,  p.  341.    This  was  very 

*  Le  Quicn  ibid.    lie  had  previously  probably  the  present  church  of  St.  Peter, 

been  stationed  at  Jericho  ;  comp.  above,  near  the  shore,  as  above  described,  p.  382. 

Vol.  I.  p.  .'560.  n.  10.  So  too  Morison,  p.  203. 

Procop.  de  yiidif.  Just.  5.  9.  Anton.  See  above,  p.  342.    Le  Quieu  Orieng 

Martyr.  Itin.  §  7.  Chr.  UI.  p.  1302. 
iii.  270,  271 


Junk  19.] 


MIDDLE  AGES.     LATER  HISTORY. 


393 


Christian  name  and  power.  The  castle  of  Tiberias  surrendered 
the  day  after  the  conflict.'  Benjamin  of  Tudela  had  visited  the 
phxce  some  twenty  years  before,  and  found  here  only  fifty  Jews 
with  a  Rabbi  at  their  head  ;  he  speaks  also  of  a  Jewish  ceme- 
tery, in  which,  among  others,  was  the  tomb  of  E.  Jochanan.'^ — • 
At  a  later  period,  A.  D.  1240,  Tiberias  reverted  for  a  time  into 
the  hands  of  the  Christians,  in  consequence  of  a  treaty  with  the 
Sultan  of  Damascus  ;  but  in  A.  D.  1247,  while  in  the  possession 
of  Odo  of  Montbeliard,  it  was  again  subdued  by  the  troops  of 
the  Sultan  of  Egypt,  and  remained  thenceforth  under  the  Mu- 
hammedan  dominion.^ 

From  that  time  onwards  until  the  seventeenth  century,  we 
know  little  of  Tiberias.  Travellers  in  the  fourteenth  century 
speak  of  it  as  a  small  place  ;  and  Arabian  writers  of  the  same 
age,  who  mention  it,  describe  chiefly  the  warm  baths.''  About 
the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  Bonifacius  relates,  evidently 
on  hearsay,  that  Tiberias  was  no  longer  habitable,  on  account 
of  the  multitude  of  serpents  ;  a  report  which  Zuallart  and  Coto- 
vicus  repeat  near  the  close  of  the  century  ;  but  which  Quares- 
mius  takes  pains  expressly  to  contradict.'  The  latter  writer  is 
the  first  to  describe  the  city  correctly  ;  the  inhabitants,  he  says, 
were  Arabs  of  the  worst  character  ;  and  the  ancient  church  was 
then  used  as  a  stall  for  cattle.  Other  travellers  in  the  same 
century,  and  even  later,  speak  of  the  church  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  describe  the  town  as  in  ruins  and  scarcely  inhabited.' 
A  rich  Jewess,  it  was  said,  had  built  up  the  walls,  in  order  that 
the  Jews  might  reside  there  ;  but  they  were  very  soon  driven 
out  again  by  the  Turks.'' 

About  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  Tiberias  made 
part  of  the  domain  of  the  noted  Sheikh  Dhaher  el-'Omar,  whose 
history  is  related  by  Niebuhr  and  Volney.'  His  family  belonged 
to  the  Bedawin  on  the  north  of  the  lake,  along  the  upper 


•  See  above,  pp.  373,  377. 

'  Itin.  I  p.  87.  The  Jewish  Itinerary 
in  Hettinger's  Cippi  Hebraic!  mentions 
here  also  this  tomb,  and  especially  that  of 
R.  Akiba  with  24,000  of  his  disciples  ;  p. 
54.  Ed  2.  See  also  the  Jewish  Itineraries 
published  bv  Carmoly,  Brux.  1847,  pp. 
130,  185,  257,  385,  445.  Comp.  Light- 
foot  0pp.  II.  p.  144. — Burckhardt  heard 
of  this  latter  tomb ;  but  the  number  of 
disciples  had  dwindled  to  14,000  ;  p.  328. 

"  Hugo  Plagoii  in  Martene  et  Durand 
Tom.  V.  pp.  722,  731.  (Comp.  Marin. 
Sanut.  pp.  215,  218)  Wilken  Gesch.  der 
Kr.  VI.  pp.  GOO,  (i52.  Comment,  de  Bell. 
Cnic  pp.  201,  205. 

*  \V.  do  Baldensel  in  Basnage  Thes.  IV. 
p.  355.    Sir  J.  Maundeville  p.  115.  Lond. 


1839.  AbulfedEE  Tab.  Syr.  p.  84.  Ibn 
el-Wardi  ibid.  p.  184.  Yakut  in  Schult. 
Ind.  in  Vit.  Salad,  art.  Tiberias. 

^  Bonif.  de  perenn.  eultu  Terr.  Sanct.  in 
Quaresmius  II.  p.  864 ;  comp.  p.  465. 
Zuallart  p.  250.  Cotov.  Itin.  p.  359. 

'  Elucid.  IL  pp.  864,  865.  D'Ar\-ieux 
Memoires  IL  p.  276.  Paris  173.5.  Von 
Troilo  pp.  429,  430.  Morisou  p.  203.  So 
too  Van  Egmond  and  Heyman,  Reizen  IL 
p.  31. 

'  D'Arvieux  1.  c.  Thevenot  Voyages 
IL  p.  676.  Amst.  1727.  Yet  this  appears 
to  be  only  an  old  story  revamped ;  the 
same  is  mentioned  by  Fiirer  of  Haimen- 
dorf  in  1566,  p.  278. 

"  Niebuhr  Reisebeschr.  Ill  p.  72  sq. 
Volney  Voyage  c.  xxv,  Tom.  II.  p.  84  sq. 

iii.  272,  273 


394 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


Jordan  ;  and  seems  to  have  acquired  considerable  power  in  the 
neighbouring  region.  On  the  death  of  his  father  'Omar,  he 
succeeded  to  the  possession  of  Safed  ;  to  which  he  afterwards 
added  Tiberias  and  Nazareth.  Pococke  found  him,  in  A.  D. 
1738,  erecting  a  fort  on  a  hill  north  of  Tiberias,  and  strength- 
ening the  old  walls  with  buttresses  inside  ;  he  being  at  that 
time  in  strife  with  the  Pasha  of  Damascus.'  Hasselquist  in  A. 
D.  1751  relates,  that  he  had  recently  built  up  walls  around  the 
city,  and  also  erected  a  castle  on  a  hill  outside.'^  In  A.  D, 
1749,  Sheikh  Dhaher  by  a  sudden  march  got  possession  of 
'Akka,  which  he  fortified  ;  and  here  maintained  himself  almost 
as  an  independent  chief  for  many  years,  against  aU  the  attacks 
and  intrigues  of  the  surrounding  Pashas.  In  A.  D.  1775,  at 
the  age  of  ninety  years,  he  was  still  able  to  mount  a  fiery  horse  ; 
but  a  fleet  being  sent  against  him  in  that  year  by  the  Porte,  he 
was  entrapped  by  fraud,  and  his  head  sent  to  Constantinople.^ 

The  French  had  possession  of  Tiberias  for  a  short  time,  dur- 
ing the  invasion  of  Syria  by  Napoleon  in  A.  D.  1799.* 


.Wednesday,  June  20th.  It  had  been  our  plan  to  proceed 
from  Tiberias  along  the  lake  northwards,  and  so  by  the  Jordan 
and  the  'shore  of  el-Huleh  to  Banias.  Here  we  proposed  to 
search  out  aU  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  and  then  take  the 
route  up  Wady  et-Teim  by  Hasbeiya  and  Rasheiya  to  Damas- 
cus. From  this  city  we  hoped  to  cross  Anti-Lebanon  to  Ba'al- 
bek,  and  so  by  way  of  the  cedars  over  Lebanon  to  Beirut.  For 
all  this  we  still  had  a  sufficient  number  of  days  at  our  com- 
mand. But  the  time  had  now  come,  when  the  disturbances  in 
the  north  of  Palestine  were  to  alfect  our  plans,  and  compel  us 
to  change  our  intended  course.  As  we  yesterday  visited  the 
warm  springs,  we  found  there  a  special  messenger  with  a  letter 
from  our  friend  Abu  Nasir  of  Nazareth,  whom  we  had  left  only 
on  Monday  morning  ;  informing  us,  that  soon  after  our  depar- 
ture news  had  come,  that  the  rebel  Druzes  from  the  Lejah  had 
made  an  inroad  upon  Hasbeiya,  seized  the  place  by  surprise, 
and  killed  the  governor  and  all  the  Turkish  and  Christian  in- 
habitants. In  consequence,  not  only  this  road,  but  also  that  by 
the  bridge  and  Kuneitirah,  had  become  unsafe  ;  inasmuch  as  the 
rebels  were  on  the  look  out  for  caravans  and  travellers,  whom 
they  were  said  not  only  to  rob,  but  also  to  murder. 

'  Pococke  Descr.  of  the  East,  11.  i.  p.  '  Hasselquist  Reise  pp.  181,  182. 

69. — The  niins  spoken  of  by  Burckhardt  '  Volney  1.  c.  p.  87.  Niebuhr  1.  c.  p.  76. 

on  the  north  of  the  town  are  perhaps  re-  '  See  Clarke's  Travels  etc.  p.  479.  4ta 

mains  of  this  fort ;  see  above,  p.  383.  etc.  etc. 
a  6. 

iil  273-275 


June  20.] 


RISING  OF  THE  DRUZES. 


395 


Wc  did  not  doubt  but  that  this  intelligence  was  veiy 
greatly  exaggerated  ;  yet  as,  on  inquiry  in  Tiberias,  we  learned 
that  similar  accounts  had  been  also  received  from  the  eastern 
side  of  the  lake,  we  thought  it  more  prudent  to  obtain  further 
information,  before  we  ventured  to  proceed  directly  towards 
Damascus.  It  was  evident  that  Abu  Nasir  had  considered  the 
source  of  his  intelligence  as  trustworthy  ;  for  his  solicitude  led 
him  to  despatch  a  special  messenger  on  our  account ;  a  kindness 
which  another  native  would  hardly  have  rendered  to  us.  We 
concluded  therefore  to  remain  this  day  encamped  at  Tiberias  ; 
hire  the  little  sail  boat,  and  visit  all  the  places  along  the  western 
shore  as  far  north  as  to  the  entrance  of  the  Jordan  ;  and  the 
next  day  proceed  directly  to  Safed,  where  we  might  hope  to  ob- 
tain later  and  more  authentic  information. 

Such  was,  and  such  is,  tliis  land  of  wars  and  rumours  of 
wars  !  Eeports  fly  current  from  mouth  to  mouth,  of  which  no 
one  can  learn  whether  they  are  true  or  false  ;  suspense,  agita- 
tion, and  anxiety  prevail  continually  ;  without  the  possibility  of 
ascertaining  whether  or  not  there  actually  exists  the  slightest 
cause  of  inquietude.  In  the  present  instance,  the  hopes  and 
wishes  of  the  Christian  inhabitants  of  Palestine,  were  strongly 
on  the  side  of  the  Egyptian  troops.  "  May  God  give  victory  to 
our  Effendi,"  was  the  concluding  prayer  of  Abu  Nasir's  letter  to 
us  ;  and  this  wish  was  not  unnatriral,  although  the  war  itself 
was  totally  unjust  and  conducted  with  horrible  atrocity.  The 
Christians  were  anxious  for  the  sviccess  of  Ibrahim,  because  this 
was  connected  with  the  maintenance  of  the  Egyptian  govern- 
ment, in  opposition  to  the  Turkish  ;  under  which,  for  the  first 
time,  they  were  treated  as  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  Muham- 
medans,  and  enjoyed  rights  and  a  security  in  person  and  proper- 
ty, which  they  had  never  known  before. 

We  rose  early  this  morning,  in  the  hope  of  a  pleasant 
excursion  upon  the  lake,  so  often  honoured  by  the  presence  of 
our  Saviour.  But  a  strong  southwest  wind  had  been  blowing  all 
night  and  stiU  continued  ;  so  that  the  boat  had  not  returned, 
nor  could  it  be  expected.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  deter- 
mined to  set  otf  at  once,  and  proceed  to  day  along  the  shore  of 
the  lake  to  the  entrance  of  the  Jordan  ;  and  thence  to  morrow 
to  Safed.  We  started  accordingly,  following  along  the  western 
wall,  which  presented  a  melancholy  spectacle  of  ruin  ;  and 
leaving  the  gate  at  8.20.  The  hill  we  had  descended  yester- 
day, comes  quite  down  to  the  shore  on  the  north  of  the  town  ; 
and  the  path  leads  along  its  steep  side,  at  some  distance  above 
the  water.  At  about  forty  minutes  from  Tiberias,  a  small 
Wady  breaks  down  through  to  the  lake,  the  upper  entrance  of 

iii.  275,  276 


396 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


whicli  we  had  yesterday  passed  in  coming  from  Hattin. '  Down 
this  Wady  comes  the  main  Damascus  road  from  Mount  Tabor  ; 
and  then  follows  the  shore  as  far  as  to  Khan  Minyeh. 

Here,  at  the  mouth  of  the  little  Wady,  is  a  small  space  of 
arable  plain  along  the  shore,  on  which  were  a  few  patches  of 
vegetables,  with  a  miserable  hut  or  two  for  the  keepers.  On  the 
lower  part,  just  by  the  beach,  are  five  or  six  fountains  near  each 
other,  one  of  which  is  very  large  and  copious  ;  the  water  rushing 
forth  with  violence.  The  water  is  clear,  and  slightly  brackish  ; 
the  temperature  was  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  air,  not  far 
from  80°  F,  The  pkce  bears  the  name  of  'Ain  el-Barideh, 
"  Cold  spring  ; "  in  distinction  from  the  hot  sources  on  the  south 
of  Tiberias.  We  saw  here  for  the  first  time  a  kind  of  struc- 
ture, which  we  are  not  fully  able  to  explain.  Each  fountain 
had  once  been  enclosed  by  a  round  reservoir  of  stone,  ten  or 
twelve  feet  deep,  perpendicular  on  the  inside,  and  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  in  diameter  ;  only  two  of  these  are  still  in  tolerable 
preservation.  The  obvious  purpose  of  these  structures  was,  to 
raise  and  retain  the  water  at  a  considerable  height  above  the 
fountain  ;  on  the  same  principle  as  the  reservoirs  at  the  celebra- 
ted Has  el-'Ain  near  Tyre.  But  whether  it  was  thus  raised  for 
bathing,  or  for  irrigation,  or  for  other  uses,  it  is  difficult  to  de- 
cide. The  former  is  not  impossible  ;  and  the  waters  may  an- 
ciently have  been  used  in  some  connection  with  the  hot  baths  ; 
though  we  did  not  learn  that  any  medicinal  virtue  is  attributed 
to  them  at  the  present  day.  The  reservoirs  may  or  may  not  be 
of  ancient  workmanship  ;  there  seemed  to  be  no  distinctive 
marks  about  them.^  Upon  the  plain  grow  oleanders  and  trees 
of  the  Nubk. 

Beyond  this  spot,  the  mountain  again  comes  down  to  the 
shore  ;  and  the  path  leads,  as  before,  along  its  side  above  the 
water.  At  9|-  o'clock  another  large  plain  opened  before  us  ; 
and  just  here  lies  el-Mejdel,  a  miserable  little  Muslim  village, 
looking  much  like  a  ruin,  though  exhibiting  no  marks  of  anti- 
quity. From  Tiberias  hither,  or  rather  from  beyond  the  hot 
baths,  the  general  direction  of  the  coast  is  about  from  S.  E.  to 
N.  W.  But  from  this  point  onwards  the  coast  trends  off 
towards  the  N.  N,  E.  while  the  hills  retire  in  a  curve,  leaving  a 
beautiful  plain  an  hour  in  length  and  about  twenty  minutes  in 
breadth,  in  the  form  of  an  irregular  parallelogram,  verging 
almost  to  a  crescent.  In  the  southwest,  the  mountain  forming 
the  ridge  or  step  between  this  plain  and  the  Sahil  Hattin  is 
steep,  and  not  less  than  three  or  four  hundred  feet  high.  The 

'  See  above,  p.  379.  the  exiifrgoratcd  account  of  Riickinjihuin, 

'  Irby  and  Munf<les  speak  of  these  na  I  cnn  with  dilliciilty  recngiiise  the  place  ; 

ancient  Roman  baths;  p.  209.  [91. J    In  Travels  in  Palestine  4to.  p.  4Gu. 
iii.  270-278 


JcsE  20.] 


MEJDEL,  MAGDALA. 


397 


"VTadv  el-Hamam  breaks  down  through  it  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
■west  of  Mejdel,  and  its  bed  runs  to  the  lake  just  north  of  that 
village.'  On  the  west  and  north  the  hiUs  are  lower,  and  rise 
less  abruptly  from  the  plain.  At  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
plain,  lies  the  ruined  Khan  !Minyeh  ;  while  Mejdel  is  quite  at 
the  southeast  comer. 

The  name  Mejdel  is  obviously  the  same  with  the  Hebrew 
Migdal  and  Greek  Magdala  ;  and  there  is  little  reason  to  doubt, 
that  this  place  is  the  Magdala  of  the  Xew  Testament,  chiefly 
known  as  the  native  town  of  Mary  Magdalene.  The  ancient 
notices  respecting  its  position  are  exceedingly  indefinite  ;  yet  it 
seems  to  follow  from  the  Xew  Testament  itself,  that  it  lay  on 
the  west  side  of  the  lake.  After  the  miraculous  feeding  of  the 
four  thousand,  which  appears  to  have  taken  place  in  the  country 
east  of  the  lake,*  Jesus  took  ship  and  came  into  the  coast  of 
Magdala  ; "  for  which  Mark  writes  Dalmanutha.^  Here  the 
Pharisees  began  to  question  him  ;  but  he  left  them,  and 
entering  into  the  ship  again,  departed  to  the  other  side  ;"  an 
expression  which  in  the  Xew  Testament  is  applied  almost 
exclusively  to  the  country  east  of  the  lake  and  the  Jordan.* 
Thence  he  goes  to  the  northeastern  Bethsaida,  where  he  heals  a 
blind  man ;  and  so  to  Caesarea  PhiEppi.^  This  view  is  farther 
confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  the  Rabbins  in  the  Jerusalem 
Talmud,  compiled  at  Tiberias  ;  who  several  times  speak  of 
Magdala  as  adjacent  to  Tiberias  and  Hammath  or  the  hot 
springs.*  The  Migdal-el  of  the  Old  Testament  in  the  tribe  of 
Naphtali,  was  probably  the  same  place." — Quaresmius  mentions 
here  the  present  name,  and  recognised  the  place  as  the  Magdala 
of  Scripture.* 

'  See  above,  pjx  378,  379.  G*der,  which  he  translates  Magdala  of 

*  Acceding  to  Mark  7,  31.  Jesns  -went  Gadaia :  ib.  pp.  226,  -il3.  Bat,  even  if 
from  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  into  the  snch  be  the  meaning,  this  name  occurs 
Decapolis  :  in  which  connection  the  mira-  onlv  in  the  Tahnnd  of  Babvlou  :  which  in 
cle  is  immediately  related,  Mark  S,  1-9.  this  case  is  o!  far  kss  anthorirr. — The 
But  all  the  cities  of  the  Decapolis,  except  test  of  Josephns  too.  in  the  earlier  edi- 
Scjthopolis,  lay  on  the  east  of  the  lake  nous,  has  a  Magdala  in  the  viciaity  of 
and  the  Jordan  :  Onomast  art  Btcapoli*.  Gamala  ;  Mto  24.  Bnt,  according  to 
Jos.  B.  J.  3.  9.  7.  Reland  Pal  p.  2<13.  Havercamp,  all  the  manoscripts,  instead 
EoeennjuDer  BibL  Geogr.  IL  ii.  p.  11  sq.    of  Magdalk,  read  here  Gamala :  which  be 

'  Matt  15,  39.  Mark  8,  10.  Of  Dal-  has  consequently  restored  in  the  text.  See 
manutha  we  have  no  farther  trace.  Gesenins'  Xotes'on  Bnrckhardt  p.  1056. 

♦  Maik  8,  13   awy,\^tv  ds  rh  rtpar.       '  Josh.  19,  3?. 

Comp.  Matt.  16,  5.    For  this  use  of  *  Quaresmius  XL  866.    The  testimoay 

wtpair.  see  Mark  5,  L  10,  1.  Luke  8,  22.  of  this  author  was  probablv  unknown  to 
Also  without  adjuncts,  Matt.  S,  18.  28.  Lighuoot;  and  has  been  overlooked  by 
Mark  i.  35.  etc  most  later  writers,  who  adopted  the  view 

'  Mark  8,  22.  27.    Matt  16.  13.  of  the  latter.  Comp.  BQsching  Erubeschr. 

•  Lightfoot  Opera  H  p.  226.  Yet  Th.  XL  p.  4yl.  Van  Egmond  n.  Hevman 
Lightt'uot  himseh"  (as  also  Cellarins)  places  Reizen  II.  p.  37.— Steph.  Schulz  also"  finda 
Magdala  on  the  east  of  the  lake,  on  no  Magdala  here  an  hour  north  of  Tiberias  ; 
better  ground,  it  would  seem,  than  because  Leimngen  etc.  V.  p.  205.  Whether  this 
it  is  sometimes  called  ~^a  *?^J  -  Migfl»l    wa*  the  Magdalum  Castmm  of  Bnxardus 

Vol.  II.— 3-i  27S.  279 


398 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec,  XV. 


Half  an  hour  west  of  Mejdel,  in  the  high  perpendicular 
cliff  forming  the  southeast  side  of  Wady  el-Hamam,  are 
situated  the  singular  remains  of  Kul'at  Ibn  Ma'an,  to  -which  I 
have  already  alluded.'  These  were  visited  and  described  by 
Burclvhardt ;  and,  as  we  were  not  aware  at  the  time  of  anything 
antique  about  the  place,  we  therefore  passed  on  without  ex- 
amining it  more  closely.'^  The  following  is  Burckhardt's  ac- 
count :  "  In  the  calcareous  mountain  are  many  natural  caverns, 
which  have  been  united  together  by  passages  cut  in  the  rock, 
and  enlarged  in  order  to  render  them  more  commodious  for 
habitation.  Walls  have  also  been  built  across  the  natural 
openings,  so  that  no  person  could  enter  them  except  through 
the  narrow  communicating  passages  ;  and  wherever  the  nature 
of  the  almost  perpendicular  cliff  permitted  it,  small  bastions 
were  built,  to  defend  the  entrance  of  the  castle,  which  has  thus 
been  rendered  almost  impregnable.  The  perpendicular  cliff 
forms  its  protection  above  ;  and  the  access  below  is  by  a  narrow 
path,  so  steep  as  not  to  allow  of  a  horse  mounting  it.  In  the 
midst  of  the  caverns  several  deep  cisterns  have  been  hewn. 
The  whole  misjht  afford  refuo;e  to  about  six  hundred  men  ; 
but  the  walls  are  now  much  damaged. — A  few  vaults  of  com- 
munication, with  pointed  arches,  denote  Gothic  architecture."^ 

I  have  ventured  to  copy  this  description,  because  it  accords 
remarkably  with  the  account  given  by  Josephus,  of  certain 
fortified  caverns  near  the  village  Arbela  in  Galilee.  They  are 
first  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  march  of  Bacchides  into 
Judea  ;  at  that  time  they  were  occupied  by  many  fugitives,  and 
the  Syrian  general  encamped  at  Arbela  long  enough  to  subdue 
them.^  When  Herod  the  Great  took  possession  of  Sepphoris, 
these  caverns  near  Arbela  were  occupied  by  a  band  of  robbers, 
who  committed  depredations  and  distressed  the  inliabitants 
throughout  the  region.  Herod  first  sent  a  detachment  of  troops 
to  take  post  at  Arbela,  to  act  as  a  check  upon  their  depreda- 


is  less  certain,  though  most  probable  ;  c. 
5.  p.  174.  It  is  doubtless  that  of  a  \\Titer 
of  the  same  century,  who  after  speaking 
of  the  Mensa  Domini,  goes  on  to  say ; 
"  Ibi  prope  jnxta  mare  Tiberiadis  versus 
Tabariain  est  loois  qui  dicitur  Magdalon," 
etc.  See  Stcph.  Raluzii  Miscellanea,  Tom. 
VI.  p.  3G!).  Paris  1713.  8. 

'  See  above  pp.  378,  379.  It  seems  to 
have  been  first  mentioned  by  Pococke  II. 
Lp  67. 

"  In  18.^2  we  passed  down  through 
Wady  el-Hamam,  beneath  the  caverns ; 
see  Vol.  III.  Sect.  VIII,  under  May  18th. 

'  Burckhardt's  Travels,  p.  331. — Irby 
and  Mangles  describe  also  an  external  for- 
tress, just  northwest  of  the  mouth  of  Wady 
iii.  279-281 


el-Hamam  ;  p.  299.  [91.]  According  to 
the  same  travellers  (ibid.)  "there  are 
some  curious  old  convents  "  in  the  side  of 
the  cliff  between  Mejdel  and  the  month  of 
M'ady  el-Ham  "im  ;  they  are  described  as 
"  being  built  several  stories  high  in  the 
perpendicular  cliff,  with  galleries,"  etc. 
These  we  did  not  notice. 

*  Joseph.  Ant.  12.  11.  1.  This  is  doubt- 
less the  same  event  recorded  in  1  Mace.  9, 
2 ;  where  Bacchides  is  said  to  have  sub- 
dued Messaloth  in  Arbela.  The  word 
Messaloth  (Mf(r<roA«*)  may  perhaps  be 
nothing  more  than  the  Heb.  n'iptS, 
in  the  sense  of  st'ps,  stories,  terraces ;  see 
2  Chr.  9,  11. 


JcifK  20.] 


kul'at  ibn  ma' an.  arbela. 


399 


tions  ;  and  after  forty  days  followed  with  Ms  whole  force,  in 
order  to  exterminate  them.  On  his  approach,  they  boldly  gave 
him  battle,  and  at  first  routed  his  left  wing  ;  but  the  battle 
turning  against  them,  they  were  put  to  flight,  and  pursued 
beyond  the  Jordan.  Herod  now  laid  siege  to  the  caverns  ;  but 
as  they  were  situated  in  the  midst  of  precipitous  cliffs,  over- 
hanging a  deep  valley,  with  only  a  steep  and  narrow  path 
leading  to  the  entrance,  the  attack  was  exceedingly  difiicult. 
Parties  of  soldiers  were  at  length  let  down  in  large  boxes,  sus- 
pended by  chains  from  above,  and  attacked  those  who  defended 
the  entrance  with  fire  and  sword,  or  dragged  them  out  with 
long  hooks  and  dashed  them  down  the  precipice.  In  this  way 
the  place  was  at  last  subdued.' — The  same  caverns  were  after- 
wards fortified  by  Josephus  himself,  during  his  command  in 
Galilee,  against  the  Komans  ;  in  one  place  he  speaks  of  them 
as  the  caverns  of  Arbela,  and  in  another  as  the  caverns  near  the 
lake  of  Gennesareth.*  According  to  the  Talmud  likewise, 
Arbela  lay  between  Sepphoris  and  Tiberias.' 

AU  these  circumstances  seem  to  me  very  clearly  to  identify 
the  Arbela  of  Galilee  and  its  fortified  caverns,  with  the  present 
Kul'at  Ibn  Ma'an  and  the  adjacent  site  of  ruins  now  known  as 
Irbid.*  This  latter  name  is  apparently  a  corruption  of  Irbil, 
the  proper  Arabic  form  for  Arbela  ;^  for  although  this  change 
of  I  into  d,  is  very  uncommon,  yet  the  same  name  Irbid  is  found 
also  in  a  large  village  in  the  region  east  of  the  Jordan,  where 
we  know  there  was  another  A'-bela.^  The  same  Arbela  of 
Galilee  may  not  improbably  have  been  the  Beth-Arbel  of  the 
prophet  Hosea.' — It  is  singular,  that  no  mention  of  this  fortress 
occurs  during  the  time  of  the  crusades.  William  of  Tyre 
describes  indeed  a  very  similar  fortified  cavern,  which  was  re- 
garded as  impregnable  ;  but  he  places  it  expressly  in  the  coun- 
try beyond  the  Jordan,  sixteen  Italian  miles  from  Tiberias.^ 

*  Jos.  Ant.  14.  15.  4,  5.  B.  J.  1.  16.  seems  little  ground  to  doubt,  that  this  is 
2—4.    The  latter  account  is  the  most  full,     the  present  Irbid  (Burckhardt  WTites  Er- 

'  Vita  §  37,  'kp^iiXwv  <nti]Kaiov.   B.  J.  bad)  the  chief  to\vn  of  a  district  east  of  • 

2.  20.  6,  Tck  Hfpl  Tevinfaap  r))v  Xlfiirqu  Um  Keis,  the  ancient  Gadara ;  Burck- 

ffirliXaia.  hardt's  Travels,  pp.  268,  269.— There  is 

=  Lisrhtfoot  0pp.  II.  p.  231.  no  question  but  that  d  and  I  are  kindred 

*  The  first  suggestion  of  this  identity  sounds ;  though  the  change  from  tlie  for- 
■was  made,  I  believe,  by  the  reviewer  of  mer  to  the  latter  is  more  frequent  than  the 
Raumer's  Palastina  in  the  "  Gelehrte  An-  reverse  ;  e.  g.  Heb.  I""!  and  b"-i  ; 
zeigen"  of  Mvmich,  Nov.  1836.  p.  870  sq.  „„j  .  tt„i,  r^/n  v,o"j^,o. 
He  does  not,  however,  bring  forward  dl  ^""^  5  Heb^  ,  Chald.  b]X  and  nTX  ; 
the  grounds.  Greek    and    Lat.     'OSucrirevs    Ub/sscs ; 

^  See  above,  p.  379.    The  Arbela  where  ^^x^P^ov  lacrtjma.     Lat.  ^/;rf/«s,'EugL 

Alexander's  great  battle  took  place,  is  Cftles.    See  Gesenius  Lex.  Heb.  lett.  b. 

still  called  in  Arabian  writers  Irbil;  see  '  Hos.  10,  14;  where  it  is  implied  that 

Snhult.  Ind.  in  Vit.  Salad,  art.  Arbela.  Beth-Arbel  was  regarded  as  an  impregna- 

•  '  Euseb.    et  Hieron.    Onomast.    art.  ble  fortress. 

Arbela  :    "  Est  usque  hodie  vicus  Arbel  *■  Will.  Tyr.  22.  15,  21. 
trans  Jordanem  in  finibus  Pelhe."  There 

iii.  281,  282 


400 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED, 


[Sec.  XV. 


The  plain  upon  which  we  now  entered  from  Mejdel,  is  at 
first  called  Ard  el-Mejdel,  but  further  on  takes  the  name  of  el- 
Ghuweir,  "  Little  Ghor  ; "  which  strictly  perhaps  includes  the 
whole.  It_  is  unquestionably  the  Gennesareth  of  Josephus.' 
Our  attention  and  inquiries  were  now  directed,  I  may  say  with 
the  most  absorbing  and  exciting  interest,  to  a  search  "after  some 
trace  of  the  long  lost  Capernaum,  so  celebrated  in  the  Xew 
Testament,  as  our  Lord's  residence  and  the  scene  of  several  of 
his  miracles  ;  a  city  in  that  day  "  exalted  unto  heaven,"  but 
now  thrust  down  so  low  that  its  very  name  and  place  are  utterly 
forgotten.  We  had  indeed  begun  our  inquiries  among  the 
people  of  Nazareth,  and  pursued  them  systematically  ever 
since  ;  but  as  yet  with  no  success.  "We  now,  however,  were 
approaching  the  spot  where  the  city  must  have  stood  ;  for  there 
was  every  reason  to  suppose,  that  it  lay  in  or  near  the  plain  of 
Gennesareth  ;  or  at  least  must  have  been  situated  not  very  far 
beyond. 

"We  took  a  path  along  the  inner  side  of  the  plain,  at  the 
foot  of  the  western  hdls,  in  order  to  examine  some  ruins  which 
were  said  to  exist  in  that  direction.  Our  course  was  about  N.  by 
W.  At  9|  o'clock  we  were  opposite  to  Wady  el-Hamam,  as  it 
breaks  down  through  between  two  lofty  ledges  of  rock.  We 
soon  strack  an  artificial  water-course  coming  down  from  before 
us,  in  which  was  a  considerable  brook,  irrigating  this  part  of 
the  plain.  This  we  followed  up,  and  found  it  scattering  its  rills 
and  difiusing  verdure  in  all  directions.  At  10.10  we  reached  a 
large  and  beautiful  fountain,  rising  immediately  at  the  foot  of 
the  western  line  of  lulls.  At  first  we  had  taken  it  for  the  source 
of  the  brook  which  we  had  followed  up  ;  but  we  now  found, 
that  the  latter  is  brought  from  the  stream  of  Wady  er-Eubudi- 
yeh  further  north  ;  and  is  carried  along  the  hill-side  above  this 
fountain,  to  water  the  more  southern  parts  of  the  plain. 

The  fountain  bears  the  name  of  'Ain  el-Mudauwarah, 

"  Eound  Fountain  ;  "  it  interested  us  exceedingly  ;  for  we  then. 

'thought  it^ (though  incorrectlyi )  to  be  the  same  which  Josephus 

describes  as  watering  and  fertilizing  the  plain  of  Gennesareth, 

and  which  he  says  was  called  by  the  inhabitants  Capharnaum.* 

It  is  enclosed  by  a  low  wall  of  mason  work  of  hewn  stones, 

forming  an  oval  reservoir  more  than  fifty  feet  in  diameter  ;  the 

water  is  perhaps  two  feet  deep,  beautifully  limpid  and  sweet, 

bubbling  up  and  flowing  out  rapidly  in  a  large  stream,  to  water 

the  plain  below.    Numerous  small  fish  were  sporting  in  the 

basin ;  which  is  so  thickly  surrounded  by  trees  and  brushwood, 

that  a  stranger  would  be  apt  to  pass  by  without  noticing  it.* 

• 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  10.  8.  '  Several  travellers  mnst  have  passed  on 

•  Joseph,  ibid.  this  rente  between  Hattin  and  Snfed ;  but 

iu.  282-284 


JuifE  20.] 


THE  ROUND  FOUNTAIN. 


401 


The  oleander  (Difleh)  was  growing  here  in  great  ahundance, 
now  in  full  bloom  ;  and  trees  of  the  Knbk  were  also  very  frequent. 
The  waters  of  this  fountain  irrigate  the  ground  between  it  and 
the  lake  ;  but  those  from  Wady  er-Rubiidiyeh,  being  higher  up 
and  still  more  copious,  are  carried  over  the  more  northern  and 
southern  portions  of  the  plain. 

Admitting  that  this  fountain  was  the  Caphamaum  of  J ose- 
phus,  there  was  every  reason  to  suppose,  that  the  city  of  Caper- 
naum must  have  lain  somewhere  in  the  vicinity.  The  western 
hill  above  the  fountain,  as  we  could  perceive  here,  and  had  also 
noticed  from  Hattin,  is  strewed  with  large  stones,  having  at  a 
distance  much  the  appearance  of  ruins.  I  ascended  it  therefore, 
excited  with  the  eager  hope  of  finding  some  trace  of  a  former 
site,  which  then  I  should  hardly  have  hesitated  to  consider  as 
the  remains  of  Capernaum.  But  my  hope  ended  in  disappoint- 
ment ;  a  few  stones  had  indeed  been  thrown  together  ;  but 
there  was  nothing  which  could  indicate  that  any  town  or  village 
had  ever  occupied  the  spot.  The  stones  which  cover  the  hill, 
are  of  the  same  dark  colour  and  volcanic  character,  as  those 
around  Tiberias.  From  this  point,  looking  up  through  Wady 
el-Hamam,  I  could  perceive  the  site  of  Irbid. ' 

After  a  stop  of  twenty  minutes  at  'Ain  el-Mudauwarah,  we 
proceeded  on  the  «ame  course  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  and  in 
ten  minutes  (at  10.40)  reached  the  opening  of  Wady  er-Eubu- 
diyeh,  coming  down  from  the  northwest  from  the  plain  of 
Ramah  ;  where  it  bears  the  name  of  Wady  Sellameh.  The 
hills  are  here  low  and  gentle.  The  Wady  brings  down  a  very 
copious  stream  of  pure  water  ;  which  is  scattered  over  the  plain 
in  all  directions,  by  means  of  small  canals  and  water-courses. 
Here  is  a  deserted  mill,  which  might  easily  be  repaired  ;  and 
also  the  remains  of  two  or  three  others.  Upon  a  slight  emi- 
nence on  the  north  side,  are  the  remains  of  a  village  called  Abu 
Shusheh  ;  which  we  visited,  in  order  to  see  if  there  was  any- 
thing, that  could  be  referred  to  Capernaum.  But  here  too  are 
no  traces  of  antiquity  ;  no  hewn  stones  nor  any  mason  work  ; 
nothing  indeed  but  the  remains  of  a  few  dwellings,  built  of 
rough  volcanic  stones  ;  some  of  them  stUl  used  as  magazines  by 
the  Arabs  of  the  plain.  A  Wely  with  a  white  dome  marks  the 
spot.* 

I  find  the  fountab  certainly  mentioned  Beatitudes  so  called,  adjacent  to  the  vil- 
only  by  Pococke,  who  also  held  it  to  be  lage  of  Hattin ;  11.  p.  870.  See  above,  p. 
the  Capharnaum  of  Josephus ;  Descr.  of  378. 

the  East,  II.  i.  p.  71.    Probably  Fiirer  of       »  Visited  by  us  in  18.'52 ;  see  Vol.  m. 
Haimendorf  means  the  same  ;  p.  275.    Sect.  VHI,  under  May  18th. 
•.  Numb.  164G.    Quaresmius  indeed  speaks       '  From  Abu  Shusheh,  Mejdel  bore  S.  8° 
of  a  fountain  Capharnaum;  but  he  ex-    E.  and  Khan  Minyeh  N.  62'  E. 
pressly  describes  it  as  under  the  Mount  of 

Vol.  ir.— 34*  iii.  284,  285 


402 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


From  this  point,  as  well  as  from  the  hill  over  the  Kound 
Fountain,  there  was  a  fine  prospect  of  the  beautiful  plain  as  it 
lies  along  the  sea.  It  is  exceedingly  fertile  and  well  watered  ; 
the  soil,  on  the  southern  part  at  least,  is  a  rich  black  mould, 
which  in  the  vicinity  of  Mejdel  is  almost  a  marsh.  Its  fertility 
indeed  can  hardly  be  exceeded  ;  aU  kinds  of  grain  and  vegeta- 
bles are  produced  in  abundance,  including  rice  in  the  moister 
parts  ;  while  the  natural  productions,  as  at  Tiberias  and  Jericho, 
are  those  of  a  more  southern  latitude.  Indeed,  in  beauty, 
fertility,  and  climate,  the  whole  tract  answers  well  enough 
to  tbe  glowing  though  exaggerated  description  of  Josephus. 
Among  other  productions,  he  speaks  here  also  of  walnut  trees  ; 
but  we  did  not  note  whether  any  now  exist.' 

Excepting  the  portion  around  Mejdel,  this  plain  is  not  tUled 
by  the  Fellahs,  but  is  given  up  entirely  to  the  Arabs  dwelling 
in  tents,  the  Ghawariaeh  ;  who  seem  here  and  further  north  to 
be  an  intermediate  race,  between  the  Bedawin  of  the  mountains 
and  deserts  and  the  more  southern  Ghawariaeh.  A  small  tribe 
of  them  encamp  in  tliis  quarter,  called  es-Semekiyeh  ;  who  keep 
a  few  buildings  in  repair  in  Abu  Shusheh,  which  they  use  as 
magazines.  A  Sheikh  was  riding  about  upon  a  fine  horse, 
entirely  naked  except  his  loins  ;  and  two  or  three  others  were 
lazily  opening  a  water-course,  to  carry  the  water  to  a  different 
point  in  the  plain. 

Thus  far  we  had  followed  one  of  the  roads  from  Tiberias  to 
Safed  ;  which  hence  proceeds  up  Wady  er-Eubudiyeh.  We 
now  turned  northeast  still  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  on  a  direct 
course  to  Khan  Minyeh.  Setting  off  at  11.10  we  passed,  after 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  a  hmestone  column  lying  alone  in  the 
plain,  some  twenty  feet  long,  and  at  least  two  feet  in  diameter ; 
we  could  discern  no  trace  of  any  site  or  ruins  in  the  vicinity. 
The  northern  part  of  the  plain  is  less  abundantly  watered  than 
the  southern  ;  in  some  parts  the  ground  was  dry  and  parched, 
and  thorny  shrubs  were  growing  thickly.  At  11^  o'clock  the 
dry  bed  of  a  Wady  crossed  our  path,  coming  down  from  the 
western  hills,  and  called  Wady  el-'AmM  ;  probably  from  the 
column  we  had  passed.  It  comes  from  the  region  between 
Safed  and  Meiron  ;  and  is  there  called  Wady  Tawahin." 

'  According  to  Josephus  this  tract  would  given  above  in  the  text.    We  could  hear 

be  almost  a  paradise;  B.  J.  3.  10.  8.  nothing *of  a  name  Leimon.    Pococke  still 

'  Burckhardt  in  passing  along  the  shore,  more  incorrectly  makes  the  brook  cl-Lei- 

pves  the  name  el-I^imon  to  both  the  mou  pass  down  tlirough  Wady  el-Hamam; 

Wadys  el-'Amiid  and  er-Rubudiyeh,  re-  Vol.  II.  i.  p.  "1. — Burckh.irdt  says  further, 

■garding  them  as  branches  of  one  and  the  that  from  about  tliis  spot  he  saw  a  village 

same.    Jacotin's  map  has  the  latter  as  el-  on  the  hills  called  Senjul,  half  an  hour 

Leimon,  and  the  former  as  er-Ilfibudiyeh.  east  of  Ilattin.    This  I  nm  unable  to  ex- 

We  were  aware  of  all  this  at  tiie  time,  and  plain  ;  we  made  all  possible  inquiry,  but 

made  very  minute  inquiries  of  people  on  could  hear  of  no  such  name  or  village, 

the  spot ;  but  obtained  only  the  results  The  ouly  place  so  situated  in  relation  to 
iii.  285,  286 


JnsE  20,] 


KHAN  MINTEH. 


403 


We  reached  Khan  Minyeh,  not  far  from  the  shore,  at  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  plain,  at  11.50  ;  having  thus  occu- 
pied an  hour  and  a  half  in  passing  from  Mejdel  around  the  inner 
side  of  the  plain,  while  the  distance  along  the  shore  is  reckoned 
at  one  hour.'  The  Khan  is  now  in  ruins  ;  it  was  once  a  large 
and  well  biiilt  structure,  corresponding  to  the  Khans  at  Lejjun, 
et-Tujjar,  Jubh  Yiisuf,  and  others  along  the  great  Damascus 
road.  The  place  is  mentioned  under  its  present  name  by  Bo- 
haeddin  in  1189. The  Khan  is  spoken  of  by  Fiirer  of  Hai- 
mendorf,  in  A.  D.  1566  ;  and  then  at  long  intervals  by  Quares- 
mius,  by  Nau,  by  Van  Egmond  and  Heyman,  by  Schulz,  and  in 
the  present  century  by  Burckhardt  and  others.'  Between  the 
Khan  and  the  shore,  a  large  fountain  gushes  out  from  beneath 
the  rocks,  and  forms  a  brook  flowing  into  the  lake  a  few  rods 
distant.  Over  this  source  stands  a  very  large  fig  tree  ;  from 
which  the  fountain  takes  its  name,  'Ain  et-Tin.  Near  by  are 
several  other  springs.  Our  guides  said  these  springs  were  brack- 
ish ;  but  Burckhardt,  who  rested  for  some  time  under  the  great 
fig  tree,  describes  the  water  of  the  main  source  as  sweet.  Along 
the  lake  is  a  tract  of  luxuriant  herbage,  occasioned  by  the 
springs  ;  and  on  the  shore  are  high  reeds.*  Large  flocks  and 
herds  were  at  pasture  in  this  part  of  the  plain. — A  few  rods 
south  of  the  Khan  and  fountain,  is  a  low  mound  or  swell  with 
ruins,  occupying  a  considerable  circumference.  The  few  remains 
seemed  to  be  mostly  dwellings  of  no  very  remote  date  ;  but 
there  was  not  enough  to  make  out  anytliing  with  certainty. 
"We  could  not  learn  that  the  spot  bore  any  other  name  than 
that  of  Khan  Minyeh.  Close  on  the  north  of  the  Khan  and 
fountain,  rocky  hiUs  of  considerable  elevation  come  down  again 
quite  to  the  lake. 

Khan  Minyeh,  or  rather  the  mound  with  ruins,  is  one  of  the 
various  places  which,  in  the  absence  of  all  certainty,  have  been 
regarded  as  the  site  of  the  ancient  Capernaum.  The  descrip- 
tions of  most  travellers,  who  profess  to  have  seen  the  remains  of 
that  city,  are  in  general  so  very  indefinite,  that  it  is  almost  as 
difiicult  to  determine  what  point  they  mean,  as  it  is  to  look  for 
the  city  itself ;  but  in  the  present  instance  the  testimony  of 
Quaresmius  is  express,  that  the  Capernaum  of  his  day  was  at  a 
place  with  a  Khan  called  by  the  Arabs  Minyeh.^    After  long 

Hattin,  is  the  site  of  Irbid  above  descri'bed.  Nan,  Elmenie,  p.  570.    Van  Egmond  and 

See  Burckhardt  p.  319.  He^-man,  el  MoinO;  Reizen  II.  p.  38. 

'  Burckhardt  p.  320.    It  is  probably  a  Steph.  Schulz,  Almuny,  Th.  V.  p.  205. 

large  hour,  "  See  Burckhardt  p.  319. 

-  Bohaed.  Vit.  Salad,  p.  98.     He  too       *  Ali  Bey  speaks  of  several  patches  of 

writes  the  name  el-Minyeh.  rice  Ln  the  vicmity ;  Travels  II.  p.  260. 

'  Purer  writes  the  name  Mini,  Reise-       *  Elucid.  II.  p.  868,  "  et  miserabile  di- 

beschr.  Numb.  1646.  pp.  276,  277.   Qua-  versorium,  in  quod  se  viatores  recipiunt, 

resmius  has  it  Menick,  Tom.  n.  p.  868.  Arabice  Menich  nuncupatur."     See  too 

iii.  287,  288 


404 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Skc.  XV. 


inquiry  and  investigation,  my  own  mind  inclines  also  to  the 
opinion,  that  we  are  here  to  seek  for  the  probable  position  of  the 
ancient  Capernaum  ;  at  least,  as  it  seems  to  me,  there  are 
various  probabilities  in  favour  of  this  spot,  which  do  not  exist 
in  connection  with  any  other. 

Often  as  Capernaum  is  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  as 
the  residence  of  our  Lord  and  the  scene  of  his  teaching  and 
miracles,  there  yet  occurs  no  specification  of  its  local  situation ; 
except  the  somewhat  indefinite  notice,  that  it  lay  "upon  the 
sea-coast,  in  the  borders  of  Zabulon  and  Nephthalim."^  This 
last  expression  must  not  be  urged  too  far,  nor  taken  too  literally. 
It  does  not  necessarily  imply,  that  Capernaum  was  on,  or  even 
near,  the  line  of  division  between  the  two  tribes  ;  but  only,  that 
it  lay  on  the  sea  within  the  territory  of  those  adjacent  tribes  ; 
which  we  know  extended  along  the  western  coast  of  the  lake 
of  Tiberias.^  Some  other  incidental  notices  in  the  Gospels, 
serve  to  point  out  more  nearly  the  part  of  this  western  coast, 
where  Capernaum  was  situated.  After  the  miraculous  feeding 
of  the  five  thousand  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake,  three  of 
the  Evangelists  relate,  that  the  disciples  took  ship  to  return  to 
the  other  side  ;  and  it  was  on  this  passage  that  Jesus  came  to 
them  during  the  storm,  walking  on  the  wdter.'  According  to 
Matthew  and  Mark,  "  when  they  were  thus  gone  over,  they  came 
into  the  land  of  Gennesareth."^  But  John  relates  more  defi- 
nitely, that  the  disciples  in  setting  ofi"  from  the  eastern  shore, 
"  went  over  the  sea  toward  Capernaum ; "  and  after  Jesus 
had  stiUed  the  tempest,  "  immediately  the  ship  was  at  the  land 
whither  they  went ;  "  he  further  relates,  that  the  multitude  also 
"  took  shipping  and  came  to  Capernaum  seeking  for  J esus,"  and 
found  him  there,  or  at  least  not  far  distant.^  From  all  these 
notices  it  follows  conclusively,  that  Capernaum  lay  on  that  part 
of  the  western  shore,  known  as  the  region  of  Gennesareth. — 
The  evangelist  Mark  likewise  says,  that  the  disciples  set  off  to 
go  over  the  lake  to  Bethsaida  f  from  which,  in  connection 
with  the  preceding  notices,  it  further  follows,  that  the  Bethsaida 


Surius  p.  324.    Comp.  Purer  von  Haimen- 
dorf  p.  277.    Korte  p.  309. 
•  Matt.  4,  13. 

"  A  parallel  case  is  twice  presented  in 
Mark  7,  31  :  "  And  ajjain,  departing  from 
the  coasts  (rck  8pio)  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  he 
came  unto  the  sea  of  Galilee,  through  the 
midst  of  the  coasts  of  Decapolis."  Here 
the  word  translated  "  coasts,"  is  the  same 
which  in  Matt.  4,  13,  is  rendered  "  bor- 
ders; "  for  wliich  in  Mark  7,  24  we  have 
also  fifbSpio. — The  view  taken  in  tlie  text 
does  away  the  objection,  urged  by  Keland 
and  other.4,  against  the  identity  of  the  hot 
iii.  288-290 


baths  of  Tiberias  with  the  ancient  Ham- 
math,  viz.  that  the  latter  was  in  Naplitali, 
while  Capernaum,  which  lay  north  of 
Tiberias,  was  supposed  to  be  on  the  line 
of  division  between  Naphtali  and  Zebulon; 
Reland  Pal.  pp.  IGl,  lOSGsq.  See  above, 
p.  385. 

'  Matt.  14,  13-32.  Mark  6,  32-61. 
John  6,  1-21. 

*  Matt.  14,  34.    Mark  6,  53. 
'  Jolm  C,  1 7.  24.  25. 

•  Mark  G,  45 ;  comp.  vs.  53.— See  ge- 
nerally Lightfoot  0pp.  II.  p.  227. 


June  20.]  KHAN  MINYEH,  CAPERNAUM.  405 

« 

of  Galilee  lay  near  to  Capernaum,  and  probably  in  or  near  the 
same  tract  of  Gennesareth. ' 

As  we  visited  again  the  shore  of  the  lake  in  1852  ;  and  I 
have  since  had  occasion  to  re-examine  the  whole  subject  of  the 
site  of  Capernaum,  as  also  of  Bethsaida  and  Chorazin,  I  defer 
the  further  consideration  of  this  topic  to  another  volume.' 
The  names  of  Capernaum  and  Bethsaida  have  utterly  perished  ; 
that  of  Chorazin  possibly  survives  in  the  form  Kerazeh,  applied 
to  a  slight  ruin  among  the  hills,  an  hour  west  of  the  lake.' 

From  Khan  Minyeh,  and  the  plain  el-Ghuweir,  the  coast 
along  the  lake  runs  in  a  general  direction  northeast  quite  to  the 
entrance  of  the  Jordan.  The  high  rocky  ground  on  the  north 
of  the  plain,  extends  out  as  a  promontorj'^  quite  into  the  lake  ; 
so  that  only  a  narrow  and  difficult  path,  hewn  in  the  rock,  leads 
around  its  point  above  the  water.''  The  great  Damascus  road 
passes  up  the  hill  directly  from  the  Khan,  and  keeps  along  on  a 
more  northerly  course  over  the  high  ground,  by  the  Khan  Jubb 
Yusuf,  and  so  to  the  Jisr  Benat  Ya'kob,  the  bridge  over  the 
Jordan  south  of  the  lake  el-Huleh.' 

We  set  off  at  11.55  ;  our  muleteers  choosing  to  ascend  the 
hill  on  the  Damascus  road,  as  the  easiest  ;  whence  we  again  de- 
scended without  a  path  to  the  shore  on  the  other  side  of  the 
promontory,  about  fifteen  minutes  distant  from  the  Khan. 
After  a  few  minutes  more,  we  came  at  12.20  to  'Ain  et-Tabi- 
ghah.  Here  is  a  small  village  in  a  little  plain  or  Wady,  with  a 
very  copious  stream  bursting  forth  from  immense  fountains, 
slightly  warm,  but  so  brackish  as  not  to  be  drinkable.  The 

'  So  too  Epiphanius,  speaking  of  Beth-  they  of  course  gave  such  an  answer  as 

saida  and  Capernaum,  says  :  ou  fiaKphv  would  be  likely  to  propitiate  the  travellers 

uvrwv  fuiv  -riiiryiv  rovTuv  ri}  SiaffT^uari.  and  open  their  purses.    Tra < els,  etc.  11.  p. 

Adv.  Hser  lib.  II  p.  4.37.    Paris  1622.  443. — Pococke,  as  we  have  seen,  heard  the 

'  See  fully,  in  VoL  ILL  Sect.  VIII,  under  name  Bethsaida  at  Irbid ;  see  above,  p.  378. 

May  18th,  18.52.  Seetzen  heard  it  applied  to  Klian  Minyeh, 

'  Turner  relates  that  Burckhardt  told  probably  by  the  Greek  bishop  and  priests 

Lim  in  Cairo,  there  was  a  village  in  this  atHasbeiyeh;  Zach'sMonatl.  Corr.  X%'^IIL 

■vicinity  called  "  Kafer  Naym  ;"  but  Burck-  p.  348.    Keisen  L  p.  344,  345.    The  spot 

hardt  in  his  Travels  makes  not  the  slightest  however  had  long  before  been  held  to  be 

allusion  to  any  such  name ;  nor  could  Tur-  Bethsaida ;  so  RadzivU  in  Reissb.  II.  p. 

ner  himself  hear  of  any  such  name  or  154. — Pococke  says  he  inquired  for  Cho- 

place  along  the  lake.  Tour  etc.  II.  p.  143.  razin,  but  could  only  hear  of  a  name  Ge- 

— Parthey  also  gives  the  name  Caper-  rasi ;  VoL  II.  L  p.  72.    This  may  have 

naum  in  Arabic  letters,  as  being  still  ex-  been  the  present  Kerazeh. 

tant ;  but  it  appears  on  inquiry,  that  he  *  Nau  p.  571.     Berggren  II.  p.  250. 

obtained  it  at  Nazareth ;  Berghaus'  Me-  Monro  II.  p.  5. 

moir  zu  s.  Karte  von  SjTien  p.  45. —  '  This  great  road  between  Egypt  and 

Richardson  professes  to  have  heard  from  Syria,  thus  leading  along  the  lake,  might, 

Arabs,  in  reply  to  a  direct  question,  tliat  if  necessary,  not  inappropriately  be  taken 

Capernaum  and  Chorazin  were  quite  near,  as  the  "  way  of  the  sea,"  Is.  9,  1  [8,  23], 

but  in  ruins.    There  may  be  here  some  Matt.  4,  15.    But  this  expression  in  the 

doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  the  report ;  sacred  text  probably  implies  nothing  more 

or,  if  such  a  reply  was  actually  made  (as  than  the  region  along  the  sea,  the  territo- 

he  says)  by  persons  asking  for  charity,  ries  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali. 

iii.  290,  296 


406  FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED.  [Sec.  XV. 

stream  drives  one  or  two  mills  ;  and  double  the  same  quantity 
of  water  runs  to  waste.  Several  other  mills  are  in  ruins.  These 
mills  were  erected  by  the  celebrated  Dhaher  el-'Omar  already 
mentioned  ;  and  now  belong  to  the  government.  They  are 
farmed  by  people  in  Safed  ;  and  are  served  by  Ghawarineh,  for 
whom  a  few  tents  were  pitched  near  by.  The  rent  paid  to  the 
government  is  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  purses.  Just  east  of 
the  mills,  on  the  right  of  the  path,  is  a  brackish  fountain  en- 
closed by  a  circular  wall  of  stone,  or  a  reservoir,  hke  those  at 
'Ain  el-Barideh ;  it  is  called  'Ain  Eyiib  or  Tanniir  Eytib, 
"  Fountain  or  oven  of  Job." — I  find  et-Tabighah  mentioned  by 
Cotovicus  ia  A.  D.  1598  ;  but  the  name  seems  not  to  appear 
again  until  the  time  of  Burckhardt ;  though  Seetzen  notices  the 
brackish  stream.'  At  present  I  regard  it  as  the  probable  site  of 
Bethsaida.^ 

As  we  proceeded,  the  path  led  along  the  gentle  slope  of  the 
hiUs,  which  here  come  quite  down  to  the  shore  ;  but  they  rise 
from  it  far  less  abruptly  and  to  a  much  less  elevation,  than  on 
the  south  of  the  plain  el-Ghuweir.  The  groimd  is  strewed  very 
thickly  vrith  the  black  volcanic  stones  already  described  ;  among 
which  was  an  abundance  of  grass,  now  dry  and  scorched  by 
the  sun.  At  1  o'clock  we  came  to  the  ruins  of  Tell  Hum,  situa- 
ted on  a  small  projecting  point  or  rather  curve  of  the  shore, 
slightly  elevated  above  the  water.  Behind  this, spot  the  land 
slopes  upward  very  gently  and  gradually  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance ;  but  does  not  admit  the  name  of  mountain,  unless  iu  the 
most  general  sense  ;  it  certainly  cannot  be  said  to  enclose  the 
tract  of  ruins  between  it  and  the  sea.  The  path  passes  at  some 
distance  from  the  ruins,  along  the  gentle  acclivity  above  ;  and 
as  we  turned  aside  to  visit  them,  we  had  to  pick  our, way  among 
the  profusion  of  volcanic  stones. 

The  ruins  at  Tell  Htim  are  certainly  very  remarkable  ;  and 
it  is  no  wonder,  that  in  the  absence  of  all  historical  or  traditional 
account  respecting  them,  they  should  have  been  regarded  as 
marking  the  site  of  the  ancient  Capernaum.  Here  are  the  re- 
mains of  a  place  of  considerable  extent  ;  covering  a  tract  of  at 
least  half  a  mUe  in  length  along  the  shore,  and  about  half  that 
breadth  inland.  They  consist  chiefly  of  the  foundations  and 
fallen  walls  of  dwellings  and  other  buildings,  all  of  unhewn  stones, 
except  two  ruins.    One  of  these  is  a  small  structure  near  the 

»  Taboga,  Cotov.  p.  3.=i0.     Seetzen  in  '  See  Vol.  IH  Sect.  ^'III.— This  spot, 

Zach's  >fonatl.  Corr.  XVIII.  p.  348.  Rei-  et-Tabighah,  h:is  ab-eady  sometimes  bieen 

sen  I.  p.  314.    The  name  stinds  wpon  his  reported  as   Bethsaida  ;    so   Fiirer  von 

map.      Burckhardt's    J  ravels,    p.    318.  Haimendorf  in  1566;    p.  277.  Xumb. 

Buckingham's  account  of  et-Tabighah  is  1046.    Elliott's  Travels,  Lond.  1839.  VoL 

drawn  chiefly  from  his  own  imagination  ;  11.  p.  348. 
Travels  pp.  4C8,  469.  4to. 

ui.  297,  298 


Jvsz  20.] 


TELL  HUM. 


407 


shore,  the  only  one  now  standing  ;  on  a  nearer  approach,  it  is 
seen  to  have  been  laid  up  in  later  times,  with  the  hewn  stones, 
columns,  and  pilasters  of  former  buildings.'  Not  far  off  are  the 
prostrate  ruins  of  an  edifice,  which,  for  expense  of  labour  and 
ornament,  surpasses  any  thing  we  had  yet  seen  in  Palestine. 

The  extent  of  the  foundations  of  this  structure,  is  no  longer 
definitely  to  be  made  out.  We  measured  one  hundred  and  five 
feet  along  the  northern  wall,  and  eighty  feet  along  the  western  ; 
perhaps  this  was  their  whole  length.  Within  the  space  thus 
enclosed  and  just  aroimd,  are  strewed,  in  utter  confusion,  numer- 
ous columns  of  compact  limestone,  with  beautifiil  Corinthian 
capitals,  sculptured  entablatures,  ornamented  friezes,  and  the 
like.  The  pedestals  of  the  columns  are  often  stUl  in  their  plac?, 
though  sometimes  overturned  and  removed.  The  columns  are 
large,  but  of  no  great  length.  Here  we  found,  for  the  first  time, 
the  singularity  of  double  columns  ;  that  is,  two  attached  shafts, 
with  capitals  and  base,  cut  from  the  same  solid  block.  The 
shafts  are  parallel,  showing  that  they  were  not  intended  to  form 
the  comer  of  a  colonnade.  The  same  singularity  is  seen  on  a 
much  larger  scale,  in  some  of  the  immense  Syenite  columns  of 
the  ancient  church  in  Tyre.  Another  peculiarity  here,  consists 
in  several  blocks  of  stone,  nine  feet  long  by  half  that  width,  and 
of  considerable  thickness,  on. one  side  of  which  are  sculptured 
pannels  with  ornamental  work,  now  defaced.  They  have  much 
the  appearance  of  a  stone  door  ;  but  have  no  mark  of  having 
been  suspended,  and  were  mo'-e  probably  employed  as  pilasters, 
or  perhaps  as  pannels,  in  the  ornamented  wall. 

The  stones  of  this  edifice  were  large  ;  and  the  whole  must 
once  have  been  an  elegant  structure.  The  material  is  every- 
where compact  limestone  ;  unless  some  of  the  blocks  may  be 
regarded  as  passing  over  into  a  coarse  marble.  The  character  of 
the  building  it  is  difficult  to  determine.  We  could  discern  no 
connection  of  the  foundations  with  the  shore  ;  and  could  only 
regard  the  structure  as  having  been  either  a  church  or  a  heathen 
temple.  But  the  only  distinctive  mark  (if  such  it  be)  in  favour 
of  the  former  supposition,  was  the  circumstance,  that  the  longest 
direction  of  the  building  appears  to  have  been  from  west  to 
east.  The  confusion  is  too  great  and  hopeless,  to  admit  of  any 
certainty.  Some  sUght  excavations  had  recently  been  made 
among  these  ruins  ;  we  could  not  learn  by  whom  or  for  what 
purpose.  The  foundations  were  thus  laid  open  in  spots  ;  but 
not  enough  to  make  out  the  plan.- 

'  This  is  probably  the  "small  church       '  This  structare  we  found,  in  1S52,  to 
of    white  marble "   of  which    Pococke    be  of  Jewish  origin ;  see  VoL  III.  Sect, 
gpeaks.    His  "round  port  f  r small boata"    VIH,  under  May  18th. 
we  did  not  remark.    VoL  II.  i.  p.  72. 

iii.  298,  299 


408 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


The  whole  place  is  desolate  and  mournM.  The  bright 
waters  of  the  lake  still  break  upon  its  shore,  and  lave  the  ruins  ; 
as  once  they  reflected  the  edifices  and  bore  the  little  fleets  of 
what  of  old  was  '  no  mean  city.'  But  the  busy  hum  of  men  is 
gone.  A  few  Arabs  only  of  the  Semekiyeh  were  here  encamped 
in  tents  ;  and  had  built  up  a  few  hovels  among  the  ruins,  which 
they  used  as  magazines.' 

That  these  nameless  ruins  should  have  been  taken  for 
Capernaum,  was  not  unnatural ;  they  are  obviously  the  remains 
of  a  place  of  some  importance,  of  which  it  is  perhaps  no  longer 
possible  to  ascertain  the  name.  The  considerations  already 
adduced,  which  show  with  certainty  that  Capernaum  was  con- 
nected with  the  plain  of  Gennesareth,  prove  conclusively  that 
these  ruins,  an  hour  distant  from  that  plain,  cannot  mark  its 
site.  Yet  the  opinion  which  regards  them  as  Capernaum  goes 
back  for  some  centuries,  but  not,  apparently,  to  the  time  of  the 
crusades  ;  it  existed  apparently  along  with  that,  wliich  fixed 
the  site  at  Khan  Minyeh.  I  find  the  name  of  Tell  Hum  for 
the  first  time  in  Nau,  and  then  in  Pococke  ;  both  of  whom 
visited  the  spot,  and  speak  of  it  as  the  place  then  commonly 
shown  as  Capernaum.'  The  same  position,  however,  is  thought 
by  some  to  be  assigned  to  Capernaum  by  Marinus  Sanutus  in 
the  fourteenth  century  ;  while  Brocardus,  on  the  other  hand, 
apparently  refers  the  latter  to  Khan  Minyeh.^  The  next  notice 
of  Tell  Hum  is  by  Burckhardt,  who  speaks  only  from  hearsay  ; 
and  since  his  day  the  spot  has  not  unfrequently  been  visited.^ 
We  inquired  particularly,  both  of  the  Arabs  encamped  here  and 
of  others  along  the  coast,  whether  there  was  now  or  formerly 
any  different  name  for  these  ruins  ;  but  they  had  never  heard  of 
any  other  than  Tell  Hum. 

We  left  this  interesting  spot  at  1.25,  and  soon  crossed  a  dry 

'  From  Tell  Hum  the  bearings  were  :  the  same  mountain  ;  his  account  then  an- 

Tiberias  S.  20°  W.    Mejdel  S.  45°  W.  swers  to  Khan  Minyeh ;  c.  4.  p.  173.  If 

Tell  Hattln  S.  52°  W.  however  the  two  leagues  of  M.  Sanutus 

'  Nau  writes   the   name   Telhhoum ;  are  to  be  reckoned  from  the  north  end  of 

Voyage  p.  572.    Pococke  has  Telhoue,  the  lake,  as  is  most  probable,  they  reach 

and  strangely  enough  supposes  it  to  be  the  to  Khiin  Minyeh;  and  he  then  coincides 

site  of  Tarichaja  ;  Vol.  II.  i.  p.  72. — Korte  with  Brocardus. 

in  the  same  year  (1738)  seems  to  have       '  Burckhardt  in  returning  from  Jerash, 

been  pointed  to  Khau  Minyeh  as  Caper-  speal-;s  of  Tell  Hum  as  on  the  east  side  of 

naum ;  p.  309.  the  lake  ;  but  afterwards,  in  passing  from 

'  Marin.  Sanut.  p.  247,  "  Cafarnaum  Safed  to  Tiberias,  he  places  it  correctly ; 

prope  latus  aquilonare  maris  Galilajx  ad  pp.  270,  319.    Subsequent  vi.sitors  are: 

duas  leucas."     If  tliese  "  two  leagues  "  Buckingham  p.  472,  4to.    Berggreu  Reise 

are  to  be  estimated  from  a  point  on  the  II.  p.  250.    Monro  II.  p.  8     Elliott  II.  p. 

shore  near  Mcjdel,  apparently  assumed  as  341),  etc.    Seetzen  passed  along  this  road, 

the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Beatitudes,  of  but  docs  not  speak  of  Tell  Hum  ;  tliough 

■which  the  writer  had  ju.«it  been  speaking;  tlie  name  is  found  on  his  map;  Zach's 

they  serve  to  fix  the  site  of  his  Caperiianin  Mmiatl.  Corr.  XVII.  p.  348.    Keisen  I.  p. 

at  Tell  Hum.    Brooardus  places  it  at  one  344. 
league  from  the  same  place  at  tlie  foot  of 

iii.  209-301 


iJOL]        TELL  HIDL     E^TTRiJrCE  OF  THE  JOBDAJT. 


409 


"Wadv,  of  which  we  could  here  learn  no  name  ;  but  fonnd  next 
dar,  that  higher  up  towards  the  north,  it  is  caUed  'Ayim  el- 
'Abbasy.  The  ground  continues  all  the  wav  to  rise  gently  from 
the  lake  towards  the  northwest ;  but  there  Ls  no  high  hill,  no  steep 
acclivity,  as  along  the  southern  parts  of  the  lake.  The  surface 
is  ererywhere  strewed  with  the  same  black  stones  ;  and  the 
path  lies  at  some  distance  from  the  shore.  At  1.50  we  crossed 
a  shallow  Wady  near  its  head,  with  a  little  water  rising  from 
small  springs  just  by  ;  it  is  called  Wady  el-Eshsheh.  At  2^ 
oi'clock,  after  an  hour  and  five  minutes  frDm  TeU  Hum,  we 
reached  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  just  at  its  entrance  into  the 
lake.  The  river  here  runs  near  the  foot  of  the  western  hills, 
which  next  its  valley  are  steep,  but  not  high  ;  while  on  the 
other  side  of  the  stream,  a  fine  fertile  plain  stretches  oft  along 
the  end  of  the  lake,  £)r  an  hour  or  more,  quite  to  the  mijuntaina 
which  skirt  the  eastern  shore. 

The  estuary  of  the  Jordan  here  presents  an  unusual  appear- 
ance. The  strong  southerly  winds  have  driven  up  a  bank  of 
sand  before  the  mouth,  which  now  riaes  above  the  water,  and 
being  connected  with  the  eastern  shore,  extends  out  for  fifteen 
or  twenty  rods  southwest,  forming  a  channel  for  the  river  for 
some  distance  along  the  shore  on  that  side.  "We  had  thought 
of  CTOfising  the  J ordan  and  encamping  on  the  other  bank  ;  but 
as  we  found  the  stream  not  easilv  fordable  with  the  lusci'asre, 
and  the  ground  also  at  this  point  was  not  favourable  tor  en- 
camping, we  concluded  to  go  to  some  tents  which  we  saw  on  the 
western  bank,  eight  or  ten  minutes  higher  up.  An  intervening 
marsh,  occupied  in  part  as  a  rice  field,  compelled  us  to  make  a 
circuit  quite  to  the  foot  of  the  hills  ;  and  after  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  we  reached  the  tents  and  pitched  tor  the  night  in  their 
neighbourhood.  Among  the  tents  were  several  huts  slightly 
built  of  reeds  ;  these  are  common  in  this  quarter,  as  well  as 
around  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  The  Ghawarineh  who 
dwell  here,  have  a  few  magazines  rudely  built  of  stone.  Other 
similar  encampments  of  the  same  people,  are  scattered  upon 
the  plain  east  of  the  river. 

This  plain,  skirted,  as  I  have  said,  on  the  east  by  the 
mountains  which  enclose  the  lake,  is  shut  in  also  on  the  north 
by  similar  mountains,  or  rather  hilLs.  of  considerable  altitude, 
which  approach  close  to  the  Jordan  higher  up,  and  confine  it  to 
a  valley  of  no  great  width.  The  plain  has  much  the  appear- 
ance of  an  alluvial  deposit  brought  down  by  the  Jordan  ;'  or 
more  probably  driven  up  by  the  prevailing  southerly  winds  from 
the  bottom  of  the  lake.    At  the  northwest  comer  of  the  plain, 


'  So  Semen,  Zach's  Monad.  Corr.  XVHL  p.  346. 
Vol.  n.— 35  iii  301,  302 


410 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec,  XV. 


a  lower  spur  or  promontory  from  the  nortliern  mountains,  runs 
out  for  some  distance  southwards  along  the  river,  and  fonns  for  a 
time  the  eastern  wall  of  its  vaUey.  On  its  southern  extremity 
we  could  distinguish  ruins ;  the  people  on  the  spot  call  it 
simply  et-TeU,  and  knew  for  it  no  other  name.*  The  plain 
itself  bears  the  name  of  Batihah,  signifying  a  low  tract  liable  to 
be  overflowed  by  streams.* 

As  we  approached  the  north  end  of  the  lake,  I  had  for  some 
time  felt  myself  unwell.  The  thermometer  for  some  hours  had 
risen  to  95°  and  96°  F.  with  a  strong  southwest  wind  of  the 
same  temperature,  sweeping  over  the  lake.  I  had  perhaps 
unwisely  exerted  myself  too  much,  in  ascending  the  hill  by  the 
Round  fountain  under  such  circumstances,  and  then  in  over- 
taking the  party  on  foot  at  Wady  er-Riibiidiyeh.  Whatever 
might  be  the  cause,  I  now  felt  myself  seized  by  a  burning  fever, 
and  the  wind  came  over  me  with  a  scorching  glow  ;  although  to 
my  companions  it  was  cooHng  and  refreshing.  I  sought  for  a 
shade  ;  but  not  a  tree  was  in  sight  which  afforded  one  ;  the 
many  thorn  bushes,  although  large,  yielded  no  shadow  ;  and  all 
I  could  do,  while  the  tent  was  pitching,  was  to  cast  my  Arab 
cloak  over  one  of  these  latter,  in  order  to  procure  shade  at  least 
for  my  head,  while  I  lay  down  for  a  few  moments  in  the  vain 
hope  of  sleep.  But  the  heat  was  too  scorching,  and  I  was  glad 
to  retreat  as  soon  as  possible  to  the  tent,  heated  and  confined  as 
the  air  there  was.  We  had  proposed  to  cross  the  river  in  order 
to  explore  the  beautiful  plain,  and  examine  several  sites  of 
ruins  which  the  Ghawarineh  spoke  of ;  and  the  Sheikh,  a  very 
civU  and  intelligent  man,  had  offered  to  accompany  us.  But  in 
my  present  state,  it  would  have  been  madness  for  me  to 
attempt  such  an  excursion  ;  and  I  was  therefore  compelled, 
with  sadness,  to  see  my  companions  depart  without  me.  My 
only  remedy  lay  in  abstinence  and  sleep.  They  were  absent 
nearly  two  and  a  half  hours,  and  returned  highly  gratified.  The 
following  notices  of  the  plain  are  drawn  chiefly  from  Mr  Smith's 
notes. 

Taking  the  best  mules,  and  accompanied  by  the  Sheikh  on 
his  fine  mare,  they  forded  the  river  below  our  tent  near  the  lake 
on  a  sand-bar,  where  the  water  came  half  way  up  the  sides  of 
the  mules.  Leaving  the  ford  at  5  o'clock,  their  course  lay  at 
first  about  S.  40°  E.  along  the  shore.  In  five  minutes  they 
came  to  the  ruins  of  a  village  of  moderate  size,  called  el-A'raj, 

'  So  too  Seetzen,  Reisen  I.  p.  .343.    But       '  Burckhiirdt  heard  of  this  name  as  he 

he  also  writes  tlie  name  Tclliiiiihje  ;  ib.  p.  crossed  the  Jordan  at  the  bridge  liigher 

,342,  345;  misprinted  Tellaiiilije  in  Zach's  up;  and  by  a  not  unnatural  mistake  ap- 

Mon.  Corr.  XVIU.  p.  241)  sq.     I'ococko  plies  it  to  a  village  at  this  point;  p.  316. 

has  Telouy,  II.  i.  p.  72.    Wo  heard  no-  His  orthography  is  also  incorrect;  see 

thing  of  any  such  name.  Freytag  Lex.  Arab.  Tom,  I,  p.  130. 
iii,  303,  304 


JONK  20.] 


PLAIN  EL-BATIHAH. 


I 


411 


consisting  entirely  of  unhewn  volcanic  stones,  like  those  along 
the  western  coast.  The  only  relic  of  antiquity  noticed  here, 
was  a  small  sarcophagus  of  the  same  material. 

Proceeding  still  in  the  same  direction  along  the  coast,  they 
reached  at  5.20  the  similar  village  of  el-Mes'adiyeh.  The 
houses,  built  of  the  same  species  of  stone,  are  mostly  in  ruins  ; 
but  several  of  them  are  kept  in  a  sort  of  repair  by  the  Ghawari- 
neh,  as  magazines  for  their  grain,  and  other  products.' 

The  Sheikh  spoke  of  Dukah  as  another  like  ruin,  further 
down  upon  the  coast ;  they  went  on  and  reached  it  at  5.47.  It 
occupies  a  slight  eminence  projecting  a  httle  into  the  lake,  and 
is  considerably  larger  than  either  of  the  villages  already  de- 
scribed. Like  them,  it  is  composed  entirely  of  volcanic  stones, 
and  several  of  the  houses  are  repaired  as  magazines.  It  lies 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  eastern  mountains,  where  they 
come  down  to  the  sea  and  give  to  the  coast  a  southern  direc- 
tion.* 

The  party  had  now  rode,  in  forty-seven  minutes,  over  nearly 
the  whole  length  of  the  plain  along  the  lake,  but  at  a  much 
more  rapid  pace  than  usual;  so  that  the  whole  distance  may  be 
taken  at  somewhat  more  than  an  hour,  according  to  the  ordinary 
rate  of  travel  with  mules.  The  average  breadth  they  estima- 
ted at  perhaps  half  the  length.  The  general  direction  of  the 
coast  from  the  mouth  of  the  Jordan  to  Dukah  is  about  S.  25° 
E.  From  Dukah  to  the  Tell  the  course  lay  diagonally  across 
the  plain,  and  afforded  an  opportunity  of  examining  it  more 
closely.  It  is  perfectly  level,  and  a  more  fertile  tract  can 
scarcely  be  imagined.  There  is  a  striking  resemblance  between 
it  and  the  Ghuweir  north  of  Mejdel,  in  form,  climate,  soil,  and 
productions  ;  yet  the  Batihah  appears,  if  anything,  to  be  supe- 
rior. Like  the  other,  it  is  given  up  to  the  Ghawarineh,  who 
cultivate  upon  it  wheat,  barley,  millet,  maize,  and  rice.  Burck- 
.  hardt  says  the  inhabitants  raise  large  quantities  of  cucumbers 
and  gourds,  which  they  carry  to  the  market  of  Damascus,  three 
weeks  before  the  same  fruits  ripen  there.  The  excellent  honey, 
which  according  to  that  traveller  is  produced  here,  we  did  not 
hear  o£^  The  Ghawarineh  have  also  large  herds  of  horned 
cattle,  among  which  are  many  buffalos  ;  all  these  were  now 
returning  from  pasture  across  the  plain,  to  pass  the  night  near 
the  tents  of  their  owners  ;  and  presented  a  greater  appearance 
of  ease,  not  to  say  of  wealth,  than  we  had  yet  seen  among  the 
Arabs. 


'  The  following  bearings  were  taken 
here :  Tiberias  S.  39°  W.  A'raj  N.  40° 
W.  et-TeU  N.  5°  E.  Dnkah  about  S. 
25°  E. 


'  From  Dukah,  Tiberias  bore  S  W. 
Kuriin  Hattln  S  70'  W.  et-Tell  N.  6"  W. 

'  Burckhardt's  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p. 
316. 

iii.  304-306 


412 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


These  buffalos  are  of  course  a  different  species  from  tlie  vast 
herds  bearing  that  name,  which  roam  over  the  western  wilds  of 
North  America.  They  are  very  common  in  Egypt,  being  kept  both 
for  milk  and  for  labour  ;  and  are  found  also  in  Italy,  especially 
in  the  Pontine  marshes.  In  Egypt,  as  likewise  here  and  around 
the  lake  el-Huleh,  they  are  mingled  with  the  neat  cattle,  and 
are  applied  in  general  to  the  same  uses.  But  they  are  a  shy,  iU- 
looking,  iU-tempered  animal.  They  doubtless  existed  anciently 
in  Palestine  ;  though  probably  in  a  wild  state,  or  unsubdued  to 
labour,  as  at  the  present  day  in  Abyssinia.'  The  remark  was 
made  to  me  in  Egypt,  that  the  Abyssinians,  when  they  come  to 
that  country,  are  astonished  at  the  comparative  tameness  of  the 
buffalo,  and  stand  in  much  greater  fear  of  them  than  the  Egyp- 
tians do.  The  actual  existence  of  this  animal  in  Palestine, 
leaves  little  doubt  that  it  is  the  Jteem  of  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures ;  for  which  both  ancient  and  modern  versions  have  substi- 
tuted the  apparently  fabulous  unicorn.'^  The  present  name  of 
the  buffalo  in  Arabic  is  Jamtis. 

The  plain  is  owned  by  the  government,  which  receives  a 
share  of  the  produce  from  the  Ghawarineh,  its  only  cultivators. 
The  extreme  fertility  is  owing  not  only  to  the  fine  soil  of  black 
loam,  but  also  the  abundance  of  water.  Not  less  than  three 
perennial  streams,  besides  the  Jordan,  contribute  to  its  irriga- 
tion. These  were  crossed  by  my  companions  in  passing  from 
Dukah  to  the  Tell.  The  easternmost  and  largest,  Wady  es- 
Siinam,  they  reached  at  ten  minutes  past  6  o'clcok  ;  it  comes 
down  from  the  mountains  through  a  large  ravine  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  plain.  The  next,  Wady  ed-Dalieh,  was 
crossed  at  6\  o'clock  ;  and  the  third,  Wady  es-Sufa,  five  minutes 
later  ;  these  two  descend  near  each  other  from  the  mountains 
north  of  the  plain.  AU  were  thickly  bordered  with  oleanders 
now  in  full  blossom.  My  companions  faUed  to  notice  where 
these  waters  enter  the  lake  ;  for  though  in  passing  along  the 
coast,  they  crossed  two  or  three  small  creeks,  yet  none  of  them 
attracted  attention  at  the  moment  as  the  mouths  of  Wadys. 

The  Ghawarineh  were  encamped  all  along  the  shore,  mostly 
in  small  huts  made  of  reeds  and  rushes  ;  though  a  few  had 
tents  of  black  cloth.  They  never  live  in  houses.  There  may 
have  been  in  all  not  far  from  a  hundred  and  fifty  of  these 
temporary  dwellings.  The  people,  for  the  most  part,  were 
sitting  listless  in  and  around  their  open  tents  and  huts  ;  ex- 
posing themselves  fully  to  the  strong  lake  breeze  under  the 
temperature  of  90°  F.  and  apparently  enjoying  themselves  in 

'  SeeBnice's  Travels,  etc.  Vol.  V.  p.  82.    [11.]    The  Ream  is  several  times  coupled 
'  Num.  23,  22.    Deut.  33,  17.  Job  39,    with,  or  compared  to,  the  ox;  see  espo- 
9.  10.    Ps.  22,  21.  [22  ]   29,  6.  92,  10.    ciaUy  Job  L  c. 

iii.  306.  307 


JujfE  20.] 


PLAIN  EL-BATIHAH, 


413 


their  indolent  mode  of  life.  They  had  been  all  disarmed,  and 
soldiers  had  been  taken  from  them  by  the  government ;  as  was 
also  the  case  with  the  Arabs  we  saw  on  the  west  of  the  lake. 
On  the  east  of  the  river,  in  the  district  of  Jaulan  and  else- 
where, the  Arabs  had  not  been  disarmed. 

The  party  reachd  et-Tell  at  6.40.  It  is  the  largest  of  all 
the  ruins  around  the  plain,  and  is  considered  as  a  sort  of  capital 
by  the  Ghawarineh  ;  although  they  have  lost  the  ancient  name, 
aiid  now  occupy  in  it  only  a  few  houses  as  magazines.  The 
Tell,  as  we  have  seen,  extends  from  the  foot  of  the  northern 
mountains  southwards,  near  the  point  where  the  Jordan  issues 
from  them.  The  ruins  cover  a  large  portion  of  it,  and  are  quite 
extensive  ;  but  so  far  as  could  be  observed,  consist  entirely  of 
unhewn  volcanic  stones,  without  any  distinct  trace  of  ancient 
architecture. ' 

•  In  returning,  they  forded  the  Jordan  not  far  from  the  Tell, 
where  the  water  reached  no  higher  than  the  bellies  of  the  mules. 
The  land  along  the  banks  was  here  so  abundantly  irrigated,  as 
to  become  in  several  places  almost  a  marsh.  They  reached  our 
tent  at  twenty  minutes  past  7  o'clock.* 

This  Tell  and  the  ruins  upon  it  above  described,  are  proba- 
bly no  other  than  the  site  of  the  ancient  Bethsaida  of  Gaulon- 
itis,  afterwards  caUed  Juhas  ;  which  Pliny  places  on  the  east  of 
the  lake  and  the  Jordan,  and  Josephus  describes  as  situated  in 
lower  Gaulonitis,  just  above  the  entrance  of  the  Jordan  into  the 
lake.'  It  was  originally  but  a  village,  called  Bethsaida  ;  but 
was  built  up  and  enlarged  by  Philip  the  Tetrarch,  not  long 
after  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  received  the  name  of  Julias  in 
honour  of  Julia  the  daughter  of  Augustus.*  Philip  would 
seem  to  have  made  it  in  part  his  residence  ;  here  he  died  and 
was  buried  in  a  costly  tomb.'  This  is  the  Bethsaida  near  to 
which  Jesus  fed  the  five  thousand  on  the  east  of  the  lake  ;  and 
probably  also  the  same,  where  the  blind  man  was  healed.* 

'  From  the  Tell,  Tiberias  bore  S.  3V  W.  the  east  of  the  Jordan,  as  decidedly  as 

Entrance  of  the  Jordan  S.  45'  W.   ^^urun  that  of  Galilee  does  the  other  Bethsaida 

Hattin  S.  54=  W.  on  the  west;  John  12,  21.    To  this  day 

''  The  following  are  the  bearings  taken  the  adjacent  district  on  the  east  of  the 

from  the  tent :  Tiberias  S.  37°  W.  Tabor  Jordan  bears  the  name  of  JauLin. — So 

S.  50°  W.   Mejdel  S.  54°  W.  Kuriin  Hat-  too  Jerome,  Comm.    in  Matt.  16,   13  : 

tin  S.  60°  W.    et-Tell  N.  60°  E.  "  Philippus  .  .  .  ex  nomine  filia  ejus  (An- 

'  Plin.  H.  N.  5.  15 :  "  Jordanes  in  la-  gusti)  Juliadem  trans  Jordanem  extmsit." 

cnmsefundit,  .  .  .  amoenis  circnmseptum  '  Luke  3,  1.     Joseph.  Ant.  18.  2.  1, 

oppidis,  ab  oriente  Juliade  et  Hippo."  Jos.  i>iXiinros  .  .  ■  Kii/xriv  Si  Btj&o-oiSoi'  irphs 
B.  J.  2.  9.  1. 

'lopdayov  irrrfCLiS  iv  Tlav^i^i  -kSKiv  Krl^ei  trx^^v  a|i&i/io,  irXiibd  t€  oiKruopuv  5e  tj 

^aicipfiav,    Ktiv   tt)    Kara)    TavKavtTiKy  SAAp  Suvd/xft,  louX'ia  ^vyarpl  t»}  KaiVapoy 

'lovKidSa.    lb.  3.  10.  7,  Aiafieiijias  8e  (&  dftdyv/ioy  iKoKeffev. — See  also  the  preceding 

'lopZivris)  €T€povs  fKarbv  (Xkoci  ffTaStovs,  note. 

^ero  ir6Kiv  'lovMaiSa  StfKTf/xyei  rriv  r^yvrj-  '  Joseph.  Ant.  18.  4.  6. 

<rkp  lifffriv.    See  also  ib.  3.  3.  5.    The  •  Luke  9,  10.    Mark  8,  22.  See  above, 

mention  of  Gaulonitis  fixes  this  place  on  p.  397.  n.  2.    However  definitely  the  two 

Vol.  II.— 35*  iiL  307-309 


414 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


There  seems  to  be  no  later  historical  notice  of  the  place  "what- 
ever. ' 

The  Jordan,  as  vre  saw  it  here,  is  less  broad,  less  deep,  and 
less  rapid,  than  where  we  had  come  upon  it  near  the  Dead  Sea. 
I  estimated  the  breadth  at  about  two  thirds  of  what  it  was  at 
Jericho  ;  that  is,  from  sixty  to  seventy-five  feet.  It  is  a  slug- 
gish stream,  turbid,  but  not  clayey  ;  winding  beteen  low  alluvial 
banks,  from  which  it  washes  ofi"  portions  in  one  place  to  deposit 
them  in  another  ;  so  that  the  channel  would  seem  to  be  contin- 
ually changing.  There  are  many  bars  and  shallows,  where  the 
river  may  occasionally  be  forded  ;  in  other  parts  the  water  has 
considerable  depth,  but  no  strength  of  current.'  We  saw  many 
neat  cattle  and  buffalos  swimming  the  river.  The  latter  re- 
quire somewhat  deep  water  in  order  to  swim ;  as  only  a  small 
part  of  the  head  appears  above  the  surface. 

The  porrion  of  the  Jordan  between  the  lake  of  Tiberias  and* 
that  of  el-Hiileh,  was  to  us  a  matter  of  no  httle  interest and 
becomes  perhaps  the  more  important,  in  connection  with  the 
varying  and  inconsistent  accounts  of  the  difference  of  elevation 
between  the  two  lakes.  Yet  I  am  not  aware  that  any  traveller 
except  Pococke,  had  then  passed  along  this  part  of  the  river ;  See- 
tzen  travelled  from  the  bridge  above,  to  the  lake  of  Tiberias, 
over  the  high  land  on  the  east  of  the  valley.*  From  our 
encampment,  and  especially  from  the  Tell  further  north,  we 
could  see  up  the  valley  of  the  river  for  at  least  an  hour  from 
the  lower  lake  ;  above  which  the  river  appeared  to  issue  from  a 
still  narrower,  and,  as  we  afterwards  saw  from  higher  ground,  a 
somewhat  winding  valley  with  steep  banks,  which  breaks  down 
through  the  tract  of  table  land  between  the  two  lakes. 

The  Arabs  Hving  on  the  spot  informed  us,  that  the  valley 
continues  narrow  quite  up  to  the  bridge,  with  no  intervening 
smaller  lake  or  spreading  of  the  river.  The  distance  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Jordan  to  the  bridge,  is  reckoned  at  two  hours. 
This  accords  with  the  information  obtained  by  Burckhardt ;  who 

Bethsaidas  of  Galilee  and  GatJonitis  are  others,  that   the    Jordan   maintains  its 

thus  dirtinfriiished,  yet  Relaud  appears  to  course  through  the  middle  of  the  lake 

have  heen  the  first  to  assume  two  different  without  mingling  its  waters,  is  nothing 

places,  Falsest  p.  653  sq.    Cellarins  felt  more  than  a  fable.     It  seems  to  have 

the  difficulty  as  one  of  the  greatest  in  sprung  out  of  the  language  of  Josephua, 

gacred  ^'eop-aphy,  but  could  not  solve  it ;  who  savs  the  Jordan  divides  the  lake ;  B. 

Notit.  Orb.  II.  p.  536.  J.  3.  10.  7.    See  Clarke's  Travels  in  the 

'  Potocke  calls  the  Tell  in  question  Holy  Land  4to.  p.  474.    So  too  Irby  and 

"Telouv,"  and  also  makes  it  the  site  of  Mangles,  p.  295.  [90.] 

Jnlias;   of  which   name,    he   strangely  '  Burckhardt  says  the  river  in  thi* 

enough  holds  his  "Telouy"  to  be  a  cor-  part  is  called  Urdun  by  the  inhabitant*; 

inption;  Vol.  II.  L  p.  72.  fol.    Seetzen  Travels,  p.  43.    We  did  not  hear  thi« 

places  Julias  at  his  "  Tallauihje  ;  "  Zach's  name. 

Monatl.  Corr.  X\1II.  p.  346.    See  above,  *  Pococke  Descr.  of  the  East,  11.  i.  pp. 

p.  410.  n.  1.  72,  73.    Seetzen  in  Zach's  MonatL  Corr. 

'  The  story  told  by  Dr  Clarke  and  XVUl.  p.  346.    Keiisen  L  p.  343. 
iii.  309,  310 


JusE  20.] 


THE  UPPER  JOBDAH. 


415 


further  gives  the  distance  from  the  bridge  to  the  lake  el-Huleh, 
at  three  quarters  of  an  hour.'  At  the  bridge,  the  river  is 
described  by  the  same  traveller,  as  flowing  in  a  narrow  bed  with 
a  rapid  stream  ;  Schubert  speaks  also  of  the  rapid  current,  and 
gives  the  breadth  at  about  eighty  feet,  the  depth  being  about 
four  feet.*  The  stream  can  be  seen  below  the  bridge  for  nearly 
an  English  mile  ;  where  a  sort  of  tumulus  and  ruins  are  visible.' 
From  the  bridge  to  the  point  to  which  we  could  look  up  the 
valley,  is  of  course  about  an  hour  of  distance.  In  that  interval, 
according  to  Pococke,  the  river,  "  passes  between  the  hills  over 
the  rocks  with  a  great  noise  ;  and  the  stream  is  almost  hid  by 
shady  trees,  chiefly  of  the  platanus  kind."*  Lieut.  L}'nch  and 
his  party  here  "  followed  the  Jordan  up  the  high  mountain  pass^ 
down  which  it  rushed  a  foaming  torrent.'  According  to  Wild- 
enbruch,  the  Jordan  below  the  bridge  forms  a  continued  water- 
fall."^ The  path  appears  to  He  not  in  the  chasm  itself,  but 
along  the  hills  on  the  west.^ 

"We  naturally  felt  a  strong  desire  to  pass  up  through  this 
valley  ;  but  our  muleteers  were  averse  to  it,  and  the  Arabs 
described  the  path  as  neglected  and  difficult,  on  account  of  the 
many  thorny  shrubs.  At  that  time,  we  expected  still  to  cross 
the  bridge,  on  our  way  to  Damascus,  and  were  therefore  less 
disposed  to  insist  upon  taking  this  route  ;  but  we  afterwards 
greatly  regretted,  that  we  did  not  proceed  first  to  the  bridge 
and  thence  to  Safed. 

"We  here  quitted  the  shores  of  the  lake  of  Tiberias  ;  and  in 
respect  to  the  general  impression  made  upon  us  by  the  scenery 
of  its  coasts,  I  have  nothing  to  add  to  what  I  have  already  said, 
upon  our  fiirst  approach.'    The  form  of  its  basin  is  not  unlike 

'  Bnrckhardt  pp.  315,  316.    The  dis-  '  Monro  IL  p.  44.    Pococke  1.  c.  p.  73. 

tance  from  the  bridge  to  the  plain  Batihah  *  Pococke  L  c.  p.  72. 

is  given  by  Bnrckhardt  correctly  at  IJ  *  Off.  Report,  p.  43.    Xarrat  p.  470. 

hotir;  ib. — Pococke  says  the  Jordan  runs  In  this  last  passage,  the  river  is  said  to 

about  ten  English  miles  between  the  two  be  here  "  a  perfect  torrent" 

lakes.  He  everywhere  reckons  three  miles  '  Monathsber.  e.  Ges.  f.  Erdk.  III.  p. 

to  an  hour :  but  as  the  path  is  here  bad,  271,  and  Sect.    Berlin,  1846. 

his  estimate  is  doubtless  too  great.  Descr.  '  The  barometrical  measurements  of 

of  the  East  1.  c. — From  the  bridge  to  el-  Schubert  give  the  difference  of  elevation, 

Huleh,  Pococke  makes  a  mile  and  a  half ;  between  the  lake  of  Tiberias  and  the  Jor- 

•while  Monro  gives  it  at  only  half  a  mile,  dan  at  the  bridge,  as  equal  to  SSO  Paris 

Summer  P^mble  II.  p.  44.    The  estimate  feet ;  Reise  III.  p.  259.    Bertou  in  like 

of  Burckhardt  is  probably  nearest  the  manner  gives  the  difference  between  the 

truth — Between  the  bridge  and  the  Huleh,  two  lakes  at  224.2  Fr.  metres,  or  nearly 

Pococke  describes  a  mineral  fountain  walled  700  Paris  feet.  BulL  de  la  Soc.  de  Geogr. 

in,  like  those  south  of  Mejdel;  p.  73.  Sept.  1839.  pp.  145,  146.  Wildenbmch 

'  Burckhardt  L  c.    Schubert  Reise.  m.  gives  793.3  Paris  feet ;   Monathsber.  p. 

p.  259.    Seetzen  (L  c.)  gives  the  breadth  271.    Hence,  in  the  distance  of  little  more 

of  the  river  at  35  paces ;   Cotovicns  the  than  an  hour,  as  mentioned  in  the  text, 

length  of  the  bridge  at  60  paces  ;  p.  361.  according  to  the  least  of  these  estimates, 

According  to   Schubert's   estimate,   the  the  stream  must  have  a  descent  of  not  less 

breadth  of  the  stream  is  not  much  more  than  500  feet, 

than  half  the  length  of  the  bridge.  "  See  above,  p.  380. 

iiL  310-312 


416 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


an  oval  ;  but  the  regiilar  and  almost  unbroken  beigbts  wbicb 
enclose  it,  bear  no  comparison,  as  to  vivid  and  powerful  effect, 
with  the  wild  and  stern  magnificence  of  the  mountains  aroimd 
the  caldron  of  the  Dead  Sea.  On  the  southern  part  of  the 
lake,  and  along  its  whole  eastern  coast,  the  mountain  wall  may 
be  estimated  as  elevated  eight  hundred  or  a  thousand  feet  above 
the  water,  steep,  but  not  precipitous.  On  the  east  the  moun- 
tains spread  off  into  the  high  uneven  table  land  of  Jaulan  (Gau- 
lonitis),  and  on  the  west  into  the  large  plain  north  of  Tabor ; 
rising  indeed  very  slightly,  if  at  all,  above  these  high  plains. 
Along  the  northwest  part  of  the  lake,  beyond  Mejdel,  the  hills 
are  lower,  and  the  country  back  of  them  more  broken  ;  they 
rise  with  a  gradual  ascent  from  the  shore,  and  do  not  reach  at 
first  an  elevation  of  more  than  from  three  to  five  hundred  feet. 
Such  is  the  tract  of  broken  table  land  occupying  the  space 
between  the  two  lakes  of  Tiberias  and  Huleh  ;  though  more 
In  the  northwest  it  has  perhaps  an  elevation  of  eight  hundred 
feet.  StUl  further  in  the  northwest  the  higher  mountains  of 
Safed  rise  abruptly  from  this  table  land,  and  reach  at  length  an 
elevation  not  much  less  than  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet 
above  the  lake. 

The  position  of  this  lake,  embosomed  deep  in  the  midst  of  high- 
er tracts  of  country,  exposes  it,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  gusts  of 
wind,  and  in  winter  to  tempests.  One  such  storm  is  recorded 
during  the  course  of  our  Lord's  ministry.'  But  in  order  to 
account  for  this,  it  is  surely  not  necessary  to  assume,  (as  is 
sometimes  done,)  any  peculiarly  tempestuous  character  in  the 
lake  itself ;  nor  does  it  appear,  either  from  the  testimony  of  the 
ancients  or  of  the  present  inhabitants,  that  storms  are  more 
frequent  within  the  basin,  than  in  the  region  round  about.* 

The  volcanic  nature  of  the  basin  of  this  lake,  and  of  the 
surrounding  country,  is  not  to  be  mistaken.  The  hot  springs 
near  Tiberias  and  at  Um  Keis  southeast  of  the  lake,  as  also 
the  lukewarm  fountains  along  the  western  shore  ;  the  frequent 
and  violent  earthquakes  ;  and  the  black  basaltic  stones,  which 
thickly  strew  the  ground  ;  aU  leave  no  room  for  doubt  on  this 
point.  Although  the  main  formation  is  limestone,  yet  the 
basalt  continues  to  appear,  more  or  less,  quite  through  the  basin 
of  the  Huleh  as  far  as  to  Banias  ;  the  bridge  between  the  lakes, 
as  also  the  adjacent  Khan,  is  buUt  of  basaltic  stones  ;  and  the 

'  Matt.  8,  23  sq.  Mark  4,  35  sq.  Luke  and  to  the  detention  of  the  boat  on  the 

8,  22  sq. — In  the  other  instance,  wliere  other  side  which  hindered  us  from  hiring 

Jesus  followed  his  disciples,  walking  on  the  it ;  see  above,  p.  395. 

water,  it  is  only  said  that  the  wind  was  '  Jac.  de  Vitr.  c.  53.  p.  1075.  Maritj 

contrary,  and  as  John  adds,  p-eat;  Matt.  Voyages  II.  p.  168.  Nenw.  1791.  Clarke'* 

14,  24.    Murk  6,  48.    John  6,  18.    AU  Travels  in  the  Holy  Land,  4to.  p.  474. 

this  would  apply  to  the  lake,  a»  we  saw  it;  Kosenmiiller  Bibl.  Geogr.  IL  ii.  p.  180. 

iii.  312,  313 


June  21.]        FEATURES  AND  EXTENT  OF  THE  LAKE. 


417 


wild  and  dreary  region  on  the  east,  between  that  bridge  and  the 
lower  lake,  consists  wholly  of  basalt.'  Other  traces  of  volcanic 
action  exist,  as  we  shall  see,  in  the  northwest  of  Safed. 

The  extent  of  the  lake  has  sometimes  been  greatly  over- 
rated. We  had  now  travelled  along  its  western  shore  for  nearly 
its  whole  length  ;  and  the  results  ^tford  a  means  of  forming  an 
estimate  approaching  more  nearly  to  the  truth.  The  distances 
are  as  follows  : 


From  the  southern  end  of  the  lake  to 

H.  Mln. 

1.  The  Warm  Baths'   1. 

2.  Tiberias   —35 

3.  Mejdel   1.  10 

4.  Khan  Minyeh'   1.  — 

5.  Tell  Ham   1.  05 

6.  Entrance  of  the  Jordan,       .      ,      .      .      .  1.  05 


Whole  length  of  the  western  coast    .      .      .      5.  55 

This  distance  of  six  hours  is  equivalent  to  about  fourteen 
and  a  half  geographical  miles  along  the  western  coast.  But  as 
the  latter  forms  a  deep  curve  at  Mejdel,  the  distance  in  a 
straight  line  from  the  entrance  of  the  Jordan  on  the  north,  to 
its  exit  in  the  south,  cannot  be  more  than  eleven  or  twelve 
geographical  miles  ;  and  the  same  result  is  also  obtained  from 
the  construction  of  the  map.  The  greatest  breadth,  opposite 
to  Mejdel,  is  about  half  the  length,  or  not  far  from  six  geo- 
graphical miles  ;  while  the  breadth  opposite  Tiberias  is  about 
five  miles.' 

Lieut.  Lynch  and  his  party  made  no  regular  survey  of  the 
lake  of  Tiberias  ;  but  they  determined  the  length  to  be  some- 
what over  eleven  geographical  miles.*  The  bottom  is  1  concave 
basin  ;  and  the  greatest  depth  ascertained  by  sounding  was  165 
feet.'  The  depression  of  the  surface  below  the  Mediterranean 
has  as  yet  been  measured  only  with  the  barometer,  with  varying 
results.* 


Thursday,  June  2\st.  We  rose  early,  and  I  rejoiced  to  find 
myself  better  and  able  to  proceed.    Abstinence  and  quiet  rest 

'  Seetzen  in  Zach's  Monatl.  Corr.  XVETI.  at  140  stadia  or  17|  Roman  miles ;  which 

pp.  345,  346.    Schubert  Reise  III.  p.  260.  if  reckoned  along  the  shore,  accords  very 

Burckliardt  p.  319.    Anderson's  Geol.  Re-  nearly  with  our  result  of  about  6  hours, 

port,  p.  124,  134.  Joseph.  B.  J.  3.  10.  7.    Probably  such 

'  The  distance  No.  1,  is  from  Pococke  was  the  intention  of  Josephus  ;  but  his 

and  Fisk ;  see  above,  p.  387.   That  along  account  has  usually  been  understood  of  tho 

the  shore  from  Mejdel  to  Khan  Minyeh  is  absolute  length  of  the  lake, 

from  Burckhiirdt,  p.  320.    The  rest  are  '  See  in  Note  XXX,  end  of  Vol  I. 

from  our  own  observations.  °  Off.  Report,  p.  15. 

*  Josephus  gives  the  breadth  of  the  lake  '  See  in  Note  XXX,  end  of  Vol.  1. 
at  40  stadia  or  5  Roman  miles ;  the  length 

iii,  313,314 


418 


FROM  TIBERIAS  TO  SAFED, 


[Sec.  XV. 


had  done  a  good  work.  Our  neighbours,  the  Gha-warineh,  were 
already  busied  with  their  herds,  milking  and  sending  them  off 
to  pasture.  At  the  side  of  the  reed  huts,  the  females  plied 
their  cares  with  the  dairy  ;  one  was  churning  in  the  manner  we 
had  often  seen,  having  the  milk  in  a  large  goat  skin  suspended 
in  a  slight  frame  of  sticks  ;  the  skin  being  then  moved  to  and 
fro  with  a  jerk.'  The  morning  was  bright  and  balmy;  the 
scene  was  enlivened  by  the  moving  herds  ;  and  I  watched  them 
with  some  interest,  especially  the  buffalos,  as  they  descended 
into  the  Jordan,  swam  through  its  tide  with  only  their  noses 
above  water,  and  again  emerged  slowly  and  awkwardly  upon  the 
other  side. 

We  set  off  at  5.50  for  Safed.  The  usual  path  leads  directly 
up  the  somewhat  steep  hill  on  the  west  of  the  Jordan  valley, 
and  is  considerably  travelled  by  persons  coming  to  trade  with 
the  Grhawarineh  of  this  tract.  But  our  younger  muleteer,  who 
was  a  native  of  Safed  and  well  acquainted  with  the  ground, 
chose  to  avoid  the  steep  ascent,  by  taking  us  back  for  some 
distance  along  the  shore  on  our  path  of  yesterday,  and  then 
striking  up  the  more  gradual  rise  without  a  path,  in  order  to 
regain  the  direct  road.  A  large  pelican  was  swimming  on  the 
smooth  waters  of  the  lake.  At  6|  o'clock  we  reached  the 
proper  Safed  road,  nearly  upon  the  high  table  land  ;  having  lost 
by  the  detour  about  fifteen  minutes. 

Our  course  was  now  not  far  from  W.  N.  W.  verging  perhaps 
more  towards  the  northwest  and  affording  noble  views  of  the 
lake  in  all  its  extent.  This  region  of  table  land  is  less  elevated 
than  the  plain  south  of  TeU  Hattin,  and  far  more  undulating 
and  uneven.  It  is  also  exceedingly  stony,  being  thickly  strewed 
with  the  Jolack  volcanic  stones  already  described,  which  are  here 
larger,  and  so  numerous,  that  the  path  is  often  obstructed.  At 
8.10  we  passed  the  broad  and  shallow  beginning  of  a  Wady 
which  runs  down  to  the  lake  east  of  Tell  Hum  ;  in  it  at  this 
point  are  several  scanty  wells  called  'Ayun  el-'Abbasy. 

At  8.40  we  crossed  the  great  Damascus  road,  which  comes 
up  from  Khan  Minyeh,  and  here  passes  along  the  eastern  base 
of  the  higher  Safed  hills,  now  just  before  us.  Further  on,  this 
road  bends  more  towards  the  northeast  to  the  bridge  over  the 
Jordan  ;  while  a  less  frequented  branch  keeps  along  the  western 
side  of  the  Hiileh,  and  proceeds  up  Wady  et-Teim  by  Hasbeiya 
and  Rasheiyeh,  and  so  to  Damascus.  On  this  road,  about 
fifteen  minutes  south  of  the  point  where  we  crossed,  lies  Khan 
Jubb  Yusuf,  the  Khan  of  Joseph's  Pit ;  so  called  because  of  a 
well  connected  with  it,  which  has  long  passed  with  Christians 


iii.  314-316 


»  See  Vol.  L  p.  486. 


June  21.] 


KHAN  JUBB  YUSUF. 


419 


and  Muslims,  for  the  pit  or  cistern  into  wldcli  Josepli  was 
thrown  by  his  brethren.  This  is  another  of  the  large  Khans 
which  mark  the  Damascus  road  ;  it  is  falling  to  ruin,  although 
still  partially  kept  in  repair  as  a  resting  place  for  caravans. 
There  is  a  well  within  the  walls,  and  near  by  is  a  large  tank  for 
water.  We  learned  at  Safed,  that  a  caravan  was  soon  to  leave 
'Akka  for  Damascus  ;  and  the  governor  of  Safed  had  received 
orders,  to  furnish  a  supply  of  provisions  and  necessaries  for  it  at 
this  Khan. 

The  reputed  pit  of  Joseph  is  in  the  court  by  the  side  of  the 
Khan,  and  is  described  by  Burckhardt  as  three  feet  in  diameter 
and  at  least  thirty  feet  deep  ;  the  bottom  is  said  to  be  hewn  in 
the  rock,  and  the  water  never  to  fail ;  the  sides  are  built  up 
with  masonry.*  The  Christian  tradition,  which  makes  this  the 
place  of  Joseph's  abduction,  fixes  here  also  as  a  matter  of 
course  Dothaim  ;  and  the  whole  legend  was  probably  at  first 
connected  with  the  hypothesis,  that  the  adjacent  fortress  of 
Safed  was  the  Bethulia  of  Judith.  Bethulia  and  Dothaim  are 
indeed  represented  as  not  far  distant  from  each  other  ;  but  the 
book  of  J udith  obviously  speaks  of  them  as  on  the  south  of  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon  ;  while  Eusebius  and  Jerome  definitely  place 
Dothaim  at  twelve  Roman  miles  north  of  Sebaste.*  Yet  this 
legend,  clumsy  as  it  is,  goes  back  to  the  time  of  the  crusades. 
This  place  is  distinctly  pointed  out  by  Brocardus  as  Dothaim, 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  of  Bethulia,  on  the  great  road 
leading  from  Syria  to  Egypt.  ^  Not  long  after,  Abulfeda  men- 
tions here  also  the  Jubb  Yusuf*  The  Khan  and  cisterns  are 
spoken  of  by  Fiirer  and  Eadzivil  in  the  sixteenth  century  ;  and 
Quaresmius  in  the  seventeenth  appears  to  yield  full  faith  to  the 
tradition.* 

After  crossing  the  Damascus  road,  the  volcanic  stones 
ceased  ;  and  we  began  almost  immediately  to  ascend  the  lime- 
stone mountain  before  us  by  a  steep  acclivity.  We  came  out 
upon  the  high  ground  above  at  9^  o'clock  ;  but  still  continued 
to  ascend  more  gradually  over  higher  table  land,  on  the  same 
general  course  as  before.  At  9.55  we  came  in  sight  of  Safed, 
lying  still  higher  up.  We  had  already  fallen  in  with  many  of 
the  inhabitants  of  that  place,  gathering  the  scanty  harvest, 
which  they  cultivate  upon  the  naked  and  rather  barren  hills  and 

"  Bnrckhardt  p.  318.  place  at  foiir  miles  south  of  Tiberias  ;  for 

"  Judith  4,  5.    7,  1.  3.    Oiiomast.  art.  which  possibly  we  ought  to  read  north  ; 

Dothaim.  Eugesipp.  in  L.  Allatii  Sjmmikt.  p.  109. 

'  Cap.  5.  174.  Brocardus  says  the  very  Col.  Agr.  1653. 

cistern  of  Joseph  was  still  shown  ;  but  *  Abulf.  Tab.  Syr.  p.  82. 

adds  the  saving  clause  :  "  si  iiicolis  fides  '  Furer  von  Haimend,  p.  278.  Numb. 

Bit  habenda"  —  Eugesippus   relates  the  1646.     Radzivil  in  Reissb.  II.  p.  154. 

game  story  perhaps  earlier ;  but  fixes  the  Quaresmius  II.  p.  870 

iii.  316,  317 


420 


SAFED. 


[Sec.  Xy. 


table  land,  for  quite  a  distance  around.  They  were  mostly 
females  ;  and  seemeJ  well  acquainted  with  our  younger  mule- 
teer, their  townsman.  Descending  into  a  deep  ravine  running  up 
west,  we  reached  at  10.10  its  junction  with  another  coming 
down  from  the  north,  and  having  its  head  just  below  the  castle 
of  Safed,  towards  the  northeast.  At  the  point  of  junction  is  a 
fountain  much  frequented  by  the  flocks  ;  and  also  a  thick  and 
verdant  garden  of  pomegranate  trees  below.  We  now  ascended 
this  steep  ravine  towards  the  north,  and  at  10|  o'clock  pitched 
our  tent  near  the  head  of  the  same  valley,  below  the  castle,  on 
the  east. 

Safed  lies  on  a  high  isolated  hill  or  peak,  rising  upon  the 
northern  end  of  a  steep  ridge,  which  runs  down  towards  the  S. 
S.  W.,  between  the  eastern  valley  through  which  we  had  ascend- 
ed, and  another  still  deeper  one  on  the  west.  The  latter  has  its 
beginning,  as  a  deep  narrow  basin,  on  the  north  of  the  hill  of 
Safed  ;  the  water-shed  between  it  and  the  eastern  Wady  being 
on  the  northeast  of  the  castle,  just  north  of  where  we  were 
encamped.  The  two  valleys,  after  running  for  some  time  paral- 
lel, come  together  and  thus  terminate  the  ridge  ;  the  united 
Wady  then  passes  on  down  to  the  lake  of  Tiberias  across  the 
plain  el-Ghuweir  as  Wady  el-'Am(id.  The  most  elevated  coni- 
cal point  of  Safed  is  towards  the  north,  and  is  crowned  by  the 
castle,  high  above  the  deep  valley  in  the  north  and  west,  and 
considerably  higher  also  than  the  head  of  the  eastern  valley  and 
the  water-shed  on  the  northeast.  This  castellated  summit  rises 
likewise  high  and  rocky  above  the  more  southern  part  of  the 
ridge  ;  just  at  its  southern  base  is  a  shght  depression  or  gap  in 
the  ridge  itself ;  south  of  which  is  another  lower  rocky  point  or 
summit. — The  town  of  Safed  was  properly  divided  into  three 
distinct  quarters,  separated  by  the  nature  of  the  ground.  One 
was  upon  this  lower  southern  summit,  overagainst  the  castle  ; 
another  below  the  castle  in  the  head  of  the  eastern  valley  near 
our  tent ;  and  the  third,  the  seat  of  the  Jews,  was  on  the 
steep  western  and  northwestern  side  of  the  main  summit,  im- 
mediately below  the  castle.  Between  this  and  the  southern 
quarter,  is  the  market. 

Safed  was  formerly  a  busy,  thriving  place,  with  a  population 
of  eight  or  nine  thousand  inhabitants  ;  among  whom  were  some 
Christians  and  a  large  proportion  of  Jews,  chiefly  from  Po- 
land ;  though  there  were  also  some  from  Germany,  Austria, 
and  Spain.'    Muhammedans  occupied  the  southern  and  eastern 

'  Wo  unfortunately  obtained  no  statisti-  whom  more   than  5000  were  Jew.s  and 

cal  data  at  .Sated  ;  and  the  estimates  which  Christians  ;   see   Mr  Thomson's  Report, 

exist,  vary  exc(^ediiigly.  In  connection  with  Missionary  HeraUl  for  Nov.  1837,  pp.  HiS, 

the  earthquake,  the  wliole  population  was  438.    This  is  perhaps  too  large.    In  I83G, 

8pol<cn  of  as  amounting  to  10,IJ00  souls,  of  Elliott,  travelling  with   Mr  Xicolayson, 
iii.  317-319 


June  21.] 


SITUATION.  INHABITANTS. 


421 


quarters  ;  their  housea  were  built  chiefly  of  stone,  and  seem  to 
have  had  more  solidity  than  those  of  the  Jews.  The  people,  or 
at  least  the  individuals  whom  we  met,  appeared  to  be  a  more 
active  and  enterprising  race  than  those  further  south.  The 
young  men  especially  made  much  more  display,  than  we  had 
been  accustomed  to  find.  Here  for  the  first  time,  we  saw  the 
short  close  jacket,  with  embroidered  sleeves  hanging  loose  from 
the  shoulders  ;  the  back  being  at  the  same  time  ornamented 
with  strips  of  cloth  of  another  colour.  This,  with  a  certain 
peculiar  twist  of  their  white  turbans,  gave  them  quite  a  jaunty 
air.  Our  younger  muleteer,  who  was  here  at  home,  was  of  this 
class  ;  but  he  had  taken  care  not  to  appear  iu  this  costume  until 
we  approached  Safed. — Around  the  town  are  large  plantations 
of  olives  ;  and,  to  my  surprise,  we  found  here  vineyards.  The 
chief  occupation  of  the  inhabitants  was  formerly  dyeing  with 
indigo,  and  the  manufacture  of  cotton  cloth. ' 

The  Jewish  quarter  was  far  more  slightly  built,  as  well  as 
more  crowded.  Clinging  to  the  steep  western  declivity  below 
the  castle,  their  houses  were  often  of  mud,  and  stood  in  rows 
one  above  another,  almost  like  the  seats  of  an  amphitheatre  ; 
so  that,  in  some  instances,  the  flat  roofs  of  one  row  actually 
served  as  the  street  for  those  next  above. Safed  is  one  of  the 
holy  places  of  the  Jews  in  Gralilee,  and  for  several  centuries  has 
been  more  visited  by  them  than  Tiberias  ;  though  the  chief 
Kabbi  of  the  latter  city,  is  said  to '  take  rank  of  the  one  in 
Safed. ^  Of  their  former  flourishing  state  and  their  celebrated 
schools,  I  shall  speak  further  on ;  but  even  since  the  period  of 
their  decay,  they  have  had  six  <3r  seven  synagogues,  and  a  school 
for  the  study  of  the  Talmud,  as  in  Tiberias.  More  than  all 
this,  too,  they  have  had  a  printing  office  dating  from  the  six- 
teenth century  ;  in  connection  with  which,  in  1833,  some  thirty 
persons  found  regular  employment.^ 

gives  the  whole  number  at  (!000 ;  of  whom  '  Burckhardt  p.  317.  Hardy  Notices, 
1500  were  Jews,  and  about  50  Christians ;    etc.  p  24.3. 

Travels  II.  p.  .353.  This  again  would  seem  ^  Elliott  1.  c.  p.  353,  "  As  the  hiU  oa 
to  be  too  small.  In  1833,  Hardy,  travelling  which  the  town  is  built  is  precipitous,  and 
also  with  Messrs  Nicolajson  and  Thomson,  the  roofs  are  flat,  public  convenience  has 
fixes  the  whole  number  at  8000 ;  Notices  sanctioned  the  conversion  of  these  into 
etc.  p.  243.  Mr  Jowett,  who  was  here  thoroughfares  ;  so  that,  both  ou  mules  and 
with  Mr  Fisk  in  1824,  estimates  the  whole  on  foot,  we  repeatedly  passed  over  the  tops 
population  at  7000,  among  whom  were    of  dwellings." 

400  families  of  Jews ;  Chr.  Res.  iu  Syr.  '  Jowett  Chr.  Res.  in  Syria,  p.  180. 
p.  180.  Lond.     Berggren  in  1822  gives  Lond. 

3000  Muhammedans  with  800  Jewish  and  ■*  Nau  in  1674  speaks  of  seven  syna- 
80  Christian  families;  Reisen  11.  pp  253-  gogues;  p.  561.  So  too  Von  Egmontl  and 
255.  Burckhardt  estimated  the  houses  at  Heyman,  and  afterwards  Pococke  ;  the 
600  in  all;  of  which  1,50  belonged  to  the  former  also  mention  the  high  school  and 
Jews,  and  80  to  100  to  Christians  ;  p.  317.  printing  office  ;  Reizen  II.  p.  41.  Pococke 
All  this  seems  to  indicate  at  least,  that  the  II.  L  p.  7G.  Schulz  in  1755  gives  the 
population  had  been  gradually  increasing,     number  of  Jews  at  two  hmidred  ;  the 

Vol.  II.— 36  iii.  319.  320 


422 


SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


Crowning  tlie  rocky  summit,  above  tlie  wliole  town,  was  the  - 
extensive  Gothic  castle,  a  remnant  of  the  times  of  the  crusades, 
forming  a  most  conspicuous  object  at  a  great  distance  in  every 
direction,  except  towards  the  north.  Though  aheady  partially 
in  ruins  before  the  earthquake,  it  was  nevertheless  sufficiently  in 
repair  to  be  the  official  residence  of  the  Mutesellim  ;  and  on  a 
former  visit  to  Safed,  my  companion  had  paid  his  respects  to  that 
officer  within  its  walls.  The  fortress  is  described  as  having  been 
strong  and  imposing,  with  two  fine  large  round  towers  ;  it  was 
surrounded  by  a  wall  lower  down,  with  a  bioad  trench.' 

Such  was  Safed  down  to  the  close  of  the  year  1836.  But 
on  the  first  day  of  January,  1837,  the  new  year  was  ushered  in 
by  the  tremendous  shocks  of  an  earthquake,  which  rent  the 
earth  in  many  places,  and  in  a  few  moments  prostrated  most  of 
the  houses,  and  buried  thousands  of  the  inhabitants  of  Safed 
beneath  the  ruins.  The  castle  was  utterly  thrown  down  ;  the 
Muhammedan  quarters,  standing  on  more  level  ground  and 
being  more  solidly  built,  were  somewhat  less  injured  ;  while  here, 
as  in  Tiberias,  the  calamity,  in  its  full  weight,  fell  with  relentless 
fury  upon  the  ill  fated  Jews.  The  very  manner  in  which  their 
houses  were  erected  along  the  steep  hill-side,  exposed  them  to  a 
more  fearful  destruction  ;  for  when  the  terrific  shock  dashed 
their  dwellings  to  the  ground,  those  above  feU  upon  those  lower 
down  ;  so  that,  at  length,  the  latter  were  covered  with  accumu- 
lated masses  of  ruins.  Slight  shocks  continued  at  intervals  for 
several  weeks  ;  serving  to  aggravate  the  scene  of  unspeakable 
dismay  and  distress,  which  now  prevailed  here.  Many  were 
killed  outright  by  the  falhng  ruins  ;  very  many  were  engulfed 
and  died  a  miserable  death  before  they  could  be  dug  out ;  some 
were  extricated  even  after  five  or  six  days,  covered  with  wounds 
and  bruises,  only  to  prolong  for  a  few  hours  a  painful  existence  ; 
while  others,  with  broken  limbs,  but  more  tenacity  of  hfe,  lived 
to  recover.  The  spectacle  which  was  presented  for  several  weeks 
after  the  catastrophe, — in  every  quarter  the  wounded,  the  djang, 
and  the  dead,  without  shelter,  without  attendance,  without  a 
place  to  lay  their  heads  ;  on  every  side  "  wounds,  and  bruises, 
and  putrifying  sores,  that  had  not  been  closed,  neither  bound  up, 
neither  moUified  with  ointment,"^ — these  scenes  were  described 

number  of  students  in  the  school  at  twenty;  quite  respectable  ;  and  near  thirty  persons 

and  says  the  printing  office  had  been  in  were  employed  in  the  different  depart- 

the  village  'Ain  ez-Zeitun  in  the  valley  raents   of  composing,  press    work,  and 

nortli,  but  was  then  given  up.    Lcitinigen,  binding.     See  Hardy's  Notices,  p.  244. 

etc.*  Th.  v.  pp.  211,  212.    In  18:53  Mr  Comp.  Monro  II.  p.  13.    See  more  further 

Hardy  mentions  two  presses  at  work,  and  on. 

two  other.s  in  the  course  of  erection.    Tlie       '  Van  Egmond  and  Ileyinan  II.  p.  43 

type  and  furniture  were  said  to  be  made  sq.    Pococke  II.  i.  p.  76.    Burckhardt  p. 

here  under  the  direction  of  the  master.  317. 
The  execution  of  the  works  printed  was       '  Is.  1,  6. 

iii.  321,  322 


Junk  21.] 


THE  EARTHQUAKE. 


423 


to  us  by  eyewitnesses  as  inexpressibly  painful,  and  sometimes 
revolting  even  to  loathsomenesa.  According  to  tbe  best  accounts, 
there  perished,  in  all,  not  far  from  five  thousand  persons  ;  of 
■whom  about  one  thousand  were  Muhammedans  and  the  rest 
chiefly  Jews.' 

So  soon  as  certain  intelligence  of  these  sufferings  arrived  at 
Beirtit,  contributions  were  immediately  made  to  reheve  the 
survivors  ;  and  persons  were  appointed  to  proceed  to  the  scene 
of  distress,  in  order  to  superintend  the  distribution  of  the  various 
articles  contributed,  and  provide  for  the  taking  care  of  the 
wounded.  The  Rev.  Mr  Thomson,  American  Missionary, 
accompanied  by  Mr  Caiman,  departed  on  this  errand  of  mercy, 
and  reached  Safed  on  the  18th  of  January.  To  his  friendly 
communications  I  have  been  much  indebted.  He  wrote  also  an 
account  of  his  journey  and  of  the  horrors  of  the  scene  at  Safed, 
which  was  soon  after  published.  I  subjoin  it  in  a  note,  as  a 
graphic  and  authentic  record  of  this  awful  catastrophe.* 

Nearly  eighteen  months  had  now  elapsed  since  the  calamity, 
when  we  visited  Safed.  The  frightful  spectacle  of  human  miseiy, 
had  of  course  passed  away  ;  but  the  place  was  still  little  more 
than  one  great  mass  of  ruins.  In  the  eastern  quarter,  where  we 
had  pitched  our  tent,  many  of  the  houses  had  been  again  built 
up  ;  though  more  still  lay  around  us  level  with  the  ground.  The 
southern  quarter  was  perhaps  the  least  injured  of  all ;  here  the 
rubbish  had  been  cleared  away,  and  this  was  now  the  chief  seat 
of  the  Muhammedan  population.  Here  too  the  Mutesellim  had 
taken  up  his  abode.  The  castle  remained  in  the  same  state  in 
which  it  had  been  left  by  the  earthquake,  a  shapeless  heap  of 
ruins  ;  so  shapeless  indeed,  that  it  was  difficult  to  make  out  its 
original  form.  In  the  Jews'  quarter,  many  houses  had  likewise 
been  temporarily  rebuilt ;  but  the  rubbish  had  not  been  removed 
from  the  streets.  We  passed  throughout  the  whole  quarter,  and 
found  the  poor  Jews  still  wandering  amid  the  ruins,  among  which 
we  could  scarcely  wend  our  way.  Many  of  them  were  employed 
in  digging  among  the  rubbish,  each  apparently  before  what  had 
once  been  his  dwelling.  In  general,  the  town  was  beginning  to 
revive  ;  and  the  appearance  of  the  place  was  more  busy  and  far 
less  desolate,  than  I  had  expected  to  find  it.  The  usual  Friday 
market  was  again  regularly  held,  and  attended  by  the  peasants 
of  the  surrounding  villages,  even  from  a  considerable  distance.^ 

'  It  would  not  be  at  all  surprising,  if  '  See  Note  XLI,  end  of  the  volume, 

this  estimate  of  the  destruction  of  life  Mr  Thomson's  Report  was  fii-st  published 

■were  foimd  to  be  considerably  exaggerated,  iu  the  Missionary  Herald  for  Nov.  1837,  p. 

Compare  the  varying  estimates  of  the  po-  433  sq.  Boston. 

pulation  of  Safed   above,  p.  420,  note.  ^  This  market  is  also  mentioned  by 

See  Mr  Thomson's  Report,  referred  to  in  Burckhardt,  p.  317. 
the  next  note 

iii.  322,  323 


424 


SAFED, 


[Sec.  XV. 


In  a  few  more  years,  the  traces  of  the  earthquake  will  prob- 
ably be  no  longer  visible  in  Safed.  Such  is  the  tenor  of  oriental 
life.  Earthquakes  and  the  desolations  of  war  have  time  and 
again  swept  over  the  land,  and  laid  waste  its  cities  and  villages  ; 
but  the  inhabitants  cling  to  the  soU,  rebuild  their  towns,  and  hve 
on  as  if  nothing  had  happened  ;  untU,  after  an  interval,  another 
and  perhaps  more  terrible  destruction  overtakes  them.  Thus 
Safed  itself,  hke  Tiberias,  was  laid  in  ruins,  and  a  great  portion 
of  its  inhabitants  destroyed,  in  the  great  earthquake  of  Oct. 
30th,  1759.' 

Safed  appears  obviously  to  have  formed  the  central  point  of 
this  mighty  concussion,  and  to  have  suffered  more,  in  proportion, 
than  any  other  place  ;  except  perhaps  the  adjacent  villages  of 
'Ain  ez-Zeitun  and  el-Jish.  Yet  the  destruction,  as  we  have 
seen,  extended  more  or  less  to  Tiberias  and  the  region  around 
Nazareth  ;  many  of  the  villages  in  the  region  east  of  the  lake 
were  likewise  laid  in  ruins  ;  many  houses  were  thrown  down  in 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  several  were  cracked  and  injured  even  in 
Beirut.  In  Nabulus,  also,  the  shock  was  severely  felt,  and  a 
number  of  persons  were  kiUed.  It  is  a  remarkable  circumstance, 
that  some  villages  remained  entirely  unaffected  by  the  earth- 
quake, although  situated  directly  beween  other  places,  which 
were  destroyed.  Thus  a  small  village  near  to  el-Jish  and  Safed 
was  uninjured.  On  the  way  from  Tiberias  to  Nazareth,  esh- 
Shajerah  was  overthrown  ;  Kefr  Kenna  received  no  harm  ;  er- 
Reineh  was  levelled  to  the  ground  ;  Nazareth  sustained  little 
damage  ;  and  Seffurieh  escaped  entirely.  All  these  places  lie 
upon  the  same  range  of  hiUs,  with  no  visible  obstruction  to  break 
the  shocks  between  them  ;  and  the  exceptions  are  therefore  the 
more  wonderful.* 

A  very  high  antiquity  has  usually  been  ascribed  to  Safed  ; 
which,  however,  so  far  as  it  depends  on  any  historical  accounts, 
appears  not  to  be  weU  founded.  The  only  trace  of  the  name 
Safed  before  the  time  of  the  crusades,  is  found  in  the  Latin 
Vulgate  f  where,  in  describing  the  native  place  of  Tobit,  as 
situated  in  the  tribe  of  NaphtaU  in  Upper  Galilee,  that  version 
marks  it  as  "  having  on  the  left  the  city  of  Sephet."*    This  is  a 

'  Mariti  Voyages  IT.  p.  164.    Neuw.  Talmud,  Rosh  Hashaua  ii.    But  there  is 

1791.    Bacliieue  Th.  II.  Bd.  IV.  p.  134.  nothing  to  connect  these  names  definitely 

Volney  Voyage  I.  p.  27G.  U.  p.  213.    See  with  this  spot. 

above,  p.  382.  n.  1.  *  Vulg.  Tobit  1,  1,  "in  sinistro habens 

'  Mr  Thom-son  visited  all  these  places  civitatem  Sephet."    The  Greek  original 

in  the  course  of  his  journey ;  see  his  Re-  has  nothing  of  the  kind. — On  the  strength 

port,  Miss.  Herald  Nov.  1837.  pp.  442,  443.  of  this  notice,  apparently,  Brocardus  makes 

'  Unless  perhaps  it  be  in  the    name  Safed  (Sephet)  to  have  been  one  of  the 

Seph  (2€'(^),  one  of  the  places  fortified  by  cities  of  the  Decapolis;  c.  6.  p.  175.  So 

Josephus  in  upper  Galilee ;  B.  J.  2.  20.  6.  too  Adrichomius  p.  114. 
The  name  TES  occurs  al£0  in  the  Jerusalem 
iii.  323-325 


Junk  21.] 


PROBABLY  NOT  ANCIENT. 


425 


pure  addition  to  the  Greek  original,  and  no  one  knows  whence  it 
came.  Modern  ecclesiastical  tradition  has  often  regarded  Safed 
as  the  Bethiilia  of  the  book  of  Judith  ;  which,  however,  as  we 
have  seen,  is  said  to  have  lain  near  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  not 
far  from  Dothaim,  and  guarded  one  of  the  passes  towards  Jeru- 
salem.' Brocardus  indeed,  and  others,  seem  to  distinguish 
Bethulia  from  Safed,  and  place  the  former  on  a  mountain  further 
south  ;  but  the  description  they  give  of  it,  as  seen  conspicuously 
throughout  all  the  region,  and  as  having  a  castle  and  other  ruins, 
applies  particularly  to  Safed  ;  while  the  indefiniteness  and  confu- 
sion of  their  accounts,  render  it  not  very  improbable,  that  they 
are  only  speaking  of  one  and  the  same  place  under  different 
names.''  It  is  only  within  the  last  two  centuries,  that  the  iden- 
.tity  with  Bethulia  has  been  distinctly  assumed  by  some,  and 
denied  by  others.' 

As  therefore  there  is  no  evidence  that  any  ancient  place  ex- 
isted on  the  present  site  of  Safed,  the  supposition  that  this  was 
the  "  city  set  on  a  hill,"  alluded  to  by  our  Lord  in  his  Sermon  on 
the.  Mount,  falls  of  itself  to  the  ground,  or  can  at  most  be  con- 
sidered only  as  a  fanciful  conjecture.''  Of  the  same  nature  is  the 
hypothesis,  which  regards  this  as  the  mountain  on  which  our 
Lord  was  transfigured.^ 

Even  in  the  times  of  the  crusades,  it  is  not  until  the  Chris- 
tians had  been  in  possession  of  the  Holy  Land  for  more  than 


■  See  p.  419,  above.  Judith  7,  1.  3.  4, 
5.  Relaud  Palaest.  p.  658.  Eusebius  and 
Jerome  place  Dothaim  twelve  Roman 
miles  north  of  Sebaste ;  Onom.  art.  Do- 
thaim, 

'  Brocardus  pp.  1 73,  175.  Eugesippus 
in  L.  Allat.  Symmikt.  1653.  p.  109. 
Adrichomius  pp.  114,  137.  Doubdan  p. 
578  The  first  notice  I  find,  which  points 
distinctly  to  Safed  as  Bethulia,  is  in  the 
journal  of  Melehior  von  Seydlitz  in  A.  D. 
1556  ;  he  has  Bethulia  upon  a  high  moun- 
tain oa  the  left  (not  right)  hand  after  pass- 
ing Jubb  Yusuf,  and  before  coming  to  the 
bridge  of  the  Jordan;  see  Reissb.  ins  h. 
Land  p.  487. 

'  See  the  preceding  note.  Qnaresmius 
dei^cribes  Safed,  but  says  not  a  word  of 
Bethulia;  II.  p.  904.  D'Arvieux  says, 
some  held  it  in  his  day  to  be  Bethulia,  but 
the  latter  lay  a  league  distant  from  Safed ; 
n.  p.  322.  Par.  1735.  Von  Troilo  p.  425. 
Nan  relates,  that  some  of  the  Jews  of 
Safed  regarded  that  place  as  Bethulia,  and 
he  seems  inclined  to  adopt  their  view ;  p. 
563.  Manndrell  Apr.  19th.  Van  Egmond 
and  Heyman  II  p.  39.  Pococke  II.  i.  p. 
77. — In  the  present  century,  several  tra- 
vellers appear  to  adopt  Safed  without 
Vol.  II —36* 


question  as  Bethulia  ;  e.  g.  Scholz  p.  157. 
Monro  IL  p.  11.  Elliott  II.  p.  352. 
Berggren  doubtfully,  Reiseu  IL  p.  252. — 
Burckhardt  says  Safed  was  the  ancient 
Japhet ;  he  probably  had  in  mind  the 
Japha  ('laipa.^  of  Josephus,  the  present 
Yafa  near  Nazareth ;  since  there  is  no  no- 
tice of  any  ancient  place  called  .laphet ; 
Travels  p.  317.  In  the  Itineraries  of 
William  of  Baldensel  and  L.  de  Suchem, 
the  name  is  also  printed  Japhet,  obviously 
by  mistake  for  Saphet.  Basnage  Thesaur. 
Tom.  IV.  p.  355.  L.  de  Suchem,  Itin.  p. 
97.  Reissb.  p.  852.  —  Some  travellers 
curiously  enough  make  Safed  the  birth- 
place of  queen  Esther ;  so  Stochove  Voyage 
du  Levant  p.  342.  Thevenot  Voyages  II. 
p.  685.    Amst.  1727. 

*  Matt.  5,  U.    Manndrell,  Apr.  19th. 

'  Busching  Erdbeschr.  Th.  XL  i.  p. 
488.  Pococke  1.  c.  p.  77.  Hamelsveld  II. 
p.  366.  Did  the  sacred  writers  say  that 
the  mount  of  the  Transfiguration  was  the 
highest  in  all  these  parts,  then  the  descrip- 
tion would  certainly  apply  to  the  two 
peaks  just  north  of  Safed.  But  their  lan- 
guage is  simply  "  a  high  mountain  ;  "  Matt. 
17,  1.  Mark  9,  2,  Luke  only  says  "a 
mountain,"  9,  28. 

iii.  325,  326 


426 


SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


half  a  century,  that  we  find  any  notice  of  Safed.  It  seems  to 
be  first  distinctly  mentioned  by  William  of  Tyre,  who  in  de- 
scribing the  surprise  and  defeat  of  the  Christians  under  Baldwin 
III,  at  the  ford  below  the  lake  el-Hiileh  in  A.  D.  1157,  relates, 
that  the  king  escaped  with  difficulty  to  the  castle  of  Safed  situ- 
ated on  the  adjacent  mountain  ;  an  Arabian  writer  narrating  the 
same  events,  speaks  of  it  as  a  small  castle  ;  and  it  is  twice  again 
cursorily  mentioned  by  the  archbishop  of  Tyre.'  The  somewhat 
later  writer  Jacob  de  Vitiy  relates,  that  the  Christians  had 
erected  strong  fortresses  upon  the  extremities  of  their  tenitory, 
in  order  to  protect  their  borders  from  the  inroads  of  the  Saracens, 
viz.  Montroyal  (Shobek)  and  Kerak  in  the  southeast,  and  Safed 
and  Belvoir  (Kaukab)  in  the  northeast  against  Syria.*  The 
date  of  the  erection  of  these  latter  fortresses  is  not  specified  ;« 
but  they  would  seem  not  improbably  to  have  been  built,  perhaps 
nearly  in  the  same  period  with  those  of  Kerak,  Beit  Jibrin,  and 
Tell  es-Safieh,  in  the  latter  years  of  king  Fulco,  not  long  before 
A.  D.  1140.'  In  respect  to  neither  Safed  nor  Kaukab  is  any 
hint  given,  that  a  fortress  had  formerly  existed  on  the  spot. 
The  charge  of  the  castle  at  Safed  appears  to  have  been  commit- 
ted to  the  knights  Templars,  who  afterwards  laid  claim  to  all 
the  country  around.* 

In  A.  D.  1188,  a  year  after  the  battle  of  Hattin,  aU  the 
country  and  cities  of  Palestine,  except  Tyre,  were  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Saladin  ;  he  had  even  threatened  Antioch,  but  at  length 
returned  to  Damascus.  By  his  orders,  his  brother  now  laid  siege 
to  Shobek  and  Kerak  and  subdued  them  ;  while  the  Sultan 
himself  marched  against  the  two  remaining  fortresses  of  Safed 
and  Kaukab.  In  the  mean  time,  Safed  would  appear  to  have 
been  strengthened  and  perhaps  enlarged  ;  for  both  Christian  and 
Arabian  writers  speak  of  it  as  exceedingly  strong,  and  impreg- 
nable by  its  position  ;  it  had  also  become  very  troublesome  to 
the  Muhammedans.^  Saladin  with  his  army  sat  down  before 
the  place  late  in  October,  and  pressed  the  siege  with  great 
vigour  ;  the  Sultan  himself  conducting  all  the  operations  night 
and  day.  After  about  five  weeks,  Safed  capitulated  ;  and  the 
inhabitants  were  permitted  to  withdraw  to  Tyre.*  Saladin  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  lay  siege  to  Kaukab,  as  already  related.^ 

Safed  now  continued  for  half  a  century  in  the  power  of  the 
Muhammedans.    In  A.  D.  1220,  Melek  el-Mu'adh-dhem,  Sultan 

»  Will.  Tyr.18.  U.  ib.  21.  28.  ib.  22.  '  Jnc.  de  Vitr.  c.  49,  95.    Bohaei  Vit 

16.  Abu  Shameh,  quoted  in  Wilken  Gesch.  Salad,  p.  87.    Reinaud  Extraits,  p.  232. 

der  Kr.  III.  ii.  pp.  44,  45.  •  Bohaed.  p.  87.  Abulf.  Annal.  A.  H. 

'  Jac.  de  Vitr.  c.  49.  p.  1074.  584.     Reinaud  Extr.  p.  232.  Wilken 

'  Murin.   Sanutus  expressly    ascribes  Gesch.  der  Kr.  IV.  pp.  244,  245,  and 

Safed  to  king  Kulco  ;  p.  106.  Beyl.  p.  83. 

*  Will.  Tyr.  21.  30.  '  See  above,  p.  361. 

iii.  326-328 


June  21.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


427 


of  Damascus,  dreading  lest  the  Christians  should  again  get 
possession  of  the  strong  holds  of  the  country,  caused  the  fortress 
of  Safed  to  be  demolished  ;  just  as  the  year  before  he  had 
adopted  the  same  course  with  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  and  the 
castles  of  Banias  and  Tibnin.' 

In  A.  D.  1240,  in  consequence  of  a  treaty  with  the  Sultan 
Isma'il  of  Damascus,  Safed,  together  with  the  castle  esh-Shukif 
and  Tiberias,  reverted  into  the  hands  of  the  Christians.^  The 
Templars  were  desirous  immediately  to  rebuild  the  castle,  and 
were  promised  protection  and  aid  in  the  work,  by  the  king  of 
Navarre  and  other  princes  then  at  'Akka  ;  but  as  neither  men 
nor  money  were  furnished,  the  work  was  not  begun.  In  the 
mean  time,  Benedict,  bishop  of  Marseilles,  who  was  then  in  the 
Holy  Land,  having  travelled  from  Damascus  by  way  of  Safed  to 
'Akka,  was  so  impressed  with  the  importance  of  a  fortress  at 
that  point,  as  a  shield  to  the  cities  on  the  coast  and  a  means  of 
overawing  and  harassing  Damascus  and  the  interjacent  region, 
.  that  after  persevering  exertion,  he  prevailed  on  the  Templars  to 
undertake  the  rebuilding  of  the  castle,  upon  the  strength  of  their 
own  resources.  The  work  was  immediately  commenced  ;  the 
bishop  himself'  laid  the  corner  stone  in  December  of  the  same 
year  ;  and  deposited  upon  it  a  cask  of  gold  and  silver  coins  as 
his  own  contribution.  He  remained  near  at  hand,  untU  the 
walls  were  so  far  advanced  as  to  be  defensible  ;  and  then  returned 
to  his  home,  leaving  behind  his  blessing  and  all  his  property  in 
Palestine  to  the  fortress,  as  to  a  beloved  child.  On  a  second  \\sit 
to  the  Holy  Land  in  Oct.  1260,  he  found  the  castle  of  Safed 
completed  with  admirable  strength  and  magnificence,  nearly  in- 
accessible from  its  position,  and  impregnable  through  the  solidity 
and  skill  of  its  construction.* 

'  Jac.  de  Vitr.  Hist,  orient,  lib.  III. 
1144.  Jfarin.  Sanut.  p.  209.  Oliverii 
Schol  Hist.  c.  26,  in  Eccardi  Corp.  Histor. 
med.  ^vi  Tom.  II  p.  1421.  Wilken  1.  c. 
VI.  p.  30.3.— The  text  of  Jac.  de  Vitty 
(which  Marin.  Sanut.  copies)  instead  of 
Mu'adh-dhem  has  "  Coradinn.*,"  and  reads 
as  follows  :  "  Anno  Dom.  1220,  Coradinns 
Princep.s  Damasci  destruxit  Safed  castrum 
firmissimum,"  etc.  This  is  copied  by  the 
editor  of  Van  Egmond  and  Heyman  with 
the  remarkable  substitution  of  extnjixit  for 
destruxii,  just  inverting  the  meaning  of 
the  writer ;  Reizen  H  p.  42.  This  error, 
which  makes  Mu'adh-dhem  the  builder  up 
instead  of  the  destroyer  of  Safed,  has 
been  several  times  copied;  e.  g.  Bachiene 
Th.  IL  §  68j.    Hamelsveld  II.  p.  3G7. 

"  Hu^ro  Plagon  in  Mart,  et  Durand  Tom. 
V.  p.  TJ:i.  Marin.  Sanut.  p.  21.5.  Rei- 
naud  E.ictr.  pp  440,  443.  Wilken  Gesch. 
der  Kr.  VL  p.  600, 

in. 


^  See  the  extracts  from  a  Ms.  in  the 
Biblioth.  Colbert,  in  Steph.  Balozii  Miscel- 
laneor.  lib.  VL  Tom.  VI.  pp.  3.57-369. 
Paris  1713.  8.  From  various  expressions 
in  this  tract,  which  gives  a  particular  ac- 
count of  Benedict's  efforts,  it  appears  to 
have  been  written  between  A.  D.  1260 
and  1266 ;  L  e.  before  t'ne  final  capture  of 
Safed  by  Bibars.  Many  Muhammedan 
captives  were  employed  in  the  building  up 
of  Safed ;  see  Reinand  Extr.  p  444.  Wil- 
ken 1.  c.  VI.  p.  629. — The  circumstances 
thus  far  related,  serve  to  contradict  the 
common  impression,  that  the  present  castle 
of  Safed  was  of  Roman  origin ;  a  view 
which  seems  to  rest  chiefly  on  the  weak 
authority  of  Stephen  Schulz ;  Leitungen 
etc.  Th.  V.  p.  209.  Busching  Erdbeschr. 
Th.  XI.  p.  487.  The  best  account  of  the 
castle,  as  it  existed  a  century  ago,  is  in 
Van  Egmond  and  Heyman  Reizen  IL  p. 
43  sq. 


428 


SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


The  Templars  were  not  pennitted  long  to  possess  their  new 
fortress  in  peace.  In  June,»A.  D.  1266,  the  formidable  Bibars, 
Sultan  of  Egypt,  having  already  made  himself  master  of  most 
of  the  Holy  Land,  laid  siege  to  Safed,  and  pressed  it  with  such 
reckless  vehemence,  that  in  July  the  garrison  were  compelled  to 
make  terms  of  capitulation.  These  were  granted  ;  the  garrison 
marched  out  ;  and  having  placed  themselves  in  the  power  of  the 
conqueror,  were  put  to  death  in  cold  blood  to  the  number  of  two 
thousand  men.  The  prior  of  the  Templars  and  two  Franciscan 
monks,  who  had  exhorted  the  Christians  to  constancy  in  their 
faith,  are  said  to  have  been  flayed  aHve.  The  circumstances  of 
this  brutal  perfidy,  as  related  by  Arabian  historians,  are  even 
more  atrocious  than  they  are  described  by  Christian  writers.' — 
Bibars  immediately  restored  the  fortifications  of  Safed,  and  post- 
ed there  a  strong  garrison  ;  gave  orders  for  the  erection  of  two 
mosks  ;  and  established  in  the  town  a  colony  brought  from  Da- 
mascus.'^ The  next  year  he  again  strengthened  and  completed 
the  fortifications,  so  as  to  render  Safed  the  bulwark  of  all 
Syria.  ^ 

"We  hear  little  more  of  the  political  state  of  Safed.  Abulfeda 

speaks  of  it  as  a  fortress,  and  of  the  town  as  divided  into  three 
parts  ;  and  the  same  is  repeated  by  edh-Dhahiry  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  fifteenth  century  ;  the  latter  describes  the  castle  as  of 
surpassing  strength,  and  adds  that  the  town  contained  mosks, 
tombs  of  saiats,  schools,  baths,  and  markets.*  All"  this  iudicates 
a  high  degree  of  pro.sperity  ;  and  Safed  at  this  time  was  the  head 
of  a  province. — During  the  eighteenth  century,  as  we  have  seen, 
it  was  the  beginning  of  Sheikh  Dhaher's  power  ;  and  its  desola- 
tion by  the  earthquake  of  A.  D.  1759  has  already  been  men- 
tioned.' During  the  invasion  of  Syria  by  the  French  in  1799, 
they  occupied  Safed  with  a  garriwn  of  about  four  hundred  men, 
whose  outposts  were  advanced  as  far  as  to  the  bridge  of  the 
Jordan.  After  their  retreat  the  Jews'  quarter  was  sacked  by  the 
Turks.' 

The  origin  of  the  Jewish  settlement  at  Safed,  and  of  the 
celebrated  Rabbinic  school,  although  of  comparatively  modern 
date,  is  nevertheless  involved  in  obscurity.  Benjamin  of  Tude- 
la,  who  travelled  in  Palestine  about  A.  D.  1165,  and  is  carefol 
to  speak  of  every  place  where  even  two  or  three  Jews  were  to  be 
found,  Ansited  and  describes  the  adjacent  cemetery  of  Meiron, 

'  See  Makrizi  trnd  other  Arabian  writers  *  Abulf.  Tab.  Sjr.  p.  83.  Edh-Dhihiry 

in  Reicaud  Estraits  pp.  494—498.    Marin,  in  Rosemnueller  Analect.  Arab.  Pars.  HI. 

Sannt  p.  222.  Wilken  L  c.  Vm.  pp.  486-  p.  19,  Arab.  p.  40,  Lat.— W.  de  Baldengel 

492.  speaks  also  of  Safed  in  A.  D.  133G  ta  a 
'  Reicaad  1.  c.  p.  498.  WHken  L  c  p.  strong  fortress,  surpassed  only  by  Kerak ; 

493.  p.  3o.>.  ed.  Basnage. 

•  Beinaud  L  c.  p.  502.    Wilken  L  c  p.       '  See  above,  pp.  393  sq.  424. 
615.  *  Burckhardtp.  317. 

iii.  329-331 


JincE  21.] 


JEWISH  SCHOOL  OF  LEARXIXG. 


429 


but  says  not  one  worii  of  Safed.'  The  latter  was  then  a  fortress 
in  the  hands  of  the  Christians  ;  and  it  follows  conclusively  from 
Benjamin's  silence,  that  no  Jews  at  that  time  dwelt  in  the 
place.  Nor  were  the  circumstances  of  Safed,  during  that  and 
the  following  century,  such  as  were  likely  to  allure  them  to  take 
up  their  ab.xle  there.  The  rules  and  sway  of  the  Templars 
were  not  favourable  to  tolerance,  and  least  of  all  to  the  Jews. 
During  the  fifty  years  of  Muhammedan  dominion,  after  the 
capture  of  Safed  by  Saladin,  it  is  indeed  possible,  that  some 
of  this  people  may  have  repaired  thither;  but' when  in  A.  D. 
1240  the  Templars  regained  possession  for  six  and  twenty  years, 
it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed,  that  Jews  could  have  formed  a  por- 
tion of  the  inhabitants.  Bibars,  as  we  have  seen,  repeopled  the 
place  anew  with  a  colony  from  Damascus.  Most  writers  also 
of  the  two  following  centuries,  make  no  mention  of  Jews  at 
Safed  *  Later  Jewish  Itineraries  speak  here  of  the  tomb  of 
the  prophet  Hosea.' 

Bat  in  whatever  period  the  first  establishment  of  that  peo- 
ple here  may  fall,  or  whenever  their  school  of  learning  may  have 
been  founded,  it  is  certain,  that  the  latter  was  in  its  most  floi;r- 
ishing  state  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  ;  and 
various  circumstances  render  the  suppooition  probable,  that  its 
origin  is  not  to  be  placed  much  if  any  further  back,  than  the 
early  part  of  the  same  century.^  All  the  celebrated  Eabbis, 
who  are  known  to  have  lived  and  taught  in  Safed,  fall  within 
this  period.  One  of  the  first  meadoned  is  Jacob  Be-Kab,  a  Span- 
ish exile,  who  was  first  chief  Rabbi  at  Fez  in  Africa  and  then  at 
Safed,  where  he  became  celebrated  as  a  writer  and  teacher,  and 
died  in  A.  D.  1541.  Among  his  more  distinguished  pupils,  who 
became  also  his  colleagues  and  successors  at  Safed,  were  :  Moses 
de  Trani  of  Apulia,  who  taught  as  Eabbi  for  fifty-four  years 
from  1525  to  1580,  the  year  of  his  death  ;  Joseph  Karo  of 
Spanish  descent,  one  of  the  chief  ornaments  of  the  academy 
from  1545  until  his  death  in  1575  ;  and  Solomon  Alkabez,  who 
began  to  distinguish  himself  as  a  writer  in  1529,  and  was  still 
living  in  1561.'    A  pupU  and  colleague  of  Karo  and  Alkabez 

'  Benj.  of  Tud.  L  p.  82.  Parchi  a  centurv  later  has  the  name  Tse- 

'  The  oiily  exception  I  fonnerlv  found  fath ;  but  nothing  more ;  see  in  Asher's 

is  Ludolf  de  Sncbem  (A.  D.  1.536-50  ',  Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  420. 

who  msT^ly  relates  that  in  his  time  a  Jew  '  Carmoly,  p.  381,  447.  Hettinger  Cippi 

and  his'wile  from  Westphalia  were  living  Heb.  p.  58. 

at  Saf-id :  Itin.  p.  97.    Reissb.  p.  852.  *  Basnage  adduces  the  silence  of  Ben- 

Sce  Brocardua  c.  4.  p.  173.    Marin.  Sannt  jamin,  as  showing  that  there  could  then 

pp.  222,  248.    W.  de  Baldensel  p.  355.  have  been  no  Jewish  school  at  Safed  ;  but 

Sir  J.  Ifa'mieville  p.  117.  London  1839. —  remarks  conjectnrally,  or  at  least  without 

But  the  .Jewish  Itinerary  of  Samuel  bar  referring  to  any  authority,  that  it  was 

Simson  in  1210  speaks  of  communities  fjunded  not  long  after.    Hist,  des  Juifs 

of  the  Jews  at  Safed;  see  Carmoly,  Brux.  Tom.  V.  p.  1942.    Rotterd.  1707. 

1847.  pp.  132, 133;  cump.  pp.  187, 261,  447.  »  See  De  Eoasi  Dizionario  Storico  degli 

iii.-331}  332 


430 


SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


was  Moses  of  Cordova,  the  most  famous  caBbalist  since  the  day8 
of  Simeon  Ben  Jochai ;  he  died  as  chief  Rabbi  of  Safed  in  A. 
D.  1570.  Moses  Galante,  a  native  of  Rome,  was  somewhat 
later  and  died  in  1618.  But  the  academy  was  not-indebted  for 
its  fame  to  strangers  alone ;  Samuel  Oseida  and  Moses  Alsheikh, 
both  natives  of  Safed,  contributed  to  its  celebrity  during  the 
sixteenth  century  ;  the  latter  died  between  1592  and  1601.' 

The  writings  of  all  these  learned  men  are  numerous  and  of 
high  renown  in  Jewi.sh  literature  ;  and  under  their  teaching,  the 
school  of  Safed  "became  famous,  and  was  frequented  by  pupils 
from  every  quarter.  It  appears  also,  that  a  printing-office  was 
already  estabUshed  ;  and  a  work  of  Galante,  a  comment  on  the 
book  of  Ecclesiastes,  is  extant,  bearing  the  imprint  of  Safed 
1578.^  To  this  period  is  doubtless  to  he  referred  the  descrip- 
tion of  tlie  former  prosperity  of  the  Jews  in  Safed,  as  given  by 
Nau  nearly  a  centur}'  later.  Safed  was  to  them  hke  another 
Jerusalem.  They  dwelt  there  in  great  numbers  ;  and  had  a 
vast  Khan  like  a  square  fortress,  covered  with  lead,  in  which 
many  hved,  and  where  there  was  a  fine  synagogue.  Besides  the 
schools  in  which  the  sciences  were  taught,  they  counted  eighteen 
synagogues  distiaguished  by  the  names  of  the  several  nations 
which  possessed  them  ;  as  the  Portuguese,  Spanish,  Italian,  and 
others.' 

The  cessation  of  this  prosperity  is  ascribed  to  the  oppressions 
of  the  Muhammedans  ;  and  probably  took  place  by  degrees. 
Some  of  the  renowned  Rabbis,  as  appears  above,  continued  their 
labours  into  the  seventeenth  century  ;  and  Quaresmius,  writing 
about  A.  D.  1625,  speaks  of  Safed  as  inhabited  chiefly  by 
Hebrews,  who  had  their  synagogues  and  schools  ;  and  for  whose 
sustenance,  contributions  were  made  by  the  Jews  in  other  parts 
of  the  world.''  The  further  accounts  of  this  people  in  Safed, 
from  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  onward,  have  already 
been  adverted  to.^ 

Closely  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Jews  in  Safed,  and 
perhaps  originally  the  occasion  of  their  setthng  here,  is  the  \'il- 
lage  of  Meiron,  lying  about  two  hours  distant  W.  N.  W.^  Here 
are  the  reputed  tombs  of  several  ancient  holy  Rabbis  ;  and  as 
a  place  of  pilgrimage  for  the  Jews,  this  is  now  the  most  famous 
and  venerated  in  Palestine.    It  seems  to  be  mentioned  in  the 

Autori  Ebrei,  etc.  Parma  1802,  arts.  Be-  Jakob;"  Dc  Rossi  1.  c.  art.  Galant».  Bar- 

Rab,  Trani,  Karo,  Alkabez.    See  also  for  tolocci  Biblioth.  Kabb.  Tom.  IV.  p.  67. 

thege  and  the  other  Rabbins  mentioned,  The  later  accounts  of  this  press  have  al- 

Bartolocci  Biblioth.  Rabbin,  under   the  ready  been  given  ;  see  above,  p.  421. 

several  names.    Basnage  Hist,  des  Juifs  ^  Nan  Voyage,  etc.  pp.  560,  501. 

Tom.  V.  p.  1943  sq.  Rotterd.  1707.  Quaresinius  II  p.  904. 

'  De  Rossi  1.  c.  arts.  Cordovero,  Otdante,  '  See  above,  p.  421. 

Oscida,  AUrheieh.  '  We  visited  Meiron  in  1852;  see  ia 

'  The  title  of  the  book  is  "  Kchilat  VoL  III  Sect.  H,  xmder  Apr.  14tL. 
iii.  332-334 


June  21.] 


JEWISH  SCHOOL.  MEIBON. 


431 


Talmud  as  Meron  and  Beth  Meron.'  Benjamin  of  Tudela 
speaks  of  it  about  A.  D.  1165  ;  and  relates  that  in  a  cavern 
near  by,  were  the  sepulchres  of  the  celebrated  Jewish  doctors 
Hillel  and  Shammai,  as  also  of  twenty  of  their  disciples  and 
other  Kabbis.*  The  Jewish  Itinerary  of  Samuel  bar  Simson 
(1210)  mentions  here  likewise  the  tombs  of  these  two  masters, 
and  describes  in  addition  the  sepulchre  of  K.  Simeon  Ben  Jo- 
chai,  the  reputed  author  of  the  cabbaKstic  book  Zohar  ;  while 
later  Itineraries  in  like  manner  speak  of  aU  these  tombs.'  At 
the  present  day,  there  is  at  Meiron  quite  a  cemetery  of  ancient 
Jewish  tombs.  The  sepulchres  are  described  as  hewn  out  of 
the  rock,  each  large  enough  to  contain  several  bodies,  and  cov- 
ered with  immense  stones,  some  of  them  a  foot  in  thickness.* 
The  most  sacred  of  the  tombs  at  present,  is  that  reputed  to 
belong  to  R.  Simeon  Ben  Jochai  ;  but  which,  to  judge  from  the 
silence  of  Benjamin,  must  be  of  far  later  date.  To  this  tomb 
the  Jews  make  an  annual  procession  in  May,  in  memory  of  the 
saint ;  and  over  it  they  are  said  to  burn  the  most  costly  articles 
they  possess,  including  sometimes  valuable  Cashmere  shawls.' 
The  occasion  was  described  to  us,  I  hope  slanderously,  as  a  fes- 
tival, during  which  the  Jews  give  themselves  up  to  reveliy  and 
intoxication.' 

The  situation  of  Safed,  as  we  have  seen,  is  very  high.  The 
whole  region  of  Galilee  is  in  general  less  elevated,  than  the 
mountainous  tract  of  Judea  ;  yet  Safed  itself,  and  especially  the 
two  eminences  half  an  hour  further  north,  cannot  well  be  much 
lower  than  Jerusalem  and  the  Mount  of  Olives.  These  emi- 
nences, although  as  here  seen  only  rounded  hills,  form  one  of 
the  highest  points  of  Galilee  ;  around  which  in  winter  the 
clouds  gather,  and  cause  an  abundance  of  rain.    In  summer 


'  See  the  passages  in  Lightfoot  0pp.  11. 
p.  693.    Reland  Pal.  p.  817. 

"  Benj.  of  Tud.  L  p.  82.— Hillel  and 
Shammai  are  reputed  to  have  heen  the 
heads  of  different  schools  before  the  Chris- 
tian era,    Lightfoot  0pp.  II  p.  6.  fol. 

'  See  in  Carmolv,  p.  13.5 ;  also  pp.  184, 
260,  381.  Parchi  in  Asher',*  Benj.  of 
Tud.  II.  p.  427.  Hottinger's  Cippi  Hebr. 
Ed.  2.  p.  68 ;  compare  above,  Vol.  I.  p. 
332.  n.  2  Nicbuhr  Reisebeschr.  III.  p. 
69. — R.  Ben  Jochai  is  said  to  havf>  been  a 
pupil  of  R.  Akibii,  and  to  have  flourished 
about  A.  D.  120.  The  Zohar  is  a  cabba- 
listic commentary  upon  the  Pentateuch  ; 
De  Rossi  regards  it  as  having  been  com- 
piled by  tlie  pupils  of  Ben  Jochai,  half  a 
century  later.  See  De  Ros.<i  Dizionario 
Storieo,  etc.  art.  Jovhai.  Comp.  Wolf 
Biblioth.  Rabb.  I.  p.  1134.  Lightfoot  0pp. 
n.  p.  144, 


'  See  the  similar  description,  Hottinger 
1.  c.  p.  68. 

Elliott's  Travels,  etc.  IT.  pp.  355,  356. 

*  I  have  mentioned  above  the  story 
current  in  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries,  that  a  rich  Jewess  had  built  up  a 
part  of  Tiberias,  in  order  that  the  Jews 
might  dwell  there  ;  but  that  they  had  been 
driven  out  by  the  Turks  ;  see  above,  p.  393. 
This  report,  or  at  least  the  building  up,  is 
mentioned  by  Purer  in  A.  D.  1566.  Taking 
this  story  in  connection  with  the  apparent 
rise  of  the  school  in  Safed,  about  the 
beginning  of .  the  same  century,  it  seems 
not  improbable,  that  the  main  impulse  for 
the  settlement  of  Jews  at  the  latter  place, 
may  have  been  given  by  a  colony  thu.>  driven 
out  from  Tiberias  ;  who  fi.xed  themselves  at 
Safed,  perhaps,  on  account  of  its  vicinity 
to  Meiron. 

iii.  334.  335 


432 


SAFED. 


[Sec.  XV. 


the  air  is  pure,  and  the  climate  not  unlike  that  of  the  Holy- 
City.  Our  thermometer  stood  here  in  the  afternoon  -with  a 
west  wind  at  82°  F.,  and  the  next  morning  at  61°  ;  hut  at  ten 
o'clock  it  had  risen  to  87°  F.  with  a  serene  atmosphere  and  the 
heat  not  oppressive.  The  ohve,  the  pomegranate,  the  fig,  and 
the  vine,  were  here  frequent,  and  seemed  to  thrive. 

From  the  isolated  hill  of  Safed,  and  particularly  from  the 
castle,  there  is  a  wide  and  diversified  prospect  on  every  side  ex- 
cept the  north  ;  where  the  view  is  cut  off  hy  the  two  higher 
peaks  above  mentioned.  In  the  southeast  the  lake  of  Tiberias 
lies  spread  out  before  the  spectator  in  its  deep  basin  ;  while  be- 
yond, and  towards  the  east,  the  eye  takes  in  the  whole  extent 
of  the  high  table  land  of  Jaulan,  the  ancient  Gaulonitis,  present- 
ing the  appearance  of  a  vast  uneven  plain,  intereected  by  deep 
valleys  and  chasms  running  towards  the  lake.  The  view  stretch- 
es even  beyond  this  district ;  and  embraces  a  great  part  of 
Hauran,  quite  to  the  borders  of  el-Lejah.  The  sightly  mountain 
Kuleib  Hauran,  "  the  Dog,"  which  is  everywhere  a  conspicuous 
object  in  travelling  through  that  countiy,  was  here  verj^  distinct- 
ly visible.'  Far  in  the  south,  the  fine  mountains  of  'Ajlun, 
around  el-Husn,  were  seen  across  the  Ghor  below  the  lake  ; 
and  then  more  towards  the  right  came  Tabor,  the  Httle  Hermon, 
and  a  small  portion  of  the  great  plain  northwest  of  Jenin,  with 
the  mountains  of  Samaria.  In  the  southwest  and  west,  two 
dark  mountain  ridges,  partially  covered  with  shrubs  and  trees, 
shut  in  the  view  at  the  distance  of  two  or  three  hours.  To- 
wards the  east  and  north,  the  mountains  around  Safed  are 
naked.'' 

A  visit  to  Safed  had  not  been  included  in  our  original  plan  ; 
and  our  main  object  in  coming  liither,  was  to  obtain  intelhgence 
respecting  the  safety  of  the  roads  to  Damascus.  This  therefore 
had  been  our  earliest  inquiry  ;  but  we  could  gather  at  first  very 
little  information  ;  every  one  being  silent  for  fear  of  the  govern- 
ment. Eveiy  one  advised  us,  however,  not  to  go  at  all  by  the 
way  of  Hasbeiya  ;  nor  by  the  way  of  the  bridge  without  a  cara- 
van. By  degrees,  the  intelligence  we  had  received  at  Tiberias 
was  here  confirmed ;  and  it  was  further  supposed,  that  by  this 
time,  the  troops  which  had  been  sent  against  the  rebels  must 
have  been  successful,  and  that  the  roads  were  now  open  and 
safe,  or  would  soon  become  so.  Indeed,  in  this  expectation,  a 
email  company  of  nvuleteers  and  merchants  was  already  forming 
at  Safed,  to  set  off  for  Damascus  on  Saturday.    The  regular 

'  See  Burckhardt's Travels  in  Syria,  pp.  '  Bearings  at  S.-ifed  from  the  castle: 

90,  92.  Col.  Leake  regards  this  mountain  Jebel  Kuluib  Hauran  S.  6'.>   E.  Senii'v  S. 

as  tie  Alsadanins  of  Ptolemy,  lib.  5.  15.  80°  W.  Meiron  two  hours  distant  N.  67  W. 

Pref.  to  Burckliardt  p.  xii.  Sa'so'  N.  45°  W. 
iii.  335-337 


JoOT  21.] 


PROSPECT.     ROADS  UNSAFE. 


433 


Friday's  fair  was  to  be  held  in  Safed  to-morrow,  whicli  is  usual- 
ly attended  by  persons  from  Hasbeiya  and  Rasheiya  ;  and  the 
merchants  in  question  were  now  waiting  to  receive  further  in- 
formation fi-om  this  source.  We  concluded  to  join  the  company, 
should  it  depart  as  proposed  ;  and  at  any  rate  to  wait  here 
until  Friday  noon,  for  the  sake  of  the  expected  inteUigence. 

All  these  items  we  could  pick  up  only  by  degrees  and  with 
difficulty,  chiefly  by  the  aid  of  our  muleteers,  and  from  their 
associates.  The  agent  of  the  American  consul  at  Beirut,  who 
resides  here,  was  now  absent ;  as  were  also  two  or  three  other 
individuals  whom  we  had  hoped  to  find.  My  companion  called 
upon  the  Mutesellim,  where  he  was  for  the  first  time  on  our 
journey  received  with  impoliteness  ;  that  dignitary  would  say 
nothing,  but  that  the  road  to  Damascus  was  open  ;  whether  it 
was  safe  or  not,  he  would  not  aver.  I  lighted  upon  a  Jewish 
Eabbi  who  spoke  tolerable  German  ;  but  the  same  fear  of  the 
government  kept  him  back  from  giving  any  explicit  information. 
Some  other  Jews  whom  I  addressed,  seemed  almost  too  stupid  to 
reply. 

The  next  morning,  Friday,  the  expected  fair  was  held  at 
Safed  ;  but  not  an  individual  appeared  from  Hasbeiya  or  its 
immediate  vicinity.  People  from  the  northern  part  of  the  basin 
of  the  Huleh  were  there  ;  and  reported,  that  Hasbeiya  was  in  a 
state  of  siege  from  the  troops  of  the  Pasha  ;  that  predatory 
bands  of  the  Druzes  had  made  inroads  even  into  the  Huleh  and 
the  villages  round  about  it,  and  especially  upon  the  eastern 
roads  to  Damascus.  There  was  too  a  rumour,  that  the  troops 
had  been  worsted  in  an  encounter  with  the  rebels  ;  but  this 
seemed  to  need  confirmation.  The  general  news,  however,  was 
of  such  a  tenor,  that  the  company  at  Safed  gave  up  their  pur- 
pose of  proceeding  nest  day  to  Damascus  ;  and  we  wei-e  thus 
again  left  to  ourselves.  We  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  set  off 
alone.  We  might  indeed  wait  for  the  larger  caravan,  which  was 
soon  to  leave  'Akka  for  Damascus,  and  pass  the  night  at  the 
Khan  Jubb  Yiisuf ;  but  we  could  not  leam  when  it  was  to 
start,  and  no  orders  had  yet  been  received,  when  to  furnish 
supplies  at  the  Khan.  Add  to  all  this,  our  time  was  limited  ; 
for  the  steamer  was  to  leave  Beirut  at  the  very  latest  on  the 
10th  of  July.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  felt  reluctantly 
compelled  to  abandon  our  further  journey  towards  Damascus, 
and  proceed  directly  to  Beirut  by  way  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  ; 
flattering  ourselves,  that  from  Beirut  we  should  still  be  able  to 
make  an  excursion  to  Ba'albek,  and  return  by  way  of  the  ce- 
dars of  Lebanon. — It  was  well  that  we  now  came  to  this  deter- 
mination ;  for  we  afterwards  learned  at  Beirut,  that  just  at  this 
period  the  whole  region  of  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon  had  been 

Vol.  II.— 37  iii.  337,  338 


434 


BEGION  OF  THE  HTJLEH. 


[Sec.  XV. 


unsafe  and  impassable  ;  and  all  the  roads,  even  between  Da- 
mascus and  Beirut,  bad  been  for  a  time  shut  up. 

Towards  tbe  close  of  the  fair,  I  strolled  to  the  market  place 
where  it  was  held,  on  the  southwest  side  of  the  castle  hiU. 
Many  people  were  still  there,  though  the  business  was  mostly 
over.  The  main  articles  exposed  for  sale,  were  new  wheat 
and  barley  ;  the  rest  were  chiefly  garden  vegetables  and  fruits. 
There  seemed  not  to  have  been  many  purchasers. — The  first 
time  we  passed  over  the  market  place,  not  long  after  our  arrival, 
we  were  hailed  by  a  quarantine  guard  -mth  the  question, 
Whence  we  came  ?  On  our  replying,  From  Hebron,  they  in- 
quired further  :  Whether  we  had  been  in  Jerasalem  ?  Our  an- 
swer in  the  negative  put  an  end  to  the  examination. 


BEGION  OF  THE  HULEH. 

While  we  were  thus  waiting  in  uncertainty  at  Safed,  being 
very  desirous  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  basin  of  the  Huleh  and 
the  country  around  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  our  younger 
muleteer,  who  was  here  at  home,  proposed  to  take  us  to  a  spot 
about  an  hour  northeast  of  the  town,  where  he  said  we  might 
have  an  extensive  prospect.  We  accordingly  set  off"  about  4 
o'clock  of  Thursday  afternoon,  and  proceeding  northeasterly 
around  the  head  of  the  deep  vaUey  on  the  north  and  northwest 
of  Safed,  came  in  half  an  hour  to  the  ridge  constituting  the  gap 
between  the  two  higher  peaks  already  mentioned.  Here  Safed 
bore  S.  40°  W.  and  Benit,  the  place  to  which  we  were  going, 
N.  45°  E.  The  path  now  descended  a  little,  crossing  the  heads 
of  one  or  two  Wadys  which  run  off  eastwards,  but  keeping  in 
general  upon  high  table  land,  until  in  about  twenty-five  minutes 
more,  we  reached  Benit.  Here  are  the  slight  remains  of  a 
former  village,  situated  directly  on  the  brow  of  the  mountains 
enclosing  the  Huleh,  and  commanding  a  splendid  view  over  the 
whole  basin  and  the  surrounding  region. 

Almost  directly  at  our  feet  lay  the  lake  el-Hiileh,  separated 
from  the  mountain  on  which  we  stood  only  by  a  lower  tract  of 
uneven  table  land,  the  continuation  of  that  between  the  moun- 
tains of  Safed  and  the  Jordan.  This  lower  intervening  tract 
hid  from  our  view  the  southwestern  and  western  shores  of  the 
lake  itself,  and  caused  it  to  appear  to  us  as  of  a  triangular  form, 
running  out  almost  to  a  point  at  its  southeast  extremity,  where 
the  Jordan  issues  from  it  about  an  hour  above  the  bridge.  The 
length  of  the  lake  we  estimated  at  about  two  hours,  or  from  four 
to  five  geographical  miles  ;  its  breadth  at  the  northern  end  is 

iiL  338-340 


June  21.]  EXCURSION  TO  BENIT.    THE  LAKE. 


435 


probably  not  less  than  four  miles.'  On  tbe  north  the  waters  of 
the  lake  are  skirted  by  a  marshy  tract  of  considerable  extent, 
covered  with  tall  reeds  and  flags  ;  into  which  our  guide  assured 
us  neither  man  nor  beast  could  penetrate. 

At  the  season  when  the  lake  is  full,  if  not  indeed  at  aU 
times,  this  tract  is  doubtless  covered  with  water  ;  so  that  the 
whole  may  properly  be  regarded  as  pertaining  to  the  area  of 
the  lake.  Viewed  in  this  light,  the  lake  and  its  marshes  may 
be  said  to  occupy  nearly  the  southern  half  of  the  basin  of 
the  Huleh,  and  may  be  reckoned  at  five  or  six  geographical 
miles  in  length  by  four  or  five  in  breadth.  Through  this  great 
marsh,  two  or  three  small  streams  are  seen  pursuing  their  way 
towards  the  lake,  chiefly  from  the  north,  and  one  or  more  from 
the  west ;  they  wind  exceedingly,  and  occasionally  swell  out  into 
small  ponds.  These  glitter  in  the  midst  of  the  marsh  and 
among  the  reeds  ;  but  neither  deserve,  nor  admit,  the  name  of 
separate  lakes.* 

On  the  east,  the  lake  extends  quite  to  the  foot  of  the  high 
ground,  which  shuts  in  the  basin  on  that  side.  On  the  south- 
western and  western  side,  there  is  a  tract  of  arable  land  aU  the 
way  between  the  lake  and  the  mountains,  along  which  the  road 
passes.  This  would  seem  to  be  somewhat  uneven  ;  for  my 
companion,  in  travelKng  through  it  twice,  in  A.  D.  1834  and 
the  following  year,  had  been  able  to  get  from  the  road  only  one 
or  two  glimpses  of  the  lake.  At  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
clear  part  of  the  lake,  adjacent  to  the  marsh,  a  small  miU 
stream  enters,  which  rises  from  a  single  large  fountain  called 
'Ain  el-Mellahah,  at  the  foot  of  the  western  mountain.^  The 
tract  on  the  southern  end  of  the  lake  and  on  its  western  side,  as 
far  north  as  to  el-MeUahah,  is  caUed  Ard  el-Khait  or  Belad  el- 
Khait ;  and  the  lake  itself  sometimes  takes  the  same  name,  el- 
Khait.  This  district,  which  is  arable  and  apparently  nowhere 
marshy,  is  under  the  government  of  Safed.  Near  'Ain  el-Mel- 
lahah, there  is  usually  a  large  encampment  of  the  Ghawa- 
rineh  in  tents  and  reed  huts. 

North  of  el-Mellahah,  the  arable  tract  still  continues  of 
variable  width,  between  the  marsh  and  the  western  mountain. 
At  the  distance  of  an  hour  is  another  similar  fountain,  called 
Belat  or  Belateh,  with  a  copious  stream  running  into  the  marsh, 

'  Pococke  describes  the  lake  as  fovir       '  Burckhardt  extends  the  name  of  the 

miles  broad  at  its  northern  end,  and  two  fountain,  el-Mell  ihah,  by  mistake,  to  the 

miles  at  the  southern  ;  th»  waters,  he  says,  whole  southwest  coast  of  the  lake  ;  which 

are  muddy  und  reckoned  vmwholesome.  he  wrongly  says  is  covered  by  a  saline 

Vol  II.  i.  p.  73.  crust  j  Travels  p  316.    This  name  is  here 

»  Something  of  this  kind  doubtless  gave  of  long  standing ;  for  William  of  Tyre  ap- 

occasion  for  the  story  of  a  small  lake  plies  it  to  the  whole  lake  :   "  circa  lacum 

north  of  the  Huleh;  Buckingham's  Tra-  Aleleha Will.  Tyr.  18.  13. 
Tela  among  the  Arab  Tribes  p.  406.  4to. 

iiL  340  341 


436 


BEGION  OF  THE  HULEH. 


[Sec.  XV. 


and  usually  a  like  encampment  of  Ghawarineh.  The  water  of 
both  these  copious  fountains  is  not  cold  ;  and  is  described  by 
my  companion  as  much  resembhng  that  of  'Ain  es-Sultan  near 
Jericho.  At  these  points,  and  along  these  streams,  the  marsh 
extends  up  westwards  almost  to  the  fountains. — The  marsh 
itself,  towards  the  north,  gradually  passes  over  into  a  still  more 
extensive  and  broader  tract  of  fine  meadow  land,  occupied  by 
nomadic  Arabs,  who  are  mostly  if  not  entirely  Ghawarineh,  and 
whose  main  employment  is  the  raising  of  cattle,  chiefly  buffa- 
los.'  The  road  passes  up  on  the  western  side  ;  and  along  it,  for 
a  considerable  distance,  runs  an  artificial  ditch  or  canal  for  irri- 
gation, which  can  be  crossed  only  with  difficulty  ;  east  of  it  the 
ground  is  more  firm,  though  still  so  low,  that  the  Arabs  culti- 
vate rice.  This  canal  branches  off  from  the  stream  which 
comes  from  Hasbeiya,  not  far  below  the  bridge  Jisr  el-Ghujar  ;* 
and  forms  with  the  main  stream  a  sort  of  Delta,  in  which,  near 
the  northern  end,  is  the  miserable  village  ez-Zuk  belonging  to 
the  Ghawarineh.  StUl  further  north,  the  groimd  rises  more;  and 
a  most  fertile  plain  extends  towards  Banias,  on  which  grain  is 
cultivated.  But  the  whole  region  is  given  up  to  Bedawin  and 
Ghawarineh.  A  few  villages  are  scattered  upon  the  eastern 
hills  ;  two  or  three  of  which  are  inhabited  by  Nusairiyeh.  The 
whole  length  of  the  basin  may  thus  be  about  fifteen  geographi- 
cal miles. 

The  name  el-Huleh,  therefore,  as  used  at  present  by  the 
inhabitants,  belongs  strictly  to  that  part  of  the  basin  north  of 
el-Mellahah  and  the  lake  ;  though  it  is  commonly  so  extended 
as  to  comprise  the  whole.  ^  The  more  eastern  portion,  including 
some  villages  around  Banias,  is  called  Hulet  Banias,  and  be- 
longs to  the  government  of  Hasbeiya.  Around  and  below  Bani- 
as itself,  the  region  is  called  Ard  Banias.''  The  northwest  part 
of  the  basin  falls  within  the  district  of  Merj  'Ayun,  which 
extends  down  so  as  to  embrace  it.  In  1834,  my  companion,  Mr 
Smith,  on  his  way  to  Damascus,  travelled  from  Tiberias  to 
Hasbeiya,  a  good  two  days'  journey,  encamping  for  the  night  at 
'Ain  el-Mellahah.  The  next  year  he  passed  from  Safed  along 
the  lake,  encamped  at  Belat,  and  pursued  his  journey  through 
Merj  'Ayftn  and  by  Jezzin  and  Deir  el-Kamr  to  Beirut.  In 
neither  instance,  did  he  hear  of  any  inhabited  village  in  the 
Htileh  near  the  road. 

*  Willibald  in  the  eighth  century  speaks  '  So  called  frma  the  village  el-Ghujar 

here  also  of  buffalos:  "  Armenta  mirabilia  not  far  distant. 

longo  dorso,  brevibus   cruribus,  magnis  ^  So  already  Bohaeddin,  Vit.  Salad,  p. 

cornibus  creati ;  omnes  sunt  uiiius  colons."  98.    Abulfeda  speaks  only  of  the  lake  of 

He  describes  them  in  sommer  as  inimers-  Banuis  ;  Tab.  Sjt.  pp  147,  155. 

ipg  themselves  wholly  in  the  marshes,  ex-  *  Burckhardt  p.  38. 
cept  the  head,  etc.  llodcepor.  §  17.  p.  375. 
ui.  341-343 


June  21.] 


THE  PLAIN.     GENERAL  FEATURES. 


437 


Such  was  the  amount  of  our  observations  and  information, 
in  respect  to  the  lake  and  basin  of  the  Huleh  itself.  The  town 
of  Banias  in  its  northeast  quarter  we  could  not  here  see  ;  it 
being  hidden  behind  some  projections  of  the  hiUs  in  its  vicin- 
ity. But  the  ruined  Saracenic  castle,  Kid'at  Banias,  called 
by  Arabian  writers  Kul'at  es-Subeibeh,  standing  upon  a  thin 
ridge  cut  off"  from  Jebel  esh-Sheikh  by  a  deep  ravine,  was  dis- 
tinctly visible.  From  the  point  where  we  now  stood,  this  castle 
bore  N.  40°  E.  and  we  judged  the  distance  to  be  not  far  from 
fifteen  or  sixteen  geographical  miles.  Beyond  it,  nearly  in  the 
same  direction,  and  perhaps  twice  as  remote,  towered  the  lofty 
summit  of  Jebel  esh-Sheikh,  here  seen  in  all  its  majesty,  with 
its  long  narrow  glaciers,  like  stripes  of  snow,  extending  down 
below  its  icy  crown,  and  glittering  in  the  sun.  Our  position 
enabled  us  to  obtain  a  good  general  idea  of  the  country  on  the 
north,  around  the  sources  of  the  Jordan  ;  and  the  same  was 
confirmed  by  further  observation,  on  our  subsequent  journey. 

The  mighty  parallel  ridges  of  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon, 
the  Jebel  Libnan  and  Jebel  esh-Shurky  (East  Mountain)  of  the 
Arabs,'  enclose  the  noble  valley  now  called  el-Buka'a,  once 
Ccele-Syria  proper,  watered  throughout  the  greater  portion  of 
its  length  by  the  river  Litany,  the  ancient  Leontes.  The  gener- 
al direction  of  the  mountains,  the  valley,  and  the  stream,  is 
from  northeast  to  southwest.  The  lofty  southern  end  of  Anti- 
Lebanon  is  called  Jebel  esh-Sheikh.  It  rises  to  its  highest 
elevation  nearly  south  of  Rasheiya  and  over  Hasbeiya  ;  and  is 
supposed  to  be  somewhat  higher  than  Jebel  Sunnin  near  Beirftt. 
The  usual  estimate  of  its  height  is  ten  thousand  feet  above  the 
Mediterranean.  The  top  is  partially  crowned  vsdth  snow,  or 
rather  ice,  during  the  whole  year ;  which  however  lies  only  in 
the  ravines,  and  thus  presents  at  a  distance  the  appearance  of 
radiant  stripes,  around  and  below  the  summit.  The  mountain 
afterwards  slopes  off  gradually  and  irregularly  towards  the  W. 
S.  W.  quite  down  to  the  opening  of  Wady  et-Teim  upon  the 
plain,  northwest  of  Banias.  In  this  part  there  is  some  cultivation, 
and  several  villages.  From  the  southeastern  base  of  the  high 
part  of  Jebel  esh-Sheikh,  a  low  broad  spur  or  mountainous  tract 
runs  off  towards  the  south,  forming  the  high  land  which  shuts 
in  the  basin  and  lake  of  the  Huleh  on  the  east.  According  to 
Burckhardt,  this  tract  is  called  Jebel  Heish  ;  the  higher  portion 
of  it  terminates  at  Tell  el-Faras,  nearly  three  hours  north  of 
Fik  ;  but  the  same  high  plain  of  Jaulan  continues  towards  the 

'  These  are  general  names  ;   but  the  nin,  etc. — The  name  Jebel  Libnan  occurs 

Arabs  more  commonly  employ  particular  in  Edrisi,  par  Jaubert  pp.  336,  356,  361. 

names  for  different  parts  of  these  moun-  Abulfeda  Tab.  Syr.  pp.  163,  164. 
tains ;  e.  g.  Jebel  esh-Sheikh,  Jebel  Sun- 

VoL.  II.-37*  -      iii.  343-345. 


438 


REGION  OF  THE  HULEH. 


[Sec.  XT, 


south,  until  the  mountains  of  'Ajlun  rise  again  above  it,  in  the 
district  el-Wastiyeh  and  around  el-Husn.' 

The  chain  of  Lebanon  or  at  least  its  higher  ridges,  may  be 
said  to  terminate  at  the  point,  where  it  is  broken  through  by  the 
river  Litany,  somewhat  north  of  Tyre.  But  a  broad  and  lower 
mountainous  tract  continues  towards  the  south,  bordering  the 
basin  of  the  Hiileh  on  the  west ;  it  rises  to  its  greatest  elevation 
around  Safed  (Jebel  Safed)  ;  and  ends  at  length  abruptly  in  the 
mountains  of  Nazareth,  as  the  northern  wall  of  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon.  This  high  tract  may  be  regarded  as  the  prolonga- 
tion of  Mount  Lebanon. 

Wady  et-Teim  lies  along  the  western  base  of  Jebel  esh- 
Sheikh  and  Anti-Lebanon  ;  being  separated  from  the  proper 
valley  of  the  Litany  by  a  ridge  and  line  of  hills,  extending  north 
as  far  as  'Anjar.  The  water-shed,  which  is  also  the  head  of  the 
southern  valley,  is  not  far  north  of  Rasheiya.  It  enters  the 
basin  of  the  Hiileh  about  an  hour  west  of  Banias.  It  is  a  fer- 
tile valley  with  a  considerable  stream  ;  skirted  on  each  side  by 
declivities  of  various  height,  usually  cultivated  ;  with  no  plain 
along  the  middle,  except  at  the  southern  end.  On  the  hiUs  are 
many  villages.  It  is  divided  into  two  districts,  called  the  Uppex 
and  Lower  Wady  et-Teim  ;  the  capital  of  the  former  being 
Rasheiya,  and  that  of  the  latter  Hasbeiya.  The  lower  district 
includes  also  Banias  and  the  vicinity.  These  and  some  other 
districts,  form  the  pro\ance  of  Jebel  esh-Sheikh.'^ 

West  of  the  southern  part  of  Wady  et-Teim,  between  it 
and  the  Litany,  lies  the  fine  region  of  Merj  'Ajxm,  separated 
from  the  Teim  by  a  range  of  hiUs.  It  is  an  oval  or  almost 
circular  basin,  about  an  hour  in  diameter,  a  beautiful,  fertile, 
well-watered  plain,  surrounded  by  hills,  which  in  some  parts  are 
high,  but  mostly  arable.  On  the  north,  they  retain  this  charac- 
ter quite  to  the  brow  of  the  descent  towards  the  Litany.  To- 
wards the  south,  Merj  'Ayun  communicates  with  the  plain  of 
the  Huleh  by  a  narrow  entrance,  through  which  flows  a  stream. 

Merj  'Ayun'  forms  a  district  within  the  government  of 
Belad  Besharah,  a  large  province  occupying  the  moimtaius  be- 
tween the  Huleh  and  the  plain  of  Tyre,  and  having  for  its 
capital  the  castle  of  Tibnin.*    The  route  of  my  companion  from 

"  Burckhardt  pp.  281,  286  sq.  city  Ijon,  (Heb.  "ji'S)  of  the  Old  Testa- 

"  The  Arabian  writer  edh-Dhfihiry  in  mcnt,  which  lay  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 

the  ir)th  century,  speaks  of  Wady  et-Teim  bourhood  of  Dan  and  Naphtali.   1  Kings 

as  a  district  in  the  province  of  Damascus,  1,5  20.  2  Chr.  16  4. 

80  called  from  the  Wady,  and  containing  <  Tlic  district  of  Merj 'Ayfin  is  mentioned 

360  villa<res;  see  Roseimiiiller's  Analect.  under  the  same  name  by  Arabian  histo- 

Arab.  III.  p.  22.  Lat.  p.  46.  riaus  of  the  times  of  the  crusades;  see 

'  Not  improbably  the  word  'Ayun  in  Bohacd.  Vit.  Salad,  pp.  8'.),  1)3  ;  and  in  the 

this  name  may  have  Bome  relation  to  the  same  work,  Excerpta  Abulfed.  A.  H.  686, 
ill  345,  346 


Joke  21.]  WADY  HT-TEIM,     MEEJ  'ATUN,  ETC. 


439 


Safed  to  Deir  el-Kamr  in  1835,  led  him  directly  tlirougli  Merj 
'Ayi\n,  and  so  over  the  bridge  of  the  Litany  near  the  castle  esh- 
Shflldf  to  JTezzin. 

The  preceding  account  has  been  corrected  by  observations 
made  during  a  visit  to  Bunias  and  the  sources  of  the  Jordan  in 
1852.  The  fuller  account  of  the  region  now  in  view  belongs  to 
another  volume.' 

The  high  tract  of  country  bordering  the  Huleh  on  the  west, 
is  thickly  populated.  It  bore  eveiywhere  the  marks  of  tillage, 
and  many  villages  were  in  sight,  the  names  of"  which  our  guide 
did  not  know.  One  was  mentioned  on  the  hills  opposite  the 
marshes,  still  bearing  the  name  of  Kedes  ;  it  is  without  doubt 
the  ancient  Kedesh  of  Naphtali,  a  city  of  refuge  and  of  the  Le- 
vites,  the  birthplace  of  Barak,  situated  twenty  Eoman  miles 
from  Tyre  and  not  far  from  Paneas.* 

The  view  from  Benit,  the  spot  where  we  stood,  was  very 
extensive  and  magnificent.  Before  us  rose  Jebel  esh-Sheikh  in 
all  his  glory  ;  while  more  on  the  left,  the  ridges  of  Lebanon 
were  visible  to  a  great  distance,  terminated  far  in  the  N.  N.  E, 
by  the  snowy  peak  of  Jebel  Sunnin  near  Beirut.  On  the  east 
of  Jebel  esh-Sheildi,  the  eye  scanned  the  lower  mountains  and 
high  table  land  which  extends  off  far  southwards  ;  including  the 
districts  of  Kuneitii'ah  and  Jaulan  ;  and  beyond  these  Hauran 
with  its  mountain.^ — The  bridge  Benat  Ya'kob  was  not  itself  visi- 
ble ;  but  we  could  see  the  Khan  upon  its  eastern  side,  and  could 
distinctly  trace  the  outline  of  the  narrow  valley  of  the  Jordan, 
from  the  Hiileh  to  the  Lake  of  Tiberias.  A  portion  of  the  lat- 
ter lake,  the  northeastern  part,  could  also  be  perceived,  like  a 
separate  lake,  deep  among  the  mountains  ;*  and  beyond  it  the 
"  high  hills  "  of  Bashan  presented  their  beautiful  outline.  Towards 
the  south  and  west  the  view  was  shut  out  by  the  adjacent  higher 
ground.  But  the  place  of  the  ancient  Dan  Avas  before  us  ;  and 
we  thus  had  been  permitted  to  behold  the  Promised  Land  in  aU 
its  length,  even  from  Dan  to  Beersheba.' 

p.  47.  Schultens  Index  Geogr.  art.  Jlarsj-  Tiberias,  aided  by  its  apparent  nearness 
Ojoun — Abulfeda  writes  the  name  with  as  seen  through  the  transparent  atmosphere, 
the  article,  Merj  el-'Ayun.  has  doubtless  given  occasion  for  the  story 

'  See  in  Vol.  III.  Sect.  IX.  of  another  small  lake  between  that  of  Ti- 

■■'  Jo:h.  19,  37.  20,  7.  21,  32.  Judg.  4,  berias  and  the  Huleh.  Richardson's  Tra- 
6.  Afterwards  conquered  by  Tiglath-  vels  II.  p.  440.  An  English  traveller, 
pileser,  1  Kings  IT),  29.  Onomast.  art.  whom  we  afterwards  met  at  Beirut,  had 
Cedes.  The  place  is  mentioned  by  Benja-  fallen  into  the  same  error  on  the  testimony 
min  of  Tudela,  I.  p.  82  ;  and  by  Brocardus,  of  his  own  eyes,  as  he  supposed, 
c.  4.  p.  1 73.  It  is  said  to  have  been  visited  '  The  bearings  taken  from  Benit  were 
a  few  years  since  by  Lady  He.ster  Stan-  as  follows :  Kiil'at  Banias  N  40 '  E.  Jebel 
hope,  and  again  soon  after  we  left  Syria  by  esh-Sheikh  N.  40°  E.  Mouth  of  Wady  et- 
Bertou  ;  BulL  de  la  Soc.  de  Geogr.  Sept.  Teim  about  N.  20°  E.  Snowy  peak  of 
1839,  p.  144.  Jebel  Sunnin  N.  24°  E.    Lake  el-Hiileh 

'  See  above,  under  Safed,  p.  4.32.  north  end  N.  41"  E.  (.')  Lake  el-Huleh 

*  Some  such  partial  view  of  the  lake  of  south  end  N.  65°  E.    Khun  at  Jisr  Benat 

ui.  347,  355.  356 


440 


REGION  OF  THE  HULEH. 


[Skc.  XV. 


We  returned  to  Safed  higKly  delighted  with  our  excursion  ; 
which  we  felt  assured  had  given  us  a  better  idea  of  the  Htileh 
and  the  adjacent  country,  than  we  could  have  obtained  by  sim- 
ply passing  through  the  plain.  Such,  at  least,  was  the  experi- 
ence of  my  companion,  who  had  already  twice  travelled  along 
the  Huleh  ;  where  the  road  is  so  low  as  to  afford  no  prospect  of 
the  land,  and  only  occasional  glimpses  of  the  lake. 

A  few  liistorical  notices  of  the  Huleh  and  two  or  three 
places  in  and  around  it,  may  close  this  section. 

The  lake  el-Hideli  is  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  as 
the  waters  of  Merom  ;  in  the  vicinity  of  which  Joshua  smote 
Jabin  king  of  Hazor  and  the  Canaanites,  with  a  great  slaugh- 
ter.' Josephus,  speaking  of  another  Jabin,  also  king  of  Hazor, 
places  that  city  over  the  lake  Samochonitis,  the  appellation  by 
which  alone  he  knows  these  waters.*  The  name  el-Huleh  goes 
back,  as  we  have  seen,  at  least  to  the  period  of  the  crusades  ; 
while  Abulfeda  describes  it  only  as  the  lake  of  Banias.^ 

In  Jebel  esh-SheiJch  we  have  the  majestic  Hermon  of  the 
Old  Testament,  which  is  put  as  the  northern  limit  of  the  terri- 
tory of  Israel  beyond  Jordan,  "from  the  river  of  Arnon  unto 
Mount  Hermon."^  The  Psalmist  couples  it  with  Tabor,  as  the 
representatives  of  all  the  mountains  of  the  Promised  Land.® 
Eusebius  describes  Mount  Hermon  as  overagainst  Paneas  and 
Lebanon  ;  Jerome  learned  from  his  Hebrew  teacher,  that  Her- 
mon impended  over  Paneas  ;  and  in  that  day  its  snows  were 
carried  in  summer  to  Tyre  as  a  luxury.^ — Mount  Hermon  bore 
also  the  name  of  Sion  ;  was  called  by  the  Sidonians,  Shirion  ; 
and  by  the  Ammonites,  Senir  ;  which  latter  name  in  the  Arabic 
form  Simir  was  still  applied,  in  Abulfeda's  day,  to  the  portion 
of  Anti-Lebanon  north  of  Jebel  esh-Sheikh.''  Very  early  too 
Hermon  began  to  receive  the  appellation  of  the  "  Snowy  Moun- 
tain," in  Chaldee  Tilr  Telga,  in  Arabic  Jebel  etli-Thelj ;  which 
latter  was  its  common  name  in  the  time  of  Abulfeda,  and  is 


Ya'k6b  N.  81°  E.  Dukah  on  the  lake  of 
Tiberias  S.  35°  E.  Delata,  village,  N.  23'' 
E. — DelUa  is  mentioned  in  the  Jewish 
Itineraries  as  a  place  of  Jewish  tombs ; 
Carmoly,  pp.  135,  185,  263,  379,  450.  Hot- 
tinger  Cippi  Hebr.  Ed.  2.  p.  66. 
'  Josh.  11,  5.  7. 

'  Joseph.  Ant.  6.  6.  1.  B.  J.  3.  10.  7. 
ib.  4.  1.  1. 

'  Bohaed.  Vit.  Salad,  p.  98.  Edh-Dha- 
hiry  iu  Rosenm.  Analect.  Arab.  III.  p.  22. 
Lat.  p.  45.  Abulf.  Tab.  .Syr.  pp.  147,  155. 
See  above,  p.  436.  For  the  name  Meleha, 
probably  a  mere  extension  of  'Ain  cl-Mel- 
lahah,  see  p.  435. 

*  Deut.  3,  8.  4,  48.  Comp.  Josh.  11,  3. 
17.  13,  11. 

iii.  356,  357 


"  Ps.  89,  12.  [13.]  See  above,  pp.  326, 
357.    Comp.  Ps.  42,  6.  133,  3. 

'  Onomast.  art.  uErmom,  uErmon, 
"  Hebraeus  vero  quo  praslegente  Scripturas 
didici,  affirmat  montem  jErmon  Paiieadi 
imminere  ;  .  .  .  de  quo  nunc  aestivse  nives 
Tyrum  ob  delicias  feruntur." 

'  Sion  Deut.  4,  48.  Scnir  Deut.  3,  9. 
Abulf.  Tab.  Syr.  p.  164.— The  Sion 
(Heb. 'JX'^ia)  here  spoken  of,  is  a  wholly 
difiFerent  name  from  the  Zion  (Heb.  *|i'2t) 
in  the  Holy  City ;  and  can  therefore  hava 
nothing  to  do  with  the  explanation  of  the 
difficult  passage  in  Ps.  133,  3  ;  where  only 
the  latter  name  is  read. 


June  21.] 


THE  LAKE.     HERMOJT.     THE  BRIDGE. 


441 


perhaps  heard  occasionally  at  the  present  day.'  The  monldsh 
transposition  of  Hermon  to  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  where  the 
name  of  Little  Hermon  is  still  sometimes  employed,  has  been 
already  sufficiently  considered.^ 

The  Jisr  Benat  Ya'kdb,  "  Bridge  of  the  daughters  of  Ja- 
cob,"^ appears  to  be  later  than  the  time  of  the  crusades,  and 
was  probably  erected  in  connection  with  the  great  caravan  road 
from  Egypt  to  Damascus,  with  its  numerous  Khans.  The 
writers  of  that  period  speak  only  of  a  ford  of  Jacob  ;  according 
to  a  legendaiy  tradition  or  supposition,  that  the  patriarch  here 
crossed  the  Jordan  on  his  return  from  Mesopotamia.  Abulfeda, 
about  A.  D.  1.300,  calls  the  spot  Beit  Ya'kob  (Jacob's  house), 
and  the  ford,  el-Ajran.* 

Travellers  of  the  fourteenth  century,  on  their  way  from 
Palestine  to  Damascus,  journeying  apparently  with  the  regular 
caravans,  crossed  the  Jordan  below  the  lake  of  Tiberias.^  In 
Jan.  A.  D.  1450,  the  party  of  Gumpenberg  is  described  as 
travelling  to  Damascus  along  the  lake  of  Tiberias  northwards, 
then  over  hills,  and  afterwards  crossing  a  bridge  where  was  a 
toll  ;  this  answers  to  the  bridge  in  question,  though  the  Jordan 
is  not  named.'  In  the  remainder  of  the  fifteenth,  and  the 
greater  portion  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  tide  of  travel 
among  the  pilgrims  turned  from  Jerusalem  southwards  towards 
Sinai  and  Egypt ;  but  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth,  we 
find  Belon  passing  to  Damascus  by  the  present  great  road  and 
bridge  ;  and  he  was  followed  by  several  others  in  the  same 
century.' 

It  would  appear,  therefore,  that  this  great  caravan  route  had 
been  establisked,  the  bridge  built,  and  the  Khans  erected,  prob- 
ably before  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century.  The  Khan 
near  the  bridge,  at  its  eastern  end,  is  similar  to  the  rest,  as  we 

'  Chald.  NSbn        ,  Targ.   HigrosoL  came  first  to  the  ford  of  the  Jabbok,  the 

Deut.  4,  48.    So  too  Vers.  Samarit  ibid,  present  Zerka,  north  of  Jericho ;  here 

See  Reland  Pal.  pp.  323,  324.— Abulf.  ^sau  met  him,  having  come  from  Mount 

Tab.  Syr.  p.  163.  Seir.    Gen.  32,  22  ;  comp.  vs.  3. 

"  See  above,  pp.  326,  327.— For  Dan  '  W.  de  Baldensel  ed.  Basnage  p.  355, 

and  Brini;is,  see  Vol.  III.  Sect.  IX,  1852.  "  Jordanem  transivi  ponte  in  eo  loco,  ubi 

'  Instead  of  Bmdt  Ya'kob,  Burckhardt  ^P^®  fluviiis  se  a  mari  GalilaeiB  separat." 

has  incorrectly  Beni  YftTcob,  '  Sons  of  Ja-  S""  J-  l^Iaundeville  p.  115.  Lond.  1839.— 

cob ; '  p.  315.  S°               -D-  1508,  Baumgarten  crossed 

*'"Vadum  Jacob,"  Will.  Tyr.  18.  13.  ^^'^  Jordan  near  Jericho,  and  proceeded 

ib.  21.  26.  ib.  22.  22,  "per  locum,  cui  thence  to  Damascus,  on  the  east  side  of 

nomen  Vadum  Jacob,  fluvium  pertran-  river ;  p.  107  sq. 

siens."    Qnaresmius  II.  p.  871.    Abulfed.  '  Reissb.  in  h.  Land  p.  451.  The  stream 

Annal.  A.  H.  575  ;  in  Bohaed.  Vit.  Salad.  merely  spoken  of  as  "a  water  Dale." 

Excerpt,  p.  26.    Bonifacius  has  here  also  '  ^elon  Observ.  Paris  1588,  p.  331. 

a  "  domus  Jacob ;  "  Quaresniius  1.  c.  p.  Then  followed  M.  Seidlitz  as  a  prisoner  in 

872;  and  Pococke  speaks  of  a  small  hill  '•'■''S,  Reissb.  p.  489;  Radzivil  in  1583, 

north  of  the  bridge  with  some  ruins,  called  R<-'issb.  II.  p.  1.53;  CotovicUs  in  1508,  p. 

the  town  of  Jacob;   II.  i.  p.  73 — But  361  sq.  Comp.  Quaresmius Elucidat.  Tom. 

Jacob,  in  retui-ning  from  Mesopotamia,  P-  ^^l- 

iu.  357,  3G1-3G3 


442 


BEGION  OF  THE  HULEH, 


[Sec.  XV. 


could  see  ;  and  is  the  fiftt  upon  this  great  public  road,  after  it 
enters  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  at  Lejjun.'  The  bridge  itself  is 
built  of  the  black  volcanic  stones  of  the  region  ;  has  four  point- 
ed arches  ;  and  is  sixty  paces  long  by  about  sixteen  feet  in 
breadth.* 

This  passage  of  the  Jordan  was  however  a  point  of  great 
importance,  even  in  the  era  of  the  crusades.  It  was  here  that 
king  Baldwin  III,  in  A.  D.  1157,  while  proceeding  from  Banias 
to  Tiberias,  after  having  relieved  the  former  place,  was  surprised 
by  Xureddin  ;  his  attendants  were  mostly  captured,  and  he 
himself  escaped  with  difficulty  to  the  castle  of  Safed.^  In 
October,  A.  D.  1178,  Baldwin  IT.  laid  here,  by  the  ford,  the 
fovmdations  of  a  new  fortress,  upon  an  eminence  of  moderate 
height,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  castle  was  quadran- 
gular ;  the  walls  of  great  thickness  and  solidity,  and  of  appro- 
priate height.  The  whole  work  was  completed  in  about  six 
months  ;  and  gave  the  Christians  entire  control  of  this  impor- 
tant pass.  The  charge  of  the  castle  was  committed  to  the 
Templars  ;  and  it  thus  formed  a  sort  of  outpost  to  their 
adjacent  and  more  formidable  fortress  of  Safed.*  The  Chris- 
tians had  carried  on  the  work?  without  interruption  from  the 
Saracens,  except  one  or  two  attacks  from  robber  hordes.  But 
in  June  A.  D.  1179,  not  three  months  after  the  fortress  was 
completed,  it  was  assaulted  by  Saladin,  at  first  without  success. 
Having,  however,  defeated  the  Christians  in  a  subsequent  en- 
gagement near  Banias,  in  which  the  constable  Honfroy  was 
mortally  wounded,  and  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Templars,  and 
others,  made  prisoners,  the  Sultan  again  invested  the  castle, 
became  master  of  it  by  storm,  put  the  garrison  aaostly  to  the 
sword,  and  razed  the  fortress  to  the  foundations.'  The  remains 
of  this  castle  are  doubtless  the  ruins,  which  travellers  describe  as 
situated  on  a  timaulus-like  hiU  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
about  a  mile  below  the  bridge.' 

'  These  are  the  Khans  el-Lejjun,  et-  '  Pococke  Vol  11.  L  p.  73,  "  A  small 

Tnjjar,  el-Minveh,  Jnbb  Yusnf,  el-Jisr.  mile  below  the  bridge,  there  is  an  oblong 

'  Bnrckhardt,  p.  315.  Cotovictisp.  361.  square  hiU,  which  seems  to  have  been  made 

Conjp.  above,  pp.  414,  415.  by  art :  round  the  ^mmit  of  it  are  the 

*  Will.  Tyr.  IS.  13,  14.  Wilken  Gesch.  foundations  of  a  strong  wall ;  and  on  the 
der  Kr.  III.  iL  p.  44.  Comp.  above,  p.  426.  south  end  and  on  the  east  side,  I  saw  the 

*  WilL  TjT.  21.  26,  30.  Wilken  ibid,  remains  of  two  very  handsome  gates  of 
p.  189.  hewn  stone,  with  round  turrets  at  the 

'  WilL  Tyr.  21.  27-30.    Reinand  Ex-  comers.  At  the  north  end  there  is  a  great 

traits  p.  182.    Abulfed.  Annal.  A.  H.  575.  heap  of  ruins,  probably  of  a  castle;  the 

Bar  Hebr.  Chron.  Syr.  pp.   380,   381.  whole  is  about  half  a  mile  in  circumfer- 

Wilken  ib.  pp  191-194.  Id.  Comment  de  ence."  Monro  Vol.  IL  p.  44. 
BelL  Cruc.  p.  126. 
iii.  363,  364 


SECTIUX  XYI. 


FBOM  SATED  BY  TYBE  AXD  SIDOK  TO  BEEBUT. 

Fnday.  June  '22d.  1838.  Having  been  thus  compelled  to 
tTLTB  away  from  exploring  pers-jnally  the  sources  of  the  Jordan, 
and  fi-om  Arisiting  Damascus,  we  felt  that  the  other  parts  of  oiu: 
general  plan  had  been  accomplished,  and  that  the  main  objects 
of  our  joumev  were  at  an  end.  In  proceeding  from  Safed  to 
Tyre;  and  thence  by  Sidon  to  Beirut,  we  supposed  that  we  were 
about  to  travel  a  beaten  track,  which  had  been  repeatedly  de- 
scribed, and  could  therefore  present  nothing  of  novelty  ;  what- 
ever there  might  be  of  interest  connected  with  the  renowned  em- 
poriums of  ancient  Phenicia.  Under  the  influence  of  this  im- 
pression, and  feehng  that  our  woik  was  done,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
we  paid  a  less  exact  attention  to  our  course  and  to  the  various 
objects  along  the  way,  than  had  been  hitherto  our  custom,  I 
regret  this  the  more  :  because,  it  turns  out.  that  the  country 
between  Safed  and  Tyre  was  altogether  unknown  ;  and  even 
the  route  along  the  coast  between  Tyre  and  Beirut,  although 
often  travelled,  has  never  been  accurately  described.  Indeed, 
all  this  portion  of  the  coast  of  Syria  has  never  yet  been  fully 
surveyed,  nor  the  positions  of  its  chief  towns  correctly  deter- 
mined ;  and  although  it  is  now  constantly  visited  by  steamers 
and  vessels  of  war.  yet  there  exists  up  to  the  present  time 
(1856),  neither  a  go«xi  chart  of  the  coast,  nor  the  materials 
from  which  one  might  be  constructed. 

Our  missionary  friends  from  Beirut,  a  few  weeks  before,  had 
travelled  from.  Safed  to  Tyre  by  a  somewhat  different  road  ;  and 
had  also  been  for  several  years  in  the  habit  of  passing  between 
these  two  places.  Indeed,  the  route  was  regarded  as  a  common 
one  ;  and  I  first  learned  after  returning  to  Etirope,  and  not 
without  some  surprise,  that  it  had  hitherto  been  almost  or  quite 
unknown  in  books.  On  examination,  I  find  that  Xau,  in  A.  D 
1674,  travelled  fit)m  the  mouth  of  the  Kasimiyeh,  north  of 

iii.  365.  366 

I 


444  FROM  SAFED  TO  TYKE.  [Sec.  XVI. 

Tyre  to  Safed  ;  but  he  gives  merely  the  names  of  a  few  villages 
along  his  route.'  In  A.  D.  1833,  Monro  too  went  from  Safed 
to  Tyre,  and  returned  to  Safed  ;  but  his  account  is  meager, 
though  overcharged  ;  and  his  road  appears  to  have  been  a 
different  one  from  ours,  at  least  for  a  great  part  of  the  way.* 
Mr  Thomson  likewise  took  this  route  to  Safed,  after  the  earth- 
quake of  1837  ;  and  mentions  the  names  of  a  few  places.' 
These  appear  to  be  the  only  printed  notices  of  the  whole  re- 
gion between  Safed  and  Tyre. 

We  set  off  from  our  place  of  encampment  in  Safed  at  12^ 
o'clock  ;  and  passing  around  the  north  side  of  the  hill,  below 
the  castle,  began  at  once  to  descend  into  the  northwestern 
valley,  here  not  less  than  three  or  four  hundred  feet  deep.  We 
reached  the  bottom  about  12.35  ;  and  had  on  our  right,  in  the 
valley,  the  large  village  'Ain  ez-Zeitun  with  its  fine  vineyards, 
north  of  Safed.  The  village  at  this  distance  had  a  thrifty 
appearance,  although  it  was  laid  in  ruins  by  the  earthquake. 
This  great  valley,  as  we  have  seen,  passes  down  at  first  about  S. 
S.  W.  and  after  receiving  the  eastern  Wady,  runs  to  the  lake 
of  Tiberias  as  Wady  el-'Amud.  We  now  crossed  two  low 
ridges,  or  swells,  between  smaller  Wadys  ;  and  had  Meiron  in 
view  on  our  left,  near  the  foot  of  the  mountain  in  that  direction. 
Further  on,  we  began  to  pass  up  a  narrow  lateral  Wady, 
coming  down  from  the  northwest.  Upon  the  height  on  our  left, 
was  the  village  of  Kadita,  which  at  1.40  was  directly  over  us. 
Another  village  on  our  right,  perhaps  half  an  hour  distant,  was 
called  Teitebeh.  Kadita  has  many  vineyards  and  fig  trees  in 
its  neighbourhood,  and  was  greatly  injured  by  the  earthquake. 

We  were  now  again  in  a  region  of  dark  volcanic  stones, 
like  those  around  the  lake  of  Tiberias.  We  soon  came  out 
upon  a  high  open  plain,  about  on  the  level  of  Kadita,  or 
perhaps  higher  ;  and  the  volcanic  stones  increased  as  we  ad- 
vanced, untU  they  took  the  place  of  every  other ;  and,  besides 
covering  the  surface  of  the  ground,  seemed  also  to  compose  the 
solid  formation  of  the  tract.  In  the  midst  of  this  plain,  at  five 
minutes  past  2  o'clock,  we  came  upon  heaps  of  black  stones  and 
lava,  surrounding  what  had  evidently  once  been  the  crater  of  a 
volcano.  It  is  an  oval  basin,  sunk  in  the  plain  in  the  direction 
from  S.  W.  by  S.  to  N.  W.  by  N.  between  three  and  four 
hundred  feet  in  length,  and  about  one  himdred  and  twenty  feet 
in  breadth.  The  de])th  is  j)erhaps  forty  feet.  The  sides  are 
shelving,  but  steep  and  ragged,  obviously  composed  of  lava  ;  of 
■which  our  friend  Mr  Hcbard  had  been  able  to  distinguish  three 

■  Nau  Voyage  Nouv.  de  la  Tcrro  Sninto  '  See  his  Report  in  the  Missionary 
p.  5.'>0  s(i.  Herald  for  Nov.  1837,  p.  435  sq. 

"  Summer  Kanihle,  Vol.  II.  p.  IGsq.  33. 

iii.  306,367 


June  22.] 


THE  CRATER.  EL-JISH. 


445 


different  kinds  .or  ages. — Near  the  northwestern  fextremity,  a 
space  of  a  few  feet  in  width  slopes  up  more  gradually  from  the 
bottom,  leaving  a  sort  of  entrance  through  the  wall  of  the 
crater.  The  hasin  is  usually  filled  with  water,  forming  a  pond  ; 
but  was  now  nearly  or  quite  dry,  and  contained  nothing  hut 
mud.  All  around  it  are  the  traces  of  its  former  action,  ex- 
hibited in  the  strata  of  lava  and  the  vast  masses  of  volcanic 
stones.  It  may  not  improbably  have  been  the  central  point  or 
Ableiter  of  the  earthquake  of  1837.  Mr  Thomson,  who  passed 
here  a  short  time  afterwards,  mentions  the  spot  in  his  report ; 
but  appears  not  to  have  examined  it  in  reference  to  its  possible 
connection  with  the  earthquake.'  Our  friends  also,  a  few  weeks 
before,  had  seen  it ;  and  in  their  letters  had  directed  our  atten- 
tion to  it.'^  The  pond  bears  the  name  of  Birket  el-Jish,  from 
the  next  village.^ 

Further  on,  and  still  in  the  plain,  one  road  to  Tyre  goes  off 
more  to  the  left ;  our  friends  who  preceded  us,  had  taken  this 
route,  and  visited  upon  it  a  place,  where  a  species  of  chalcedony 
is  found  in  great  abundance.  Our  path  continued  straight 
onward  ;  at  2.25  we  reached  the  extremity  of  the  high  plain, 
and  had  before  us-  a  fine  lower  basin-Kke  plain,  tUled  and 
surrounded  by  bushy  liills.  Its  waters  here  flow  off  northwest 
through  a  narrow  valley.  Before  us  was  el-Jish  on  a  conical 
hill ;  and  further  to  the  left,  Sa'sa',  on  a  similar  hill,  on  the 
north  of  the  line  of  mountains  already  mentioned,  running  off 
northwest  from  the  vicinity  of  Safed,  and  limiting  the  prospect 
on  that  side.* 

We  came  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  el-Jish  is  situated 
at  2.35,  on  the  north  of  the  beautiful  plain  just  described,  and 
having  in  the  northeast  a  deep  narrow  Wady,  a  ravine,  running 
N.  N.  W.  Jish  was  totally  destroyed  by  the  earthquake  ;  not 
a  house  of  any  kind  was  left  standing.  The  Christians  were  at 
prayers  in  their  church  ;  which  fell  upon  them,  and  destroyed 
more  than  one  hundred  and  tlairty  persons.  Two  hundred  and 
thirty-five  names,  in  all,  of  those  who  perished  in  the  village, 
were  returned  to  the  government.  A  large  rent  in  the  ground 
just  on  the  east  of  the  viUage,  when  seen  nearly  three  weeks 
afterwards,  was  about  a  foot  wide  and  fifty  feet  long  ;  it  was 
described  as  having  been  at  first  much  larger.^  As  we  now  saw 
the  village,  it  had  been  partly  rebuilt,  and  began  to  assume 
again  its  former  aspect. 

'  See  his  Report,  Miss.  Herald  1.  c.  p.  '  From  the  crater,  Safed  bore  S.  27°  E. 

436.              _  and  Benit  S.  65  E.    See  p.  434,  above. 

'  See  on  this  crater,  Auderson's  Geol.  *  See  above,  p.  432. 

Report,  p.  128.    Dr  Anderson  found  two  '  Mr  Thomson's  Report,  Miss.  Herald 

other  similar  craters  near  Teitebch  and  1.  c.  p.  435. — West  of  el-Jish  Nt  T.  seems 

Delata  ;  ibid.  p.  129.  to  have  followed  another  road. 

Vol.  II.— 38  ui.  367-369 


446  '  FROM  SAFED  TO  TTEE,  [Sec.  XYL 

The  name  el-Jish  enables  us  to  recognise  here  the  Giscala 
of  Josephus,  a  place  several  times  mentioned  by  this  writer,  and 
fortified  by  his  orders.  It  was  the  last  fortress  in  Gahlee  to 
hold  out  against  the  Romans  ;  but  finally  made  terms  with 
Titus,  and  surrendered  itself,  contraiy  to  the  will  of  John,  a 
native  leader,  who  retired  to  Jerusalem  and  became  one  of  the 
defenders  of  that  city  against  Titus.  ^  Jerome  relates,  as  a 
fable,  the  story,  that  the  parents  of  the  apostle  Paul  were  from 
Giscala.^  It  is  the  same  place  spoken  of  in  the  Talmud  under 
the  name  of  Gush  Halab,  situated  not  far  from  Meiron,  and 
celebrated  for  its  oil.^ — Benjamin  of  Tudela  mentions  it  as 
containing  a  score  of  Jews  in  his  time,  and  lying  a  day's  journey 
from  Tibnin  ;  in  the  following  centuries,  the  tombs  of  several 
Jewish  Kabbis  are  enumerated  here,  and  there  is  said  also  to 
have  been  a  synagogvie.^ 

From  the  foot  of  the  hill  of  Jish,  Sa'sa'  bore  N.  77°  W. 
distant  about  an  hour.  This  place  is  also  mentioned  in  the 
fourteenth  century  and  later,  as  containing  the  tombs  of  several 
Jewish  Rabbis.^    It  is  now  a  Muhammedan  village. 

Instead  of  entering  the  village  of  Jish,  we  passed  below  it, 
around  the  right  side  of  the  hill,  along  the  brink  of  the  deep 
valley  above  mentioned,  into  which  we  gradually  descended. 
We  came  to  the  bottom  at  2.55,  where  was  a  very  small  stream- 
let of  water. — Further  down  were  two  or  three  small  fountains, 
where  shepherds  were  watering  their  flocks.  This  valley  is 
called  Wady  el-Mu'addamiyeh  ;  the  banks  are  very  steep  and 
high,  so  that  we  could  for  a  time  see  nothing  of  the  country. 
After  half  an  hour  we  reached  its  junction  with  another  larger 
Wady  coming  from  the  southwest.  We  followed  down  tliis 
valley  towards  the  north  for  fifteen  minutes  ;  here  it  turns  again 
northeast  and  goes  to  join  another  Wady  called  Hendaj,  which 
descends  into  the  Ard  el-Khait,  and  enters  the  lake  el-Hiileh  at 
its  southern  extremity. 

Leaving  this  valley,  we  ascended  by  a  steep  lateral  Wady 
towards  the  N.  N.  W.  and  came  out  at  4^  o'clock  upon  high 
undulating  table  land,  arable  and  everywhere  tilled,  with  swell- 
ing hdls  in  view  all  around,  covered  with  shrubs  and  trees. 
The  stones  had  mostly  disappeared.    Here  too  we  had  a  view 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  2.  20.  6.    ib.  4.  1.  1.  ^bn  CS,  of  which  the  Arabic  retains 

ib.  4.  2.  1-5.  ib.  c.  .3.  Vita  §  38.    Comp.  ^^jy  ^he  first  word. 

§§  10,  13.    Reland  Pal.  p.  812.  4  gg^j       rYud.  I.  p.  82.    Cantioly,  pp. 

Hiernn.  Comm.  in  riiilem.  23,  "Ta-  ]33,  181,  262,  380,452.  Hottingcr'Cippi 

lem  fabulam  accepimus :  Aiunt  parentes  Hcbraici  Ed.  2.  p.  70.    The  writer  of  this 

ApostoliPaulideGysualisregione  Judiea;,"  hitter  Itinerary  speaks  of  the  synagogue, 

etc.  Rehmd  p.  813.  and  refers  it"  back  to  R.  Simeon  Ben 

^  See  the  Talmudic  passages,  Lightfoot  Joohai 

Opera  II.  p.  503.    Reland  Pal.  p.  817;  "  Carmoly,  pp.  2G2,  380,  451.  Hottin- 

comp.    813.     The    Rabbinic    form    is  ger  Cippi  Heb.  p.  68. 
iii.  3G9.  370 


Jnira:  22.] 


EL-JISH,  GISCALA.  TARON. 


447 


of  a  fine  tract  of  open  cultivated  country  towards  the  Huleh, 
with  several  villages  upon  it.'  Passing  on  over  a  tract  of  high 
ground,  covered  with  small  oaks,  we  descended  a  httle  along  a 
fine  shallow  hasin  on  our  left,  in  which  the  reapers  were  gather- 
ing an  abundant  harvest.  Its  waters  are  drained  off  towards 
the  southwest,  and  become  tributary,  we  were  told,  to  a  Wady 
called  el-'Ayun,  which  runs  to  the  western  sea  just  north  of 
Kas  el-Abyad,  the  Promontorium  album.  As  we  rode  along 
the  northeastern  border  of  the  basin,  we  had  on  our  right  the 
open  country  around  Farah,  as  already  mentioned  ;  the  waters 
of  which  descend  to  the  Htileh. 

We  came  now  upon  still  higher  ground,  and  had  soon  upon 
our  left  a  large  village,  about  half  an  hour  distant,  named 
Yaron  while  another  called  Maron  was  on  a  higher  hill  at 
about  the  same  distance  on  our  right.  Just  beyond  these,  at 
4f  o'clock,  we  saw  on  our  left,  near  the  road,  a  very  large  sarco- 
phagus, lying  here  in  utter  loneliness.  It  is  of  hmestone,  plainly 
hewn,  and  measures  eight  feet  in  length  by  four  and  a  half  feet  in 
breadth  and  height.  The  lid  is  thrown  off,  and  measures  two  feet 
thick  ;  the  upper  side  is  slanted  off  like  a  double  roof ;  the  ends 
resemble  a  pediment.  Scattered  around  it  are  columns  and 
fragments  of  columns  of  moderate  size.  It  would  seem  as  if 
the  sarcophagus  had  stood  originally  on  or  near  this  spot,  with  a 
small  temple  over  it ;  forming  a  solitary  tomb,  not  unlike  that 
of  Hiram  nearer  Tyre. 

The  way  now  led  us  along  an  almost  level  ridge,  on  the  water- 
summit  between  the  Huleh  and  the  Mediterranean.  It  was  a 
fine  and  fertile  strip  of  land,  and  patches  of  it  were  occupied  by 
a  species  of  vetch,  called  in  Arabic  Hummus.  At  4.55  we 
crossed  a  small  shallow  Wady  running  west,  §,nd  ascended  a 
ridge  wooded  with  small  oak  trees,  on  a  course  northwest.  The 
whole  country  was  now  a  succession  of  swelling  wooded  hills 
and  valleys,  a  soft  and  pleasing  landscape,  especially  towards  the 
southwest.  The  prickly  oak  is  very  abundant.  Half  an  hour 
later,  we  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge,  and  our  course  became 
north.  This  soon  brought  us  to  a  broad  shallow  arable  valley, 
called  Wady  Eumeish,  running  off  towards  the  south  to  the 
village  of  that  name  to  join  Wady  el-'Ayun.  We  passed  up 
along  its  eastern  side,  and  came  at  6.10  to  Bint  JebeU,  a  large 

'  Among  others,  Farah  bore  N.  85°  E.  These  are  probably  the  "  ruins  of  n  church 

RAs  el-Ahmar  S.  45°  E.  el-Jish  S.  10°  E.  of  white  marble  "  spoken  of  by  Monro  ;  who 

^  In  A.  D.  1674,  Nau  und  his  party  appears  also  to  have  seen  the  sarcophagus 

spent  a  night  at  Yaron ;  he  describes  there  mentioned  in  the  text,  though  I  am  unable 

the  remains  of  a  monastery  and  church  on  to  recognise  it  in  his  description  ;  Vol.  II. 

an  eminence  near  by,  with  the  bases  and  p.  17.  AVest  of  this  point,  his  route  seems  to 

fragments  of  many  columns;  pp.  551,  552.  have  been  different  from  ours. 

iii.  370-372 


448 


FROM  SAFED  TO  TYRE. 


[Sec.  XVI 


Yillage,  surrounded  by  many  vineyards,  where  we  proposed  to 
halt  for  the  night. 

We  were  about  to  pitch  our  tent  outside  of  the  village,  near 
the  threshing-floors,  where  the  people  were  still  at  work,  when 
the  Sheikh  and  head  men  of  the  village  came  to  us,  saying  they 
were  exposed  to  an  attack  from  the  rebel  Druzes  now  in  arms  in 
and  around  Hasbeiya.  A  village  in  the  north,  not  far  o&,  had 
been  robbed  the  night  before  ;  and  to  night  their  village  might 
be  plundered  ;  they  therefore  advised  us  to  go  on  further.  We 
at  first  regarded  all  this  as  a  mere  pretext ;  and  our  muleteers 
also  declined  to  go  on,  as  it  was  now  late  and  no  other  village 
near.  The  men  then  proposed  that  we  should  lodge  within  the 
village  in  a  Medafeh,  where  we  should  be  more  secure  ;  since 
our  tent  would  naturally  at  once  attract  the  notice,  and  excite  the 
cupidity  of  plunderers.  This  ad\dce  also  we  were  not  disposed 
to  follow,  well  knowing  the  torments  to  which  we  shoiJd  thus  IJie 
subjected.  Meanwhile,  one  of  the  chief  men  invited  us  to  lodge 
in  his  ov.'n  house  ;  and  as  this  very  unusual  step  testified  at  least 
their  sincerity,  we  at  length,  though  unwillingly,  accepted  his 
proposal.  The  whole  house  was  given  up  to  us  ;  the  women 
and  children  being  removed  out  of  it  for  the  night.  Our  mule- 
teers were  lodged  at  a  Medafeh. 

The  inhabitants  of  Bint  Jebeil  are  all,  or  nearly  all,  Meta- 
wileh,  (Sing.  Mutawaly,)  a  Muhammedan  sect  here  regarded  as 
heretical,  though  their  tenets  accord  for  the  most  part  with  those 
of  the  sect  of  'Aly,  or  the  Shiites  (Shi'ah)  of  Persia.'  Their 
chief  practical  characteristic,  which  forces  itself  upon  the  notice 
of  a  stranger,  is  the  custom_^  neither  to  eat  nor  drink  with  those 
of  another  religion  ;  to  which  they  rigidly  adhere.  They  use  no 
vessel,  for  instaqpe,  out  of  which  a  Christian  has  eaten  or  drank, 
until  it  has  been  thoroughly  cleansed  ;  and  if  a  Christian  chance 
to  drink  out  of  one  of  their  earthen  vessels,  they  break  it  in 
pieces.  They  are  said  even  to  regard  themselves  as  unclean, 
should  a  stranger  touch  their  clothes.  All  these  circumstances 
in  their  character  went  to  show  the  sincerity  of  our  host,  when- 
he  gave  up  his  house  for  our  use.  We  were  treated  in  all  re- 
spects with  great  civility  ;  yet  both  our  host  and  his  friends 
absolutely  refused  to  partake  of  our  evening  meal ;  and  those 
who  came  to  visit  us,  would  not  touch  our  cotlce. — In  this  mani- 
festation of  kindness,  they  did  not  profess  to  be  wholly  disinter- 
ested ;  for  if  any  thing  happened  to  us,  the  government,  they 
said,  would  hold  them  responsible.  It  only  showed  the  reality 
of  their  alarm  ;  wliich,  however,  for  tliis  time  proved  groundless. 

The  house  to  which  we  were  thus  introduced,  was  one  of  the 

'  See  Sale's  Koran,  Prelim.  Disc.  c.  viii.    Nicbulir  Reisebeschr.  11.  p.  426  sq.  Volney 
Voyage  II.  p.  77  sq. 
iii.  372. 373 


Jcrre  23.] 


BI^"T  JEBEIL.     PRIVATE  HOUSI!. 


449 


best  in  the  village,  and  marked  a  man  of  some  wealtL  It  stood 
with  its  north  end  on  one  of  the  lanes  ;  on  the  west  side  was  a 
very  small  court  adjoining  the  lane  ;  and  in  the  comer  of  it  a 
small  shed  serving  as  a  kitchen.  The  door  entered  from  this 
court  ;  and  one  trod  within  first  upon  the  groimd,  and  then  upon 
the  floor,  raised  like  a  low  platform  on  two  sides  of  the  interior, 
leaving  an  unfloored  space  of  about  one  third  of  the  whole  inte- 
rior to  serve  as  a  stable.  Here  a  donkey  was  already  enjoying  his 
night-quarters  ;  while  we  spread  our  beds  upon  the  adjacent 
floor.  The  room  and  floor  might  be  termed  neat  for  a  Syrian 
village  ;  and  the  walls  were  even  not  destitute  of  ornament.  In 
one  comer  was  a  small  fireplace,  having  little  cupboards  over  it 
decorated  with  carved  work  ;  rudely  done  indeed,  but  yet  oma- 
mentaL  Our  host  and  several  people  of  the  village  sat  with  us 
till  late  at  night. 

We  were  now  in  the  province  called  Belad  Besharah  ;  this 
includes  also  the  two  vOlages  Yaron  and  Maron  which  we  had 
passed,  and  extends  to  the  plain  of  Sur.  On  the  north  it  is 
bordered  bv  the  Litany,  and  embraces  the  district  of  Merj  'Ayiin. 
It  is  a  large  province,  having  a  governor  of  its  own,  who  was  now 
residing  in  Siir  v.Tyre)  ;  though  the  proper  capital  of  the  province 
Ls  Tibnin.  It  contains  many  thrifty  villages,  inhabited  mostly 
bv  Metawileh  :  with  only  a  few  Christians,  chiefly  of  the  Ma- 
ronite  sect.  One  characteristic  of  the  region  is,  that  it  cultivates 
few  oHve  trees  and  makes  little  oil.  On  the  other  hand,  butter 
is  abundant ;  and  our  lamp  to-night  was  fiUed  with  butter 
instead  of  oU.  The  part  of  the  district  which  we  traversed,  is 
a  beautiful  country  ;  and  was  to  us  not  the  less  interesting,  for 
being  weU  wooded.  Here,  for  the  first  time  in  Palestine,  we  saw 
the  bills  thickly  clothed  with  trees. 

S<3uth  of  Belad  Besharah,  between  Safed  and  'Akka,  is  the 
smaller  district  called  el-Jebel,  in  which,  although  inhabited 
chiefly  by  Muhammedans,  the  Druzes  are  very  frequent.  Be- 
tween this  district  and  Nazareth,  is  another  called  esh-Shaghur, 
which  has  likewise  a  few  Drazes.' 

Saturday,  J une  23d.  VTe  prepared  for  a  very  early  start  ; 
but  a  new  hindrance  arose,  which  delayed  us  for  a  time.  Our 
younger  muleteer  had  been  Ul  more  or  less  all  the  way  from 
Jerusalem,  so  that  he  was  often  unable  to  help  load  the  animals. 
Yet  he  had  gradually  been  gaining  in  health  ;  and  as  we  ap- 
proached Safed,  his  native  place,  his  minute  acquaintance  with 
the  country,  and  his  obliging  disposition,  had  rendered  his  ser- 
vices quite  valuable.  Indeed,  he  had  never  appeared  in  better 
spirits,  nor  had  we  ever  estimated  his  intelligence  and  good- 
nature more  highly,  than  on  our  little  excursion  from  Safed  to 

'  See  above,  p.  371.  a  2. 
Vol.  II.— 35*  iii.  373-375 


450 


FROM  SAFED  TO  TYRE. 


[Sec.  XVI. 


Benit.  But  during  the  night  in  Safed,  he  had  probably  been 
guilty  of  excesses,  which  had  yesterday  made  him  again  quite 
all,  and  now  rendered  him  unable  to  proceed.  He  was  therefore 
left  at  Bint  J ebeil  ;  and  his  partner  hired  a  young  man  to  go  on 
with  us,  as  his  servant.  The  latter  was  a  Mutawaly  ;  but  made 
no  scruple  to  eat  and  drink  with  our  Muhammedan  servants. 

We  set  off  at  length  without  breakfast  at  4^  o'clock,  on  a 
course  at  first  N.  N.  W.  crossing  Wady  Rumeish  ;  on  the  east 
side  of  which  Bint  Jebeil  is  situated.  The  country  continued 
as  before,  undulating,  cultivated,  wooded,  and  beautiful ;  a  suc- 
cession of  hiU  and  dale,  -with,  more  distant  hills  still  higher  and 
more  thickly  w^ooded.  Indeed,  from  this  whole  region,  consider- 
able quantities  of  wood  for  fuel  are  carried  to  the  coast,  for 
transportation  by  sea.  The  chief  supply  for  Beirut  comes  from 
this  quarter.  The  little  vUlage  of  Tireh  we  saw  a  few  minutes 
distant  on  our  left,  at  5.20  ;  the  ground  declining  in  that  direc- 
tion. At  6  o'clock  we  came  out  upon  an  elevated  ridge,  where 
there  was  a  distant  glimpse  of  the  western  sea.  Here  we  had 
our  last  view  of  the  country  behind  us  ;  Sa'sa'  bore  S.  5°  W. 
showing  the  general  direction  of  our  course  ;  and  Tershihah  S. 
45°  W.  Both  are  Muhammedan  villages  in  the  district  el- 
Jebel. 

The  way  now  led  us  for  some  time  down  a  densely  wooded 
hill  side.  After  ten  minutes,  the  view  opened  before  us  over  an 
open  tract,  with  the  village  Haddata  in  front ;  while  more  on 
the  right  was  an  extensive,  undulating,  cultivated  region,  of 
great  beaiity,  with  the  castle  of  Tibnin  on  an  isolated  hill  in  the 
midst.  Around  the  base  of  the  castle  hill  is  the  town  of  the 
same  name,  regarded  as  the  chief  place  of  the  district  Belad 
Besharah.  The  waters  of  all  this  tract  run  northwestwards  to 
the  Litany.  At  6^  o'clock  we  passed  Haddata,  a  large  village 
close  on  our  left.  Here  Tibnin  bore  N.  30°  E.  about  half  an  hour 
distant.  The  castle  appeared  large,  and  the  walls  not  greatly 
impaired,  though  dilapidated.  It  is  obviously  of  the  time  of 
the  crusades.  In  it  resides  a  family  of  Sheikhs,  which  is  regard- 
ed as  the  head  of  all  the  Metawileh  of  this  region  ;  called  the 
house  of  'Aly  es-Sughir.  They  boast  of  high  antiquity  ; .  and 
are  exclusive  in  their  marriages,  like  the  Sheikhs  of  the  Drazes. 
— A  small  village  called  'Aithah  was  also  on  our  right,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  about  fifteen  minutes.  The  valley  on  our  right  passed 
off  N.  N.  W.  towards  the  Litanj^ 

Five  minutes  further  on,  at  G.35,  the  great  castle  Kul'at  esh- 
Shukif  opened  on  our  view,  bearing  N.  40°  E.  at  the  distance 
of  several  liours.  This  fortress  stands  on  a  precipice,  which 
overhangs  the  western  bank  of  the  Litany,  near  the  bridge 
northwest  of  Merj  'Ayfln.     It  is  in  liigh  renown  among  the 

iii.  375,  376 


JnsE  23.] 


CASTLE  OF  TIBNIN. 


451 


natives,  as  a  place  of  wonderful  structure  and  vast  strength.  It 
gives  name  to  the  adjacent  district,  called  Belad  esh-Shukif ; 
lying  between  the  Litany  on  the  south,  and  the  territory  of  the 
Emir  Beshir  of  Mount  Lebanon  on  the  north,  and  extending 
west  to  the  plain  along  the  coast. 

These  two  great  fortresses  of  Tibnin  and  esh-Shuldf  figure 
not  unfrequently  in  the  history  of  the  crusades  ;  but  l}'ing  in  the 
mountains  at  a  distance  from  the  common  routes,  they  have 
subsequently  escaped  the  observation  of  almost  all  travellers.  A 
few  further  notices  of  them,  may  therefore  be  here  not  out  of 
place. 

The  fortress  of  Tibnin,  as  we  are  informed  by  William  of 
Tyre,  was  erected  in  A.  D.  1107  by  Hugh  of  St.  Omer,  then 
lord  of  Tiberias.  This  chieftain  was  in  the  habit  of  making  in- 
cursions upon  the  city  and  territory  of  Tyre,  which  had  not  yet 
been  subdued  by  the  Franks  ;  and  buUt  this  castle  as  a  strong 
hold,  in  furtherance  of  his  plans,  on  the  way  beween  the  two 
cities  ;  selecting  for  its  site  a  conspicuous  height,  in  the  midst 
of  a  rich  and  cultivated  tract  upon  the  mountains,  abounding  in 
vineyards,  fruits,  and  forests.  To  this  new  fortress,  built  up  most 
probably  on  earlier  foundations,  the  founder  gave  the  name  of 
Toron,  by  which  it  is  usually  mentioned  among  the  Franks  ; 
Arabian  writers  know  it  only  as  Tibnin.'  It  became  an  impor- 
tant fortress,  and  gave  name  to  the  family  of  its  possessors.  In 
A.  D.  1551,  Honfroy  of  Toron  was  appointed  as  the  constable 
of  king  Baldwin  III  ;  he  is  described  as  having  large  possessions 
in  Phenicia,  and  in  the  mountains  around  Tyre  ;  and  after 
having  acted  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  transactions  of  the 
succeeding  years,  was  at  last  mortally  wounded  in  the  battle 
near  Banias  in  A.  D.  1179. His  grandson  of  the  same  name, 
married  the  younger  sister  of  Baldwin  IV  ;  and  was  afterwards 
offered  the  crown  of  Jerusalem,  by  the  barons  assembled  at 
Nabulus,  in  opposition  to  Guy  of  Lusignan.  This  he  was  wise 
enough  to  decHne  ;  and  having  joined  the  banner  of  Guy,  was 
taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Hattin.^  Immediately  after  this 
battle,  in  the  same  year,  A.  D.  1187,  the  fortress  was  invested 
by  Saladin  himself,  and  captured  after  an  assault  of  six  days.* 

'  Will  Tyr.  11.5,  "  In  montibus  .  .  .  ture  of  Tyre  in  A.  D.  112-t ;  Gesch.  der 

ab  eadem  urbe  Tyrensi  quasi  per  decern  Kr.  V.  p.  -12.  n. 

distantibus  miliaria,  in  locum  cui  nomen  *  Will  T\t.  17.  14.  ib.  21.  27.  Wilken 

priscum  Tibenin,  castrum  jedificare,  cui  1.  c.  III.  ii.  pp.  13, 191.  See  above,  p.  -1-12. 

,  .  .  nomen  indidit  Toronum."    Jacob  de  ^  Will.  Tyr.  22.  5.  Jac.  de  Vitr.  c.  93. 

Vitry  copies  the  language  of  William  of  p.  1117.    Wilken  L  c.  pp.  201,  25,5,  287. 

Tyre,  omitting  tlie  date  ;  c.  43,  p.  1072.  Comp.  above,  p.  376. 

Wilken  quotes  the  latter  author,  and  ap-  *  Bohaed.  Vit.  Salad,  pp.  71,  72.  Rei- 

pears  to  have  overlooked  the  original  ac-  naud  tstr.  p.  202.    Wilken  L  c.  III.  ii.  p. 

count  of  the  former ;   hence  he  remarks  295. 
only,  that  Toron  was  built  before  the  cap- 

iii.  376-378 


452 


FROM  SAFED  TO  TYRE. 


[Sec.  XVI 


The  original  relations  of  Tibnin  and  Tyre  were  now  reversed  ; 
and  the  Saracens  in  possession  of  the  formerj  henceforth  harassed 
from  it  the  Christians  as  masters  of  the  latter.  To  do  away  this 
evil,  the  new  host  of  pilgrims  and  crusaders,  chiefly  from  Ger- 
many, which  arrived  in  the  Holy  Land  in  A.  D.  1197,  undertook 
among  other  enterprises  the  reduction  of  the  castle  of  Tibnin. 
The  Christian  host  sat  down  before  the  fortress  on  the  11th  of 
December,  under  the  command  of  the  Duke  of  Brabant  ;  not 
indeed  with  unanimity  and  confidence  ;  for  distmst  already  existed 
between  the  Syrian  Franks  and  the  new  comers,  who  longed  to 
press  forward  against  Jerusalem.  Yet  the  siege  was  urged  with 
vigour  ;  and  as  the  steepness  of  the  hill  on  which  the  castle 
stood,  prevented  the  approach  of  the  usual  machines,  mines 
were  driven  under  the  hill  beneath  the  walls.  In  this  labour, 
the  many  pilgrims  from  Goslar  in  Germany,  who  were  practically 
acquainted  with  mining  for  metals,  rendered  great  service.  At 
length  after  four  weeks  the  mines  were  sprung,  and  breaches 
formed  in  the  waUs  in  many  places. 

Tlie  Muslim  garrison  now  desired  to  capitulate,  and  sent 
seven  of  their  leaders  to  the  Christian  camp  to  propose  terms. 
Their  proposals  were  favourably  received  by  the  princes  ;  but 
the  voice  of  discontent  broke  out  in  the  host,  and  especially 
among  the  Syrian  Franks,  that  the  now  defenceless  fortress 
should  not  be  carried  by  storm,  and  an  example  be  made  which 
should  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  their  enemies.  Yet  after 
long  wavering,  the  terms  proposed  were  accepted  ;  and  a  portion 
of  the  delegates  remained  as  hostages  in  the  camp,  while  the 
rest  returned  to  the  fortress.  But  such  was  their  report  of  the 
disunion  prevailing  among  the  Christian  warriors,  that  the  garri- 
son resolved  to  maintain  their  post  ;  and  continued  the  defence 
with  obstinacy,  leaving  the  hostages  to  their  fate. 

The  besiegers  now  renewed  their  assaults  ;  with  the  more 
energy  perhaps,  because  they  had  reason  to  dread  the  approach 
of  Melek  el-Adil  with  a  Saracen  army.  On  the  last  day  of 
January  a  council  of  war  was  held,  and  a  general  storm  of  the 
fortress  determined  upon  for  the  next  day.  The  announcement 
of  this  measure  was  received  with  joy  ;  and  all  parties  united  in 
mutual  resolves  and  exhortations,  either  to  conquer  or  die. 
Meantime  it  was  reported  through  the  host,  that  the  servants 
of  the  princes,  with  their  baggage,  had  left  the  camp  on  their 
way  to  Tyre.  The  pilgrims  instantly  followed  the  example  ; 
loaded  up  their  baggage,  and  hurried  off  in  the  same  direction, 
on  horseback  and  on  foot  ;  abandoning  the  camp  in  such  haste 
and  confusion,  that  many  lost  all  their  effects,  and  the  sick  and 
wounded  were  left  behind.  To  heighten  the  confusion  and  dis- 
may, a  \'iolent  storm  of  rain  and  hail  burst  upon  the  heads  of 

iii.  378,  379 


JuxK  23.] 


CASTLE  ESB-SHUKIF. 


453 


the  Christians  during  their  disgraceful  flight.  Thus  shamefully 
ended  this  memorahle  siege  ;  after  having  twice  been  on  the  point 
of  being  brought  to  a  successful  conclusion.' 

We  hear  little  more  of  Tibnin.  In  A.  D.  1219  it  was  dis- 
mantled, like  other  fortresses,  by  the  Sultan  Mu'adh-dhem,  in 
order  that  it  might  not  again  become  a  strong  hold  of  the 
Christians.'^  Yet  it  appears  once  more  to  have  come  into  their 
hands  ;  for  in  A.  D.  1266  we  find  Sultan  Bibars  taking  possession 
of  it,  after  the  siege  and  capture  of  Safed.'  The  place  is  spoken 
of  by  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  and  also  by  Brocardus  ;  but  appears 
ever  since  to  have  remained  uuAasited  and  unknown,  except  the 
slight  mention  of  the  name  by  Nau,  who  passed  here  in  A.  D. 
1674.^ 

The  castle  esh-Sliuhif  bears  among  the  Frank  historians  of 
the  crusades  the  name  of  Behbrt  or  Beaufort.'  The  date  of  its 
erection  is  not  given,  nor  are  we  informed  whether  it  was  erected 
by  Christians  or  Saracens  ;  though  not  improbably  it  was  built 
up  by  the  Christians,  like  the  neighbouring  fortresses  of  Tibnin, 
Safed,  Kaukab  or  Belvoir,  and  others.  It  is  mentioned  by 
"WUliam  of  Tyre,  in  A.  D  1179,  as  a  castle  of  the  Franks  ;  he 
relates  that  after  the  partial  defeat  of  the  Christians  in  that  year 
by  Saladin  near  Banias,  many  of  the  knights  and  troops  took 
refuge  in  the  neighbouiing  fortress  of  Belfort.'  In  A.  D.  1189, 
nearly  two  years  after  the  battle  of  Hattin,  Saladin  with  his 
army  sat  down  on  the  last  day  of  April  before  esh-Shukif.  The 
siege  was  prolonged  by  the  artifices  of  Eaynald  of  Sidon,  the 
commander  of  the  castle ;  who  came  into  Saladin's  camp  and  of- 
fered to  dehver  up  the  fortress,  provided  the  Sultan  would  grant 
him  three  months'  time,  in  order  to  remove  his  family  and  efiects 
from  Tyre  to  a  place  of  security.  The  conditions  were  accept- 
ed ;  but  when  the  time  expired,  Raynald  still  sought  by  various 
pretexts  to  obtain  further  delay.  Meantime  the  investment  of 
'Akka  by  a  new  host  of  crusaders,  called  ofi"  the  attention  of 
Saladin  ;  and  tired  of  the  subterfuges  of  Eaynald,  he  sent  him 
in  chains  to  Damascus,  and  broke  off  for  a  time  the  siege  of 
esh-Shukif,  in  order  to  watch  the  army  of  the  Franks.  Yet  the 
fortress  was  again  invested,  and  was  surrendered  to  him  in  April 

'  The  particulars  of  tbis  siege  are  *  Benj.  of  Tnd.  I.  p.  108  ;  comp.  Hot- 
given  by  Arnold  of  Lnbeck  lib.  Y.  c.  4  sq.  tinger  Cippi  Hebr.  Ed.  2.  p.  66. — Brocar- 
in  Leibnitz  Scriptor  Rerum  Bruns\-ic.  Tom.  dus  c.  3.  p.  172.  Kau  Voyage  etc.  p.  5.52. 
n.  p.  706  sq.  Oliver.  Scholast.  in  Eccardi  '  See  the  third  following  note.  Among 
Corp.  Hist.  Med.  .■Evi,  Tom.  XL  p.  1391  Arabian  w-riters  its  common  appellation  is 
sq.  Comp.  Ibn  el-Athir  in  Reinaud  Extr.  esh-Sh:.kif  Amun,  to  distinguish  it  from 
pp.  380,  381.  See  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  several  other  fortresses  of  less  note  also 
V.  p.  -42-53.  caUed  esh-Shukif.    Abulf  Tab.  S\-r.  p. 

•'  Wilken  ib.  \T.  p.  236,  and  Abu  Sha-  98.    Schnltens  Index  in  Vito  Salad,  art 

meh  as  there  cited.  Sjakvfunu 

»  Reinaud  L  c.  p.  -498.    Wilken  ib.  \Tl.  «  Will.  Tyr.  21.  29.    Wilken  ib.  HI.  iL 

p.  493.  p.  193. 

iii.  380.  381 


454 


FROM  SAFED  TO  TYRE. 


[Sec.  XVI. 


of  the  next  year  ;  on  condition  of  tlie  liberation  of  Eaynald,  and 
the  unmolested  retirement  of  the  garrison.' 

The  castle  esh-Shukif  was  restored  to  the  Franks  in  A.  D. 
1240,  along  with  Safed,  in  consequence  of  a  treaty  with  Isma'il, 
Sultan  of  Damascus.^  The  garrison,  however,  refused  to  deliv- 
er it  up  to  the  Christians,  and  surrendered  it  at  last  only  to 
Isma'il  himself,  lea^dng  him  to  do  with  it  what  he  pleased.' 
Twenty  years  later,  in  A.  D.  1260,  the  Templars  acquired  Sidon 
and  the  fortress  of  Belfort  by  purchase  ;*  and  they  still  held 
possession  of  it,  when  Bibars,  in  April  A.  D.  1268,  suddenly 
appeared  before  it,  and  began  a  vehement  assault.  A  portion 
of  the  garrison  had  been  withdrawn  the  preceding  day  ;  and 
there  remained  not  enough  to  hold  out  against  the  vigorous 
attacks  of  the  enemy.  After  a  few  days  of  vain  resistance,  the 
Christians  surrendered  at  discretion  ;  the  men  were  distributed 
as  slaves  among  the  attendants  of  the  conqueror,  while  the 
women  and  children  were  sent  to  Tyre.  The  fortress  was  again 
built  up,  and  furnished  with  a  garrison,  a  Kady,  and  Imans  for 
the  mosk.'  It  is  mentioned  not  long  after  by  Abulfeda,  and 
again  by  edh-Dhahiry  ;^  but  from  that  time  until  the  present 
century,  esh-Shukif  appears  to  have  been  lost  sight  of  by  all 
travellers.'' 

Our  course  as  we  descended  towards  Haddata  had  become 
about  northwest  and  continued  in  this  general  direction,  or  rather 
N.  W.  ^W.  quite  to  Tyre.  Twenty  minutes  from  Haddata,  at 
6.50,  we  passed  a  village  on  the  left,  called  el-Haris  f  and  five 
minutes  beyond,  came  out  upon  the  brow  of  a  steep  and  long  de- 
scent, leading  down  from  the  high  broad  region  of  mountainous 
country,  over  which  we  had  hitherto  been  travelling,  to  a  lower 
tract  of  hiUs  and  valleys  lying  intermediate  between  this  upper 
region  and  the  plain  of  Tyre  ;  not  unlike  that  which  skirts  the 
mountains  of  Jerusalem  on  the  west.    These  hills  extend  for 


■  Bohaeddin  Vit.  Salad,  p.  89  sq.  95  sq. 
113.  Reiuaud  Extr.  pp.  237,  239,  240. 
Wilken  ib.  IV.  pp.  247,  255,  259,  274. 

'  See  above,  p.  427.  In  recording  this 
transaction,  the  Arabian  historians  speak 
of  esh-Shukif  and  Safed,  while  the  Chris- 
tian writers  have  Belfort  and  Safed.  Rei- 
naud  p.  440.  Abulf  Annal.  A.  H.  G38. 
Tom.  IV.  p.  462.  Hugo  Plagon  p.  723. 
Marin.  Sanut.  p.  215.  Comp.  Wilken  ib. 
VI.  p.  (jOO. — Marin.  Sanutus  further  de- 
scribes the  river  el-Kasiniiyeh  (Litiny)  as 
flowing  close  under  Belfort ;  p.  245. 

'  Reinaud  p.  441.    Wilken  1.  c.  p.  603. 

*  Hugo  Plagon  p.  73G.  Marin.  Sanut.  p. 
221.    Wilken  ib.  VII.  p.  400. 

'  Miikrizi  in  Reinaud  p.  504.  Marin. 
Sanut.  p.  223.    Wilken  ib.  pp.  518,  519. 
iii.  381,  382 


«  Abulf.  Tab.  Syr.  p.  98.  Rosenmiiller 
Analect.  Arab.  IH.  p.  20  Arab.  p.  41 
Lat. 

'  Unless  perhaps  it  be  the  "  Elkiffe " 
of  Sandys,  whioh  he  says  was  strongly 
fortified  by  Fakhr  ed-Din  ;  p.  165.  Burck- 
hardt  lieard  of  e.sIi-Shukif  in  A.  D.  1810, 
in  passing  from  Hdsbeiya  to  B.Uiijs  :  p.  36. 
Buckingham  passed  near  it  in  1816  on  his 
way  from  Biini.ls  to  Sidon  ;  but  merely 
mentions  the  name ;  Travels  among  the 
Arab  Tribes  4to.  p.  407.  In  18:15  tho 
route  of  Mr  Smith  through  the  Iluleh  and 
Merj  'Ayun  to  Jezzin,  led  him  very  near  it; 
see  above,  pp.  430,  438  sq. — We  visited 
esh-Shukif  in  1852  ;  see  Vol.  III.  Sect.  II, 
under  Apr.  9th. 

°  Not  Hadith,  as  in  the  former  edition. 


June  23.] 


VIEW  TOWAKDS  TYRE. 


455 


some  distance  nortli  of  tlie  Litany,  here  called  el-Kasimiych, 
The  point  where  we  stood,  may  have  been  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 

Here  was  a  most  extensive  and  magnificent  view  of  the  hills 
and  plains,  the  coast  and  sparkling  waters  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean ;  on  which  last  we  could  distinguish  several  vessels  under 
sail,  like  white  specks  in  the  distance.  Directly  before  us,  and 
the  only  object  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  flat  coast  itself, 
was  Sixr  and  its  peninsula  ;  while  its  plain,  and  the  lower  region 
of  hills,  teeming  with  villages,  and  variegated  with  cultivated 
fields  and  wooded  heights,  were  spread  out  before  us  in  great 
distinctness  and  beauty.  It  ranked  high  among  the  many 
beautiful  prospects  w^e  had  seen. — Sur  bears  from  this  spot 
N.  57°  W.  My  companion  took  here  the  bearings  of  ten  villages  ; 
but  afterwards  found  reason  to  doubt  whether  our  Mutawaly 
guide  had  given  him  the  name  of  a  single  one  correctly  ;  and 
therefore  did  not  record  them.  We  greatly  regretted  the  loss  of 
our  more  trusty  muleteer.' 

The  path  now  led  us  down,  after  a  great  descent,  into  the 
head  of  a  deep  and  narrow  Wady,  which  we  followed  for  a  long 
distance  directly  on  our  course.  It  is  called  Wady  'Ashur,  and 
was  now  without  water  :  but  the  steep  sides  are  thickly  wooded 
with  prickly  oak,  maple,  arbutus,  sumac,  and  other  trees  and 
bushes,  reaching  quite  down  to  the  bottom  ;  so  that  we  often 
travelled  among  the  trees.  It  reminded  me  strongly,  of  some 
of  the  more  romantic  valleys  among  the  Green  mountains  in  Ver- 
mont. Beneath  the  fine  shades  of  this  sequestered  dell,  we 
stopped  at  8|-  o'clock  for  breakfast.  The  morning  was  serene 
and  beautiful ;  and  as  the  journey  of  the  day  was  to  be  short, 
we  gave  ourselves  up  for  a  time  to  the  luxury  of  rest. 

At  five  minutes  past  10  o'clock  we  proceeded  down  the  val- 
ley, still  in  a  northwest  direction.  The  bed  of  the  Wady  began 
now  to  be  studded  with  oleanders  in  blossom.  After  half  an 
hour,  the  liills  became  lower,  the  valley  wider  and  cultivated. 
At  10|  o'clock,  there  was  a  village  on  the  hill  at  our  left,  called 
el-Beyad  ;  and  another  high  up  on  the  right,  named  el-Mezra'ah. 
Further  on,  the  valley  turns  north,  and  runs  to  the  Litany. 
We  ascended  the  cultivated  ridge  which  here  skirts  it  on  the 
west  ;  and  reaching  the  top  at  11  o'clock,  began  to  descend  im- 
mediately into  another  broad  fertile  valley,  also  running  towards 
the  north.  We  crossed  its  water-bed  at  11.20  ;  and  ascending 
again  gradually  to  an  undulating  region  of  cultivated  country, 
passed  at  11.40  the  large  village  of  Kana,  on  the  brow  of  the 
valley  ;  and  close  by  it  another  called  Mukhshikeh, 

'  "\^'e  came  to  this  point  again  in  1852 ;  that  the  view  was  less  extensive  than  now. 
but  the  weatherwas  misty  and  showery,  so    See  Vol  III.  Sect.  II,  under  Apr.  12th. 

iii.  382-38-1 


456 


FROM  SAFED  TO  TYRE. 


TSec.  XVI. 


In  tMs  Kana  we  may  doubtless  recognise  the  Kanah  of  the 
book  of  Joshua,  described  as  one  of  the  towns  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  whose  border  extended  unto  Sidon.' 
The  name  is  recorded  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome  ;  but  I  am  not 
aware  that  the  place  has  been  noticed  by  any  pilgrim  or  travel- 
ler, from  that  time  until  the  present  day.^ 

The  hill  country,  as  we  here  approached  Stir,  is  fully  tilled  ; 
and  a  pecuhar  characteristic  of  it,  is  the  production  of  great 
quantities  of  tobacco.  Throughout  all  Palestine,  this  plant  is 
cultivated  more  or  less  for  home  consumption,  in  small  patches 
around  most  of  the  villages  where  the  soil  permits  ;  but  here  it 
is  largely  raised  for  exportation,  and  actually  forms  one  of  the 
main  exports  of  Sur,  if  not  the  chief ;  being  carried  mostly  to 
Damietta. 

Proceeding  over  the  hilly  tract  with  a  gradual  descent,  we 
had  a  village  above  us  on  our  left  at  12.25,  called  Hanaweih.^ 
Ten  minutes  further  on,  we  came  to  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
monuments  of  antiquity,  yet  remaining  in  the  Holy  Land.  It 
is  an  immense  sarcophagus  of  Hmestone,  resting  upon  a  lofty 
pedestal  of  large  hewn  stones  ;  a  conspicuous  ancient  tomb,  bear- 
ing among  the  common  people  the  name  of  Kabr  Hairan,  "  Sep- 
ulchre of  Hiram."  The  sarcophagus  measures  twelve  feet  long 
by  six  feet  in  height  and  breadth  ;  the  lid  is  three  feet  thick, 
and  remains  in  its  original  position  ;  but  a  hole  has  been  broken 
through  the  sarcophagus  at  one  end.*  The  pedestal  consists  of 
three  layers  of  the  like  species  of  stone,  each  three  feet  thick, 
the  upper  layer  projecting  over  the  others  ;  the  stones  are  large, 
and  one  of  them  measures  nine  feet  in  length.  This  gray  weather- 
beaten  monument  stands  here  alone  and  solitary,  bearing  the 
marks  of  high  antiquity  ;  but  the  name  and  the  record  of  him  by 
whom  or  for  whom  it  was  erected,  have  perished,  like  his  ashes, 
for  ever.  It  is  indeed  possible,  that  the  present  name  may  have 
come  down  by  tradition  ;  and  that  this  sepulchre  once  held  the 
dust  of  the  friend  and  ally  of  Solomon  ;  more  probably,  however, 
it  is  merely  of  Muhammedan  application,  like  so  many  other 
names  of  Hebrew  renown,  attached  to  their  Welys  and  monu- 
ments in  every  part  of  Palestine.    I  know  of  no  historical  trace 

'  Josli.  19,  28.    By  w.ay  of  distinction,  '  A  mile  east  of  this  village,  Monro 

probnbly,  the  Cana  of  the  New  Testament  describes  various  Egyptian  figures  sculp- 

is  called  Cana  of  Galilee,  now  Kiuia  el-Jelil.  tiircd  on  tablets  cut  in  the  rocks;  II.  p. 

'  Onomast.  art.  Crtwa.  The  text  of  Jcromo  2.3-25.    See  in  Vol.  III.  Sect.  II,  under 

is  here  exceedingly  confused,  and  probably  Apr.  10th,  penult. 

corrupted.    Eusebius  seems  not  to  distiii-  ■*  Such  tombs,  composed  of  a  single 

gni.sb  this  Caua  from  that  of  (ialiiee. — Mr  soros  or  sarcophagus,  of  immense  size,  are 

Thomson  lodged  at  Kana  on  his  way  from  not  uncommon  in  Asia  Minor;  see  Fel- 

Tyre  to  Saled  in  1837;  Miss.  Herald  fir  low's  .Journal  in  Asia  Minor,  Loud.  1839, 

Nov.  1837,  p.  431.   Pococke  hoard  of  the  pp.  4S,  219,  248. 
same,  as  he  passed  along  the  coast, 
iii  384.  385 


Juire  23.] 


hiram's  tomb,    ras  el-'ain. 


457 


having  reference  to  this  tomb  ;  and  it  had  first  been  mentioned 
by  a  Frank  traveller  only  five  years  before.'  . 

Still  descending  gradually  along  a  Wady,  we  turned  off  at  a 
quarter  before  one  from  the  main  road  to  Silr  ;  talcing  a  path 
more  to  the  left  in  order  to  visit  Eis  el-'Ain.  We  kept  along 
down  the  same  Wady  ;  and  ha^dng  passed  the  villages  of  Beit 
Uha  and  Dar  Kanon  at  a  little  distance  on  our  left,  entered  the 
plain  and  reached  Eas  el-'Ain  at  If  o'clock.  Here  we  made 
our  mid-day  halt  of  nearly  two  and  a  half  hours,  for  rest,  and 
in  order  to  examine  those  remarkable  works  of  ancient  days. 

Eas  el-'Ain  has  its  name  as  being  the  '  fountain-head '  of  the 
aqueducts,  by  which  Tyre  was  anciently  supplied  with  water. 
The  place  lies  in  the  plain,  hardly  a  quarter  of  an  hour  from  the 
sea  shore,  and  one  hour  from  Tyre  on  the  direct  road.  It  is  a 
collection  of  large  fountains  ;  where  the  water  gushes  up  in  sev- 
eral places  with  great  force,  and  in  very  large  quantities.  These 
sources  in  themselves  are  not  unhke  those  at  Tabighah  and  else- 
where along  the  lakes  of  Tiberias  and  the  Huleh,  as  to  quantity 
and  force  of  ebulhtion  ;  but  the  water  is  here  clear  and  fine.  In 
order  to  raise  them  to  a  head  sufficient  to  carry  ofi"  the  water  by 
aqueducts,  the  ancients  built  around  them  elevated  reservoirs, 
with  walls  of  large  stones,  immensely  thick  and  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  high.  There  are  four  of  these  reservoirs  in  all,  at  this  place. 
Two  on  the  east  are  adjacent  and  connected  together  ;  these  are 
of  an  irregular  form,  and  have  steps  to  ascend  to  the  top,  where 
is  a  broad  space  or  walk  forming  the  border  around  the  basins.* 
We  measured  the  depth  of  water  in  one  of  these,  and  found  it 
fourteen  feet. 

Directly  from  these  two  reservoirs,  an  ancient  aqueduct  goes 
off  N.  N.  E.  through  the  plain,  exhibiting  strong  and  excellent 
masonry,  with  round  arches  and  a  continuous  cornice  above  them, 
evidently  of  Eoman  architecture.  The  channel  is  about  four 
feet  in  breadth,  and  two  or  three  in  depth,  and  remains  for  some 
distance  ten  or  fifteen  feet  above  the  ground  ;  afterward,  the 
surface  of  the  land  rises  nearly  to  its  level.  The  water  must 
contain  large  quantities  of  lime  in  solution  ;  for,  wherever  it  has 
flowed  over  the  aqueduct,  or  percolated  through,  large  stalactites 
have  been  formed,  which  in  some  places  fill  up  the  arches. — On 
the  other  side  too  of  the  fountains,  towards  the  south,  an  aque- 
duct with  pointed  arches,  runs  off,  carrying  water  to  some  gar- 
dens.   This  is  obviously  a  more  modern  Saracenic  work. 

The  third  and  principal  source  and  reservoir,  is  some  rods 

'  By  Moni-o  in  1833,  whose  road  had       "  Maundrell  describes  these  basins,  one 

again  fallen  into  ours ;  Vol  II.  p.  25.  The  as  twelve,  the  other  as   twenty  yards 

tomb  is  also  described  by  Mr  Thomson  in  square  ;  Journal  March  21 
1837  ;  1.  c.  p.  435. 

Vol.  II.— 39  iii.  385-387 


458 


FROM  SAFED  TO  TYRE. 


[Sec.  XVL 


west  of  those  now  described.  It  is  octagonal,  and  somewhat 
higher  ahove  the  ground  ;  with  a  very  wide  border,  and  a  broad 
way  leading  to  the  top,  so  that  one  might  ride  up.  The  water 
rises  in  it,  and  rushes  from  it,  with  more  ^'iolence  and  in  greater 
quantity,  than  from  all  the  others  together.  This  basin  was 
anciently  connected  by  an  aqueduct  with  the  two  former  ;  or 
rather,  the  main  aqueduct  began  here,  and  was  first  carried 
eastwards  to  the  other  two  ;  but  this  part  has  been  broken 
av^•ay,  and  only  some  very  large  masses  of  stalactites  stUl  remain 
to  show  its  place.'  The  water  in  this  resen^oir  is  in  constant 
ebullition,  and  must  be  difficult  to  sound  ;  the  people  said  it 
was  sixty  feet  deep  ;  but  Maundrell  found  it  only  thirty  feet, 
and  this  is  probably  too  great.  The  water  of  this  fountain  is  now 
used  only  to  turn  a  single  mill,  which  stands  immediately  under 
the  north  side  of  the  basin,  having  tub  wheels,  hke  most  mills 
in  Syria.  Several  other  mills  formerly  stood  here,  to  which  the 
water  was  distributed  ;  but  it  now  runs  in  a  single  rapid  brook 
to  the  adjacent  sea.'^  In  the  same  du-ection  is  an  isolated  hiU 
of  a  considerable  elevation. 

There  is  still  a  fourth  fountain  and  reservoir,  but  much 
smaller,  with  an  aqueduct  of  modern  construction. 

Around  these  fountains  there  is  much  verdure  and  many 
trees.  We  made  our  noon-day  halt  in  an  orchard  of  fig  trees  ;  and 
the  whole  scene  was  rural  and  refreshing.^  There  is  also  some- 
thing of  a  village.  A  few  years  ago,  the  Pasha  of  Egypt  began 
to  erect  here  several  factories  for  cloth  ;  and  for  tliis  purpose 
removed  two  or  three  miUs.  But  after  a  while,  the  expenses 
were  found  to  be  so  great,  that  the  project  was  abandoned.  The 
foimdations  of  two  buildings  yet  remained,  as  they  were  then 
left  ;  and  the  materials  collected,  still  lay  upon  the  ground. 

The  opinion  has  long  prevailed,  that  these  fountains  must 
be  brought,  by  an  artificial  subterranean  channel,  from  some 


'  This  aqneduct  appears  to  have  heen  Upon  the  brink  of  it  von  have  a  walk 

standing  in  Volney's  day  ;  A'oyage  II.  p.  •  round,  eight  feet  broad  ;  from  which,  de- 

199.  Maundrell  and  Pococke  also  mention  scending  by  one  step  on  the  south  side  and 

it  expressly  ;  and  the  latter  even  S;iys  there  by  two  on  the  north,  you  have  another 

were  two;  Vol.  II.  i.  p.  81.    Pococke's  walk,  twenty-one  foet   broad.  .  .  .  The 

plan  h:is  little  resemblance  to  the  spot.  aqueduct,  how  dry,  is  carried  eastwards 

■  Maundrell,  under  JIarch  21st,  gives  a  about  120  paces,  and  then  approaches  the 

fiill  and  perhaps  accurate  description  of  this  two  other  basins."    As  to  the  materials, 

reser\oir,  as  being  "of  an  octagonal  figure,  our  notes  speak  also  of  lai^e  stones,  many 

22  yards  in  diameter.  It  is  elevated  above  of  which  are  decayed :  and  Niebuhr  says 

the  ground  niue  yards  on  the  south  side,  exprcs-^ly,  that  this  basin  is  built  up  with 

and  six  on  the  north  ;  and  within  is  said  large  squared  stones ;  Reisebeschr.  III.  p. 

to  be  of  unfathomable  deepuess,  but  ten  78. — In  the  days  of  Brocardus  there  were 

yards  of  line  confuted  that  opinion.    Its  here  six  mills;  c.  2.  p.  170. 
wall  is  of  no  better  a  material  than  gravel       '  Hasselquist  notes  as  growing  here  : 

and  small  pebbles;  but  consoliihited  with  Salix  (Sufs-if),  Vitcx  agnus  castns  (Ri^h- 

EO  strong  and  tenacious  a  cement,  that  it  rash),  Palnia  Chrisri  in  abundance,  Sola- 

socms  to  be  all  one  entire  vessel  of  rock,  num,  etc.    Reise  pp.  187,  536. 
iii.  387-389 


Jdnb  23.] 


RAS  EL-'aIN. 


459 


part  of  the  adjacent  mountains.'  But  there  is  nothing  to 
limit  such  a  supposition  to  these  sources  alone  ;  and  if  it  be 
adopted  here,  it  may  with  the  same  reason  be  applied  to  all  the 
other  fountains  along  the  coast,  and  also  to  those  north  of  Ti- 
berias and  in  the  Huleh.  They  are  merely  very  copious  natural 
springs,  gathering  their  waters  doubtless  beneath  inchned  strata 
at  the  foot  of  the  hills  ;  and  tlnis  issuing  with  such  force,  as  to 
admit  of  being  raised  to  so  great  an  elevation. 

The  piety  of  the  middle  ages  referred  these  remarkable  foun- 
tains and  works  to  Solomon  ;  or  at  least  regarded  them  as  the 
spot  alluded  to  in  the  Canticles  :  "  A  fountain  of  gardens,  a 
well  of  living  waters,  and  streams  from  Lebanon."^  This,  how- 
ever, is  merely  fanciful.  Yet  in  aU  probability,  ancient  Tyre 
was  supplied  by  aqueducts  from  these  sources,  long  before  the 
present  Koman  works  were  erected  ;  and  to  them  apparently  the 
language  of  Menander  is  to  be  applied,  who  relates  from  the 
Tyrian  archives,  that  when  Shalmaneser  retired  from  the  siege 
of  insular  Tyre,  he  left  guards  behind  to  cut  off  the  Tyrians 
from  the  stream  and  the  aqueducts  ;  so  that  for  five  years,  they 
drank  water  only  from  the  wells  they  dug.^ 

The  first  distinct  notice  we  have  of  these  fountains  in  their 
present  state,  is  in  the  historical  work  of  the  venerable  archbi- 
shop of  Tyre,  near  the  close  of  the  twelfth  century.  He  describes 
them  as  they  still  exist ;  and  speaks  particularly  of  the  easy  and 
solid  steps  leading  to  the  top  of  the  resei-voirs,  by  which  horse- 
men could  ascend  without  difficulty.  In  that  age,  the  abundant 
waters  were  applied  to  the  irrigation  of  the  adjacent  plain  ; 
which  was  full  of  gardens  and  orchards  of  fruit  trees  ;  and  where 
particularly  the  sugar  cane  was  cultivated  to  a  great  extent ; 
since  sugar,  although  new  to  the  first  crusaders,  now  began  to  be 
regarded  as  a  necessary  of  life.''  It  was  not  improbably  in  con- 
nection with  the  previous  culture  of  this  plant  by  the  Muham- 
medans,  that  the  Saracenic  aqueducts  were  built,  which  cany 
the  waters  over  the  plain  south  of  the  fountains  ;  being  coeval 
perhaps  with  those  around  Jericho,  erected  apparently  for  a  like 
object.' 

We  set  off"  from  Kas  el-'Ain  at  4.25  for  Sur,  taking  a  road 
on  the  right  of  the  usual  one,  and  more  inland,  in  order  to 

Even  Maundrell  adopts  this  view;  *  Will.  Tyr.  1 3.  3,  "  et  canamellas,  unde 

ibid.  preciosissima  usibus  et  saluti  moi-talium 

'  Cant.  4,  15.  The  Vulgate  corresponds  necessaria  maxime,  conficitur  Zachara  : 

still  better  :    "  Fons  hortorum,   puteus  unde  per  institores  ad  ultimas  orbis  partes 

aquarum  viventium,  qua  fluit  impctti  de  deportatur."     Such  is  the  close  of  this 

Libano."    So  Will.  Tyr.  13.  3.  Jac.  de  writer's  description  of  Ris  el-'Ain.  Corap. 

Vitr.  0.  43.  p.  1071.    Brocardus  c.  2.  p.  also  7.  22.  Jac.  de  Vitr.  c.  43.  p.  1071. 

170.    Quaresmius  Elucidat.  Tom.  II.  p.  Brocardus,  c.  2.  p.  170.     Marin.  Sanut 

904,  etc.  etc.  pp.  160,  245. 

'  Menander  in  Joseph.  Antiq.  9.  14.  2.  '  See  above,  Vol  I.  p.  561. 

iii.  389,  390 


460 


FROM  SAFED  TO  TYRE. 


[SecXVL 


follow  for  a  time  the  ancient  aqueduct.  Twenty  minutes 
brought  us  to  two  other  fountains  and  reservoirs,  similar  to  those 
of  Kas  el-'Ain,  hut  not  so  large  nor  abundant.  Their  waters 
are  now  used  merely  to  irrigate  adjacent  gardens  and  meadows 
towards  the  sea.  As  we  advanced,  the  great  aqueduct  could 
be  seen  running  off  through  the  plain  in  a  N.  N.  E.  direction 
towards  el-Ma' shuk,  a  round  rocky  isolated  hill  in  the  plain  on 
the  east  of  Sur,  nearly  half  an  hour  distant  from  the  city,  and 
crowned  by  a  white  Wely  or  tomb  of  a  Muhammedan  saint. 
For  a  considerable  portion  of  the  way,  the  channel  is  nearly  or 
quite  on  a  level  with  the  ground  ;  in  other  parts  it  rests  on  low 
round  arches.  We  were  told  in  Tyre,  that  this  aqueduct  had 
been  cleared  out,  and  in  some  parts  repaired,  not  many  years 
ago,  by  a  governor  of  the  j^lace  ;  so  that  the  water  is  now 
carried  through  it  nearly  or  quite  to  el-Ma'shuk,  and  used  for 
irrigating  the  meadows,  gardens,  and  cotton-fields,  in  the  plain 
east  of  the  city. 

From  el-Ma'shuk  again,  a  range  of  arches  in  ruins,  belong- 
ing to  an  ancient  aqi^educt,  runs  directly  towards  Tyre  ;  but 
the  greater  part  are  broken  away.  Those  remaining  have  the 
appearance  of  being  much  higher  than  the  aqueduct  from  the 
south  ;  and  our  first  thought  was,  that  the  water  of  the  latter 
might  in  some  way  have  been  raised  to  a  higher  level  at  Ma'shuk, 
in  order  to  be  carried  to  the  city.  But  the  height  of  the  arches 
was  probably  occasioned  by  the  declivity  of  the  ground  ;  the 
aqueduct  having  doubtless  been  carried  along  on  the  same  high 
level  as  before,  and  thus  brought  into  the  city,  ia  part  at  least, 
at  a  considerable  elevation.  We  were  assured,  that  there  are 
no  traces  of  reservoirs  or  of  masonry  of  any  kind,  on  or  around 
the  hill  of  Ma'shiik.'  But  why  the  aqueduct  for  conveying 
water  from  Kas  el-'Ain  to  Tyre,  should  thus  have  been  carried 
first  to  el-Ma'shuk,  so  far  out  of  the  direct  line,  it  is  difficult  to 
perceive.  It  may  have  been  on  account  of  the  low  and  perhaps 
marshy  nature  of  the  ground  on  a  straight  course  ;  which  would 
have  required  a  long  range  of  lofty  arches  on  an  uncertain  foun- 
dation ;  while,  as  at  present  constructed,  it  rises  little  above  the 
ground,  and  high  arches  were  required  only  along  the  short  dis- 
tance between  Ma'shiik  and  the  city.  Another,  and  perhaps 
promi'nent  object  of  this  circuitous  course,  may  have  been  the 
irrigation  of  the  higher  parts  of  the  plain,  as  at  the  present 
day. 

We  now  passed  down  obliquely  through  the  plain,  crossing 

'  The    Arabian    writer  edh-Dh;'iliiry,  village.     Rosenmucllcr's  Analect.  Arab, 

about  the  middle  of  the  IHth  century,  Pars  III.  p.  19  Ar.  p.  41  Lat.  Siiudysalso 

mentions  cl-Ma'shilk  along  with  Tyre,  as  mentions  a  village  here  in  A.  D.  1611; 

a  tity  so  desolated  as  to  be  then  a  mere  Travels  p.  166. 
iii.  390-392 


JiWE  23.] 


AQUEDUCT.     COKSULAR  AGENT. 


461 


in  several  places  moist  and  marshy  ground,  and  reached  the 
beach  of  soft  sand  just  at  the  south  side  of  the  isthmus.  Fol- 
lowing for  a  few  minutes  the  beach  as  washed  bv  the  waves,  we 
then  struck  diagonally  across  the  sandy  isthmus,  near  a  large 
solitarj"  tower  of  no  great  antiquity,  and  reached  at  5.35  the 
only  gate  of  the  city,  situated  close  by  the  water  on  the  north- 
em  side.  A  quarantine  guard  stopped  us,  as  coming  from 
Jerusalem,  where  the  plague  was  known  to  exist ;  but  the 
proper  officer  being  called,  a  shabby  looking  Italian,  and  our 
biU  of  health  being  pronounced  regular,  we  were  admitted  with- 
out further  delay.  With  indescribable  emotion,  I  found  myself 
within  the  circuit  of  the  ancient  mistress  of  the  commerce  of 
the  east  ;  alas,  how  fallen  ! 

We  had  hesitated,  whether  to  go  at  once  to  the  house  of  the 
American  consular  agent ;  or  to  seek  for  a  place  where  we  might 
pitch  our  tent  within  the  walls.  We  greatly  preferred  the  latter 
course  in  itself ;  as  we  expected  to  remain  the  next  day  in  Sur, 
and  should  be  in  our  tent  far  more  masters  of  our  time  and  of 
our  own  movements  and  convenience,  than  iu  the  house  of  anoth- 
er. We  therefore  passed  through  the  city  to  the  western  shore 
of  the  ancient  island,  now  the  peninsula,  hoping  to  find  there  a 
fitting  spot  for  the  tent,  in  the  open  space  between  the  houses 
and  the  sea.  But,  to  our  disappointment,  this  was  now  wholly 
occupied  as  a  tobacco  plantation  ;  and  after  searching  for  some 
time,  we  reluctantly  turned  our  steps  backward  into  the  streets 
of  the  city.  Yet,  had  we  looked  a  few  rods  further,  we  should 
have  found  a  very  tolerable  spot  by  a  threshing-floor,  where  we 
might  have  pitched  close  upon  the  bank,  and  enjoyed,  in  all  its 
luxury,  the  cool  sea  breeze  and  the  dashing  of  the  surge  upon 
the  rocky  shore. 

The  American  consular  agents  in  the  Syrian  cities  are  ap- 
pointed by,  and  dependent  on,  the  American  consul  in  Beirut. 
They  are  usually  native  Christians  of  wealth  and  influence,  for 
whom  it  is  a  privilege  to  obtain  the  appointment  ;  inasmuch  as 
it  secures  to  them  protection  and  exemption  from  many  of  the 
ordinary  exactions  of  their  own  government.  In  return,  they 
regard  the  few  Americans  who  may  happen  to  visit  their  places 
of  residence,  as  peculiarly  entitled  to  enjoy  their  hospitality  ; 
and  consider  it  a  duty  and  pri^nlege  to  entertain  them  at  their 
own  houses.  The  agent  at  Sur  was  now  Ya'kob  'Akkad,  a  Greek 
Catholic,  with  whom  my  companion  was  already  acquainted  ;  a 
man  of  wealth,  between  thirty  and  forty  years  of  age,  occupying 
a  large  house  in  the  middle  of  the  city,  along  with  his  mother 
and  one  or  two  brothers  ;  aU  Hving  with  their  wives  and 
children  together  in  one  family.  We  were  received  by  him  with 
great  hospitality  and  kindness  ;  and  were  at  once  quartered  in 

Vol.  n.— 39*  iii.  392, 393 


462 


TYRE. 


[SecXVL 


the  largest  and  best  parlour,  which  we  were  to  occupy  by  day  and 
by  night.  But  it  is  a  part  of  oriental  hospitahty,  by  day  never 
to  leave  a  guest  alone  ;  so  that  we  were  really  incommoded,  by 
what  was  meant  as  kindness  and  respect.  "We  were  hungry, 
and  would  have  eaten  ;  weary,  and  would  have  rested  ;  I  felt 
myself  unwell,  and  woidd  gladly  have  lain  down  for  repose  ;  but 
every  thing  of  this  kind  was  out  of  the  question.  Our  host  could 
not  think  of  leaving  us  ;  his  neighbours  and  friends  came  in  to 
sit  with  him  and  pay  their  respects  to  his  visitors  from  a  remote 
world  ;  his  mother  also  made  us  a  regular  visit,  and  sat  with  us 
for  some  time,  an  elderly  lady  of  intelligence  and  dignified  appear- 
ance. She  came  once  more  to  us  in  like  manner  the  next  day ; 
but  we  saw  none  of  the  other  females  of  the  family,  except  at  a 
distance.  Our  servants,  as  being  Muhammedans,  were  not  ad- 
mitted to  the  house  ;  but  were  lodged  in  another  house  belonging 
to  our  host  not  far  distant,  which  was  imdergoing  repairs,  and 
was  therefore  unoccupied. 

Thus  passed  away  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon,  greatly  to 
our  dissatisfaction,  without  repose,  and  without  our  being  able 
to  take  any  step  for  ourselves  or  see  any  part  of  Tyre.  Notwith- 
standing too  all  the  well  meant  kindness,  we  missed  here  the 
prompt  attention  and  arrangement,  which  we  had  found  under 
similar  circumstances  at  Eamleh.  We  were  tired  and  hungry  ; 
and  as  dinner  had  been  early  announced,  we  waited  with  some 
impatience  for  its  appearance.  But  we  waited  long  in  vain  ;  and 
not  until  9  o'clock  at  evening  were  we  summoned  to  partake  of 
it.  Here  too  a  shabby  imitation  of  the  Frank  style  was  any 
thing  but  welcome.  As  having  often  to  do  with  Franks,  our 
host  had  procured  a  long  clumsy  table,  and  several  coarse  chairs 
to  be  used  with  it.  This  was  set  in  an  adjacent  room,  with 
plates  and  rusty  knives  and  forks.  The  dishes  and  cookery  were 
Syrian,  with  a  miserable  red  wine,  the  poorest  we  tasted  in  the 
coimtry.  The  agent  and  his  brother  partook  with  us  ;  but  wait- 
ing and  weariness  prevented  enjoyment ;  and  we  were  glad  to 
break  up  as  speedily  as  possible.  We  spread  our  own  beds  upon 
the  carpet  of  our  parlour  ;  and  I  wished  myself  most  heartily  back 
l^in  upon  the  ground  beneath  our  tent. 

Sunday,  June  24th.  The  progress  of  our  journey  had  now 
brought  us  to  the  sea  coast  of  Phenicia,  and  into  the  midst  of 
one  of  its  mighty  emporiums.  Hitherto  along  our  route,  I  have 
everywhere  entered  into  the  historical  questions  connected  with 
the  different  places  ;  and  have  thus  endeavoured  to  make  the 
reader  acquainted  with  the  outlines  both  of  their  past  and  pres- 
ent state.  In  respect  to  Tyre  and  Sidon  also,  there  are  several 
such  questions  of  great  difficulty  and  grave  import  ;  the  due 
consideration  of  which,  combined  with  historic  sketches,  might 

iii.  393-395 


JcjiE  24.] 


HOSPITALITY.     THE  CITY. 


463 


easily  fill  out  an  interesting  volume.  But  they  have  been  often 
discussed  ;  and  they  present  besides  a  field  too  extensive  for 
a  work  of  this  nature.  These  considerations  are  sufficient,  I 
trust,  to  excuse  me  henceforth  from  entering  into  such  investi- 
gations ;  and  also  from  giving  any  further  historical  notices, 
except  such  as  may  arise  incidentally,  in  close  connection  with 
the  subject  in  hand. 

"We  spent  this  day,  the  Christian  Sabbath,  at  Tyre  ;  but 
with  less  enjoyment  and  profit  to  ourselves,  than  we  had  often 
done  in  the  midst  of  the  desert.  The  continual  presence  of  our 
host  was  a  burden  ;  in  the  house  we  could  neither  read  nor 
write,  nor  indeed  do  any  thing  by  or  for  ourselves.  After  break- 
fast, I  wandered  out  alone  towards  the  south  end  of  the  penin- 
sula, beyond  the  city,  where  aU  is  now  forsaken  and  lonely  like 
the  desert  ;  and  there  bathed  in  the  limpid  waters  of  the  sea,  as 
they  rolled  into  a  small  and  beautifid  sandy  cove  among  the  rocks. 
I  continued  my  walk  along  the  whole  western  and  northern  shore 
of  the  peninsula,  musing  upon  the  pomp  and  glory,  the  pride 
and  faU,  of  ancient  Tyre.  Here  was  the  little  isle,  once  covered 
by  her  palaces  and  surrounded  by  her  fleets  ;  where  the  build- 
ers perfected  her  beauty  in  the  midst  of  the  seas  ;  where  her 
merchants  were  princes,  and  her  traffickers  the  honourable  of 
the  earth  ;  but  alas  !  "  thy  riches,  and  thy  fairs,  thy  merchandise, 
thy  mariners,  and  thy  pilots,  thy  calkers,  and  the  occupiei-s  of 
thy  merchandise,  and  aU  thy  men  of  war,  that  were  in  thee  and 
in  all  thy  company," — where  are  they  ?  Tyre  has  indeed  become 
"  like  the  top  of  a  rock,  a  place  to  spread  nets  upon  ! "  The  sole 
remaining  tokens  of  her  more  ancient  splendour,  lie  strewed  be- 
neath the  waves  in  the  midst  of  the  sea  ;  and  the  hovels  which 
now  nestle  upon  a  portion  of  her  site,  present  no  contradiction 
of  the  dread  decree  :  "  Thou  shalt  be  built  no  more  !"' 

We  afterwards  went  together  to  the  same  and  other  points 
of  interest  in  the  city  ;  and  among  them  to  the  ancient  cathe- 
dral. The  amount  of  our  hasty  survey  of  the  site  of  Tyre,  is 
contained  in  the  following  sketch.  In  the  afternoon  I  found 
myself  again  unwell ;  and  retiring  to  the  house  where  our  ser- 
vants were  lodged,  and  spreading  my  carpet  in  an  empty  room, 
I  rejoiced  in  being  alone,  and  slept  long  in  quietness. 

The  peninsula  on  which  Tyre,  now  Sur,  is  built,  was  origi- 
nally a  long  narrow  island,  parallel  to  the  shore,  and  distant  from 
it  less  than  half  a  mile.  It  was  perhaps  at  first  a  mere  ledge 
of  rocks  ;  and  inside  of  this,  the  island  was  formed  by  the  sand 
washed  up  from  the  sea.  The  isthmus  was  first  created  by  the 
fcimous  causeway  of  Alexander ;  which  was  enlarged  and  ren- 
dered permanent  by  the  action  of  the  waters,  in  throwing  the 

'  Is.  23,  8.   Ez.  26,  4,  5.  12.  14.    27,  4.  27. 

iiL  395,  396 


464 


TTRE. 


[Sec.  XYL 


sand  over  it  broadly  and  deeply.  At  present,  the  isthmus  can- 
not be  much  less  than  half  a  mile  in  width  ;  and  although 
consisting  of  loose  sand,  yet  it  is  covered  with  traces  of  the 
foundations  of  buildings,  probably  out  of  the  middle  ages.  It 
lies  between  the  shore  and  the  more  northern  part  of  the  island  ; 
so  that  the  latter,  as  seen  from  the  shore,  seems  to  project  fur- 
ther towards  the  south  of  the  isthmus  than  towards  the  north, 
and  forms  here  a  larger  bay  ;  although  the  harbour,  or  rather 
road,  in  which  vessels  lie,  is  that  on  the  north.  The  island,  as 
such,  is  not  far  from  a  mile  in  length.  The  part  which  projects 
on  the  south  beyond  the  isthmus,  is  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
broad,  and  is  rocky  and  uneven  ;  it  is  now  unoccupied  except  by 
fishermen  as  "a  place  to  spread  nets  upon."  The  southern  wall 
of  the  city  runs  across  the  island,  nearly  on  a  line  with  the  south 
side  of  the  isthmus.  The  present  city  stands  upon  the  junction 
of  the  island  and  isthmus  ;  and  the  eastern  wall  includes  a  por- 
tion of  the  latter.  On  the  north  and  west,  towards  the  sea,  are 
no  walls  ;  or  at  least  they  are  so  far  broken  away  and  neglected, 
as  to  be  like  none. 

The  inner  port  or  basin  on  the  north,  was  formerly  enclosed 
by  a  wall,  running  from  the  north  end  of  the  island  in  a  curve 
towards  the  main  land.  Various  pieces  and  fragments  of  this 
wall  yet  remain,  sufficient  to  mark  its  course  ;  but  the  port  it- 
self is  continually  filling  up  more  and  more  with  sand,  and  now- 
a-days  only  boats  can  enter  it.  Indeed,  our  host  informed  us, 
that  even  within  his  own  recollection,  the  water  covered  the  open 
place  before  his  house,  which  at  present  is  ten  or  twelve  rods  from 
the  sea  and  surrounded  with  buildings  ;  while  older  men  remem- 
ber, that  vessels  formerly  anchored  where  the  shore  now  is. 

The  western  coast  of  the  island  is  wholly  a  ledge  of  ragged, 
picturesque  rocks,  in  some  parts  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high  ;  upon 
which  the  waves  of  the  Mediterranean  dash  in  ceaseless  surges. 
The  city  lies  only  upon  the  eastern  part  of  the  island  ;  between 
the  houses  and  the  western  shore  is  a  broad  strip  of  open  land, 
now  given  up  to  tillage.  This  shore  is  strewed  ti'om  one  end  to 
the  other,  along  the  edge  of  the  water  and  in  the  water,  with 
columns  of  red  and  gray  granite  of  various  sizes,  the  only  re- 
maining monuments  of  the  splendour  of  ancient  Tyre.'  At  the 
northwest  point  of  the  island,  forty  or  fifty  such  columns  are 
thrown  together  in  one  heap  beneath  the  waves.  Along  this 
coast,  too,  it  is  apparent,  that  the  continual  washing  of  the 
waves  has  in  many  places  had  the  efiect  to  form  layers  of  new 
rock  ;  in  which  stones,  bones,  and  fragments  of  pottery  are  ce- 
mented as  constituent  parts. 

*  I  mean  here,  of  course.  Tyre  before  the  Christian  era ;  or  at  least  before  it  fell 
under  the  Muhammedan  domiuion. 
iu.  390-308 


JrsE  24.] 


THE  PESIXSULA.     AXCIEKT  CHUBCH. 


465 


There  are  also  occasional  columns  along  the  northern  shore.  I 
examined  here  verv  particularly  the  old  waU  of  the  port,  at  its 
■western  extremity  ;  where  its  abutments  are  at  first  built  up 
along  the  shore,  before  it  strikes  off  into  the  "water.  It  is  here 
constructed  of  large  hewn  stones  ;  and  at  first  I  took  it  to  be  of 
very  ancient  date.  But  on  looking  further,  I  perceived  that  the 
foundations  rest  on  marble  columns  laid  beneath  ;  a  proof  that 
these  portions  of  the  walls  at  least,  if  not  the  whole  port  in  its 
present  form,  cannot  probably  be  much  older  than  the  middle 
ages. 

The  remains  of  the  ancient  cathedral  church  of  Tyre,  are 
quite  in  the  southeastern  comer  of  the  present  city.  It  was  in 
the  Greek  style,  and  must  have  been  originally  a  large  and 
splendid  edifice  ;  but  is  now  in  utter  ruin.  The  eastern  end  is 
partially  standing  ;  the  middle  part  is  wholly  broken  away;  but 
portions  are  again  seen  around  its  western  extremity, — The  di- 
mensions of  the  church  were  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet  long, 
by  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet  broad.'  The  area  is  now 
whoUy  filled  up  by  the  mean  hovels  of  the  city  ;  many  of  which 
are  attached,  like  swallows'  nests,  to  its  walls  and  buttresses. 
In  the  yard  of  one  of  these  huts,  lies  an  immense  double  column 
of  red  Syenite  granite,  consisting  of  two  parallel  connected  shafts 
of  great  size  and  beauty,  once  doubtless  a  main  support  and 
ornament  of  the  cathedraL-  •  Volney  relates,  that  Jezzar  Pasha, 
in  the  beginning  of  his  career,  attempted  to  remove  this  column 
to  'Akka,  to  ornament  a  mosk  ;  but  his  engineers  were  unable 
to  stir  it  from  the  spot.'  Other  columns  of  gray  granite  are 
strewed  in  the  vicinity,  and  are  seen  along  the  streets.  The 
earthquake  of  1837  did  great  injury  to  these  noble  ruins  ;  throw- 
ing down  a  lofty  arch  and  several  other  portions,  which  had  been 
spared  tUl  then. 

There  is  nothing  which  can  serve  to  connect  these  ruins 
directly  with  any  known  ancient  church.  Yet  the  supposition 
of  Maundrell  is  not  improbable,  that  this  may  have  been  the 
same  edifice  erected  by  Paulinus,  bishop  of  Tyre  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  fourth  century,  for  which  Eusebius  wrote  a  conse- 
cration sermoiL  The  circumstances  related  by  Eusebius,  show 
that  it  was  a  cathedral  church  ;  he  describes  it  as  the  most 
splendid  of  all  the  temples  of  Phenicia.*  The  writers  of  the 
times  of  the  crusades  make  no  mention  of  the  cathedral  ; 
although  Tyre  was  then  erected  into  a  Latin  archbishopric 

■  These  are  Capt.  Newbolfs  measure-  '  Volney  Tojage,  Tom,  H  p.  196. 

ment*  in  l  ?-r5.    Joarn.  of  the  E.  Asiat.  *  The  account  of  Ensebhis,  and  his 

Soc.  Xn.  p.  35.5.  sermon  as  preserved  by  himself^  are  found 

'  Snch  double  columns  we  had  before  in  his  Hist.  Ecc.  10.  i.  Comp.  MaundreD, 

Been  only  at  Tell  Hum ;  where,  however,  March  20. 
they  were  much  smaller.  See  above,  p.  407. 

iii.  398,399 


466  TYRE.  [Sec.  XVL 

under  tlie  patriarch  of  Jerusalem.  William  of  Tyre,  the  vener- 
able historian  of  the  crusades,  became  archbishop  in  A.  D. 
1174  ;  and  wrote  here  his  history,  extending  to  the  commence- 
ment of  A.  D.  1184.  •  It  was  probably  in  this  cathedral,  that 
the  bones  of  the  emperor  Frederick  Barbarossa  were  entombed.  ' 

The  present  Sur  is  nothing  more  than  a  market  town,  a 
small  sea  port,  hardly  deserving  the  name  of  city.  Its  chief 
export  is  the  tobacco  raised  upon  the  neighbouring  hills  f  with 
some  cotton,  and  also  charcoal  and  wood  trom  the  more  distant 
mountains.  The  houses  are  for  the  most  part  mere  hovels  ; 
very  few  being  more  than  one  story  high,  with  flat  roofs.  The 
streets  are  narrow  lanes,  crooked,  and  filthy.  Yet  the  many 
scattered  palm  trees  throw  over  the  place  an  oriental  charm ; 
and  the  numerous  Pride  of  India  trees  interspersed  among  the 
houses  and  gardens,  with  their  beautiful  foliage,  give  it  a 
pleasing  aspect.^ — The  taxable  men  at  this  time  were  reckoned 
at  four  hundred  Muhammedans  and  three  hundred  Christians  ; 
implying  a  population  of  less  than  three  thousand  souls.  Of 
the  Christians,  very  few  are  of  the  Greek  rite  ;  the  great  body 
being  Greek  Catholics.  The  latter  have  a  resident  bishop  ; 
while  the  bishop  of  the  former,  who  is  under  the  patriarch  of 
Antioch,  resides  at  Hasbeiya.'  We  heard  here  of  no  Jews  ; 
though  in  J erusalem  we  were  informed,  that  two  years  before,  a 
considerable  number  had  taken  up  their  residence  in  Tyre. 

The  earthquake  of  1837  was  felt  here  to  a  very  considerable 
extent.  A  large  part  of  the  eastern  wall  was  thrown  down,  and 
had  just  been  rebuilt ;  the  southern  wall  also  had  been  greatly 
shattered,  and  still  remained  with  many  breaches,  over  which. 


'  Will.  Tyr.  21.  9.  William  of  Tyre  is 
sometimes  spoken  of  as  an  Englishman ; 
others  have  claimed  him  as  of  French  or 
German  birth ;  see  Bongars'  Prsef.  in 
Gesta  Dei  per  Francos  No.  xi.  His  French 
continuator  says  expressly,  that  he  was 
horn  in  Jerusalem  ;  ibid.  Le  Quien  Oriens 
Chr.  III.  col.  1314.  Comp.  Bibliographic 
Univer.selle  art.  Guillaume,  etc. 

"  The  emperor  Frederic  I.  (Barbarossa) 
was  dro\viie(i  in  the  Calycadnus  (some  say 
the  Cydnus)  in  Cilicia,  on  his  march  to 
the  Holy  Land,  June  10th,  1190.  His 
body  was  first  carried  to  Antioch,  and  de- 
posited in  tlie  cathedral  before  the  altar  of 
St.  Peter ;  Wilkcu  Gesch.  der  Kr.  IV,  pp. 
139,  143.  Raumer  Gesch.  der  Hohenstau- 
fen  II.  pp.  43G,  437.  I'nglish  chroniclers 
relate,  tliat  only  bis  flesh  and  bowels  were 
ultimately  left  at  Antioch  :  "  Viscera  et 
cerebrum  ct  carucni  suarn  aqua  coctam  et 
ab  ossibiw  separatara  in  civitate  Anti- 
ocbiie Roger  Hoved.  in  Savile  Scriptor. 

ill.  399,400 


Remm  Anglicar.  p.  651.  Brompton  in 
Seldcn  Script.  Hist.  Anglic,  p.  1 1  Co.  His 
bones  only  are  said  to  have  been  entombed 
at  Tyre  ;  Sicard.  Chron.  in  Muratori  Tom. 
VII.  p.  (512.  Dandolo  in  Muratori  Tom. 
XII.  p.  314. — By  some  strange  poi-version, 
there  prevails  a  legend,  apparently  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  but  related  by  many 
travellers,  that  Barbarossa  was  drowned 
in  the  Kasimiyeh,  just  north  of  Tyre ;  see 
Sandys'  Travels,  p.  166.  Moncouys  I.  p. 
331.  '  Pococke  II.  i.  p.  84.  Hogg's  Visit 
to  Damascus,  etc.  II.  p.  148. 

'  See  above,  p.  456. 

*  Mdia  Azrdarach  o(  Linna^us  ;  called 
also  Pride  of  China  ;  said  to  be  a  native  of 
Syria. 

Seetzen,  in  1806,  lodged  at  Ilisbeiys 
with  "  the  learned  bishop  of  Sur  or  Saida ;  " 
Zach's  Monafl.  Corr.  XVIII.  p.  341. 
Reisen  I.  pp.  323,  327.  Burckliaidt  also 
had  letters  to  him  in  1810  ;  Travels  p.  33. 


Jdme  24.  J 


POPULATION.     SUPPLY  OF  WATER. 


467 


one  could  pass  in  and  out  at  pleasure.  Several  houses  were 
destroyed,  and  many  injured  ;  so  that  the  inhabitants,  at  the 
time,  forsook  their  dwellings  and  lodged  in  tents,  regarding  the 
place  as  ruined.  Twelve  persons  were  killed  outright,  and  thir- 
ty wounded. ' 

Siir  at  the  present  day  is  supplied  with  water,  almost  whol- 
ly, from  two  deep  fountains  with  buildings  over  them,  a  few 
paces  outside  of  the  gate  on  the  north  side  of  the  peninsula  ; 
the  one  nearest  the  gate  being  the  largest  and  chiefly  used. 
This  is  a  singular  place  for  fresh  water  to  spring  up  ;  and  the 
conjecture  is  not  unnatural,  that  they  stand  in  some  unknown 
connection  with  the  ancient  fountains  of  Ras  el-'Ain.  Such 
was  the  belief  of  our  host  and  of  others  in  Tyre.  He  related, 
that  some  two  or  three  years  ago,  the  governor  of  Sur,  having 
been  ordered  to  furnish  a  certain  number  of  recruits  as  soldiers, 
collected  all  the  peasantry  of  the  district  under  the  pretence  of 
clearing  out  the  ancient  aqueduct,  which  was  supposed  to  have 
come  to  the  city.  They  actually  dug  for  a  day  or  two  along  the 
isthmus,  not  far  from  the  gate,  and  found  traces  of  an  aqueduct 
at  some  depth  under  groimd,  consisting  of  veiy  large  and  thick 
tubes  of  pottery.  The  governor  now  seized  his  recruits  ;  and 
his  object  being  thus  accomplished,  the  matter  was  dropped. 

Tyre  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  a  colony  from  Sidon, 
two  hundred  and  forty  years  before  the  building  of  Solomon's 
temple.  The  original  city  is  usually  held  to  have  stood  upon 
the  main  land  ;  and  Tyre  is  already  mentioned,  in  the  division 
of  the  land  by  Joshua,  as  a  strong  city,  and  afterwards  under 
David,  as  a  strong  hold.*  In  the  letter  of  Hiram  to  Solomon, 
as  given  by  Josephus,  the  Tyrians  are  described  as  already  occu- 
pying the  island.'  In  the  days  of  Shalmaneser,  king  of  As- 
syria, about  720  B.  C.  the  chief  city  was  upon  the  island,  and 
the  city  on  the  land  already  bore  the  name  of  Palastyrus,  "  Old 
Tyre  the  latter  submitted  to  that  monarch,  while  the  former 
was  blockaded  by  him  for  five  years  in  vain.^  Nebuchadnezzar, 
also,  at  a  later  period,  laid  siege  to  Tyre  for  thirteen  years ; 
whether  it  was  at  last  captured  by  him,  we  are  not  expressly 
informed.*  Then  came  the  celebrated  siege  by  Alexander  the 
Great,  about  332  B.  C.  who  succeeded  after  seven  months  in 
taking  the  island  city,  after  having  with  great  labour  and  diffi- 
culty built  up  a  causeway  or  mole,  from  the  main  land  to  the 
walls.    For  this  purpose,  Palsetyrus  was  razed,  and  the  stones 

'  See  Mr  Thomson's  Report,  so  often  re-  *  So  ^  vdKat  Tvpos  or  UaXalrvpos  Diod. 

ferred  to,  Miss.  Herald  Nov.  1837,  pp.  434,  Sic.  17.  40.    Jos.  Ant.  9.  14.  2.  Vetus 

441.  Ti/rus.  Q  Curt.  4.2,  18.  Juftin  11.  10,  11. 

"  Josh.  19,  29.  2  Sam.  24,  7.  Jos.  Ant.  '  Menaiider  in  Joseph.  Ant.  9.  14.  2. 

8.  3.  1.    Justin.  Hist.  18.  3.  «  Joseph,  c.  Apion.  1.  21.    Auriq.  10. 

'  Jos.  Ant.  8.  2.  7.  ib.  8.  5.  3.  11.  1. 

iii.  401,  402 


468 


TTRE, 


[SecXVL 


employed  for  the  mole  and  other  works  of  the  besiegers.*  Tyre 
continued  to  be  a  strong  fortress  ;  after  Alexander's  death  it  fell 
under  the  dominion  of  the  Seleucidfe,  having  been  besieged  for 
fourteen  months  by  Antigonus.  At  a  later  period,  it  came 
under  that  of  the  Eomans.  The  mole  of  Alexander  having 
remained,  had  now  divided  the  strait  into  two  harbours  ;  and 
thus  Tvre  is  described  bv  Strabo,  as  a  flourishing  trading  citv, 
with  two  ports.*  Such  it  was  in  the  times  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, when  it  was  visited  by  our  Lord  and  his  apostles,  and 
afterwards  by  Paul.^  It  early  became  a  Christian  bishopric  ; 
and  in  the  fourth  century,  Jerome  speaks  of  Tyre  as  the  most 
noble  and  beautiful  city  of  Phenicia.  and  as  stiU  trading  with 
all  the  world.*  Thus  it  continued  apparently,  under  the  Mus- 
lim rule,  and  imtil  the  time  of  the  crusades.^ 

Not  until  after  they  had  been  for  twenty-five  years  in  possession 
of  the  Holy  City,  were  the  crusaders  able  to  lay  siege  successfully 
to  Tyre,  at  that  time  a  flourishing  city  and  strong  hold  of  the 
Muslim  power.'  "William  of  Tyre,  writing  upon  the  spot  de- 
scribes the  city  at  the  time  as  very  strongly  Icrtified  ;  being 
enclosed  towards  the  sea,  in  most  parts,  by  a  double  wall  with 
towers  ;  on  the  north,  within  the  city,  was  the  wa.Ued  port,  with 
an  entrance  between  double  towers  ;  and  on  the  east,  where  it 
was  accessible  by  land,  it  was  protected  by  a  triple  wall  with 
lofty  towers  close  together,  and  a  broad  ditch,  which  might  be 
filled  from  the  sea  on  both  sides."  On  the  11th  of  February,  A. 
D.  1124,  the  Christian  host  sat  down  before  Tyre  ;  and  on  the 
27th  of  the  following  June,  the  city  was  delivered  into  their 
hands.  On  entering  the  wealthy  emporium,  the  pilgrims  were 
surprised  at  the  strength  of  its  fortifications,  the  size  and  splen- 
dour of  the  houses,  the  loftiness  of  the  towers,  the  sohdity  of 
the  waUs,  and  the  beauty  of  the  port,  with  its  difficult  entrance.' 

For  more  than  a  century  and  a  half.  Tyre  appears  to  have 

•  Jos.  Ant.  11.  8.  3.  Diod.  Sic.  17.  40  nobOisfimam  et  pnlcherimam  civitatem." 
sq.  Ka^aipur  rrj"  TaXaiay  Keyofihrir  lb.  xxrii  2,  "  usqne  hodie  perseverat:  nt 
Tvpov,  (cal  iroKKuv  uvpiaSuy  KOfu(ou<Twy  omnium  propemodum  gentium  in  ilia 
rovs  Xl^ovs,  X"MO  KareffKeva^t  SirKfApop  exerceantur  commercia." 

xAaT€i.— Quint.  Curt  4.  2  sq.  18,  '  See  generaUv  Reland  Pal.  p.  1046  sq. 

*'  Magna  vis  saxomm  ad  mannm  erat,  Cellarius  Notit.  Orb.  II.  p.  381  sq.  Winer 

Tyro  vetere  prsEbente."    Arrian.  Alex.  2.  Bibl.  Realworterb.  art.  Tyrut.  Rosenmul- 

16  sq.  ler  Bibl.  Geogr.  Bd.  IT.  L  p.  29  sq.  Heng- 

»  Plin.  H.  N.  5.  17.    Strabo  16.  2.  23.  stenberg  de  Rebus  T\-riorum  BerL  1832.  8. 

p.  519  sq.  '  King  Baldwin  L  besieged  it  for  four 

'  Matth.  15,  21.    Mark  7,  24.    Acts  months  in  vain,  in  A.  D.  1111.  Albert  Aq. 

21,  3.  7.  12.  1-7.    Fnkh.  Cam.  c  37.  Will  Tyr. 

*  Cassins,  bishop  of  Tyre,  was  present  11.  17.  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  II.  p.  227. 
•tthe  council  of  Csesarea"  about  A.  D.  196  '  Will.  Tyr.  13.  5.  Wilken  Gesch.  der 
or  198;  for  him  and  other  bishops,  see  Kr.  D.  p.  50.5. 

Reland  Pal.  p.  1054.    Le  Qnien  Oriens  '  WilL   Tyr.  13.   14.    Wilken  ib  p. 

Chr.  II.  col.  K)l. — Hieron.  Comm.  in  Ez.  511.     See  generally  WilL  Tyt.  13.  5- 

xxri.  7.  "  quam  hodle  cemimus  Phcenicis  14.    Wilken  ib.  pp.  505-512. 

iii  402.403 


JciTE  24.] 


HISTOHICAL  NOTICES. 


469 


remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Christians,  and  maintained  its 
prosperity.  The  entrance  of  the  port  was  closed  every  night  by 
a  chain  between  the  towers  ;  and  the  city  was  celebrated  for  the 
manufacture  of  glass,  and  the  production  of  sugar.'  After  the 
battle  of  Hattin,  in  A.  D.  1187,  when  Jerusalem  and  nearly  aU 
Palestine  were  wrested  from  the  Christians  by  Saladin,  this  city 
was  almost  the  only  place  of  importance,  which  held  out  against 
his  arms.  The  Sultan,  indeed,  invested  Tyre  in  November  of 
the  same  year ;  but  after  three  months  of  fruitless  effort,  was 
compelled  to  give  up  the  siege.*  The  city  afterwards  became 
an  apple  of  contention  among  the  Christians  themselves  ;  and 
about  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century,  appears  to  have 
been  chiefly,  if  not  wholly,  under  the  control  of  the  Venetians  ; 
of  whose  property  and  administration  in  and  around  Tyre  at 
this  period,  there  exists  a  very  minute  and  faithful  account.^ 

The  strength  and  almost  impregnable  position  of  Tyre,  ap- 
pear to  have  restrained  the  rapid  and  formidable  Bibars  from 
any  direct  attempts  against  the  city  at  first ;  although  in  A.  D. 
1267  he  plundered  the  territoiy  round  about,  under  pretext  of 
vengeance  for  the  muider  of  one  of  his  Mamluks  ;  and  did  not 
retire,  until  the  inhabitants  had  paid  a  fine  of  blood  of  fifteen 
thousand  gold  pieces,  and  set  at  liberty  all  the  Saracen  prisoners 
in  their  possession.  He  then  granted  them  peace  for  ten  years.* 
Meantime,  he  subdued  the  castles  in  the  interior,  and  got  pos- 
session of  Yafa,  Arsuf,  and  Csesarea  in  the  south,  and  of  Antioch 
and  other  cities  in  the  north  f  so  that  the  Christians  were 
henceforth  confined  chiefly  to  the  coast  north  of  Carmel.  But 
such  was  now  the  feeble  tenor  of  their  remaining  possessions, 
and  such  the  predominancy  of  the  Mushm  might  on  every  side, 
that  only  a  single  blow  was  wanting,  to  drive  out  wholly  the 
name  and  power  of  the  Franks  fi-om  the  Holy  Land. 

Hence,  when  in  March,  A.  D.  1291,  Melek  el-Ashraf,  then 
Sultan  of  Egypt  and  Damascus,  invested  'Akka,  and  took  it  by 
storm  with  horrible  atrocities  after  a  siege  of  two  months  ;^  on 
the  evening  of  the  very  day  of  its  capture,  the  Frank  inhabitants 
of  Tyre  embarked  with  their  effects  on  board  their  ships,  and 
abandoned  this  important  city  to  the  Saracens,  who  took  posses- 
sion of  it  the  next  day.'^  Sidon,  after  some  delay,  was  forsaken 
in  like  manner  ;  Beirut  was  seized  by  treachery  ;  and  the  for- 

'  WilL  Tyr.  13.  3.    Benj.  of  Tud.  I.  pp.  princes  for  the  possession  of  Tyre,  see  in 

62,  63.  Wilken  ib.  VI.  p.  623  sq. 

'  Reinand  Extr.  p.  219.     Wilken  ib.  '  Reinaud  Extr.  p.  o03.     Wilkeu  ib. 

IV.  p.  225-233,  and  the  authorities  there  VII.  p.  516. 

cited.  »  Wilken  ib  pp  4r4-478,  521  sq. 

'  In  the  report  of  Marsilius  Georgins,  a  '  Wilken  ib.  pp.  735-770.  Reinaud  Ex- 
Venetian  Bailo  or  governor  in  Syria;  see  traits  p  570  sq. 

Wilken  ib.  VIL  pp   371-387— .\  strife  '  Marin.  Sanat.  p.  231.  c.  22.  Abulf. 

among  the  various  Christian  parties  and  AnnaL  V.  p.  98.  Wilken  ib.  VII.  p.  771. 

Vol.  U.— 40  iij.  403-405 


470 


TYRE. 


[SecXVL 


tifications  of  both  places  destroyed.  The  subsequent  abafidon- 
ment  of  'Athlit  (Castrum  Peiegrinorum)  and  Tortosa  in  the 
same  year,  completed  the  entire  expulsion  of  the  Frank  power 
from  the  soil  of  Syria  and  Palestine.' 

Not  long  before  this  time,  Tyre  is  described  by  Brocardus  as 
fortified  on  the  land  side  by  strong  quadruple  walls,  with  which 
there  was  connected  on  the  island  a  citadel  with  seven  towers, 
regarded  as  impregnable,^  These  fortifications  appear  to  have 
been  razed  by  the  Saracens,  as  at  Sidon  and  Beirut ;  and  the 
place  itself  was  abandoned  more  or  less  by  the  inhabitants. 
Abulfeda,  not  many  years  afterwards,  describes  Tyre  as  being 
desolate  and  in  ruins  ;  and  edh-Dhahiry  speaks  of  it  in  the 
same  manner,  in  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century.^  It  there- 
fore never  recovered  from  the  blow,  but  continued  apparently  to 
sink  deeper  and  deeper  in  abandonment  and  desolation.  Travel- 
lers of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  describe  it  as  only 
a  heap  of  ruins, — broken  arches  aud  vaults,  tottering  walls  and 
fallen  towers,  with  a  few  miserable  inhabitants  housing  in  the 
vaults  amid  the  rubbish.*  Yet  Fakhr  ed-Din,  the  celebrated 
chief  of  the  Druzes  in  the  first  half  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
made  some  attempts  to  restore  its  importance,  and  erected  here 
a  spacious  palace  and  other  buildings  ;  but  they  were  soon  suf- 
fered to  fall  to  decay  ;  and,  in  the  time  of  D'Arvieux,  the  little 
that  remained  of  the  palace,  served  as  a  Khan  for  travellers.' 
Maundrell,  at  the  close  of  the  same  century,  found  "  not  so 
much  as  one  entire  house  left,"  and  only  a  few  poor  fishermen 
harbouring  themselves  in  the  vaults.*  In  Pococke's  day  (1738) 
the  French  factory  at  Sidon  exported  large  quantities  of  grain 
from  Tyre  ;  but  the  same  traveller  speaks  here  only  of  two  or 
three  Christian  famihes  and  a  few  other  inhabitants.^  Hassel- 
quist  in  1751  describes  Tyre  as  a  miserable  village,  having 
scarcely  more  than  ten  inhabitants,  Muhammcdan  and  Christian, 
who  lived  from  fishing.*  In  A.  D.  1766  the  Metawileh  from  the 
neighbouring  mountains,  having  taken  possession  of  Tyre  and 
built  up  the  present  walls,  laid  thus  the  foundation  for  its  partial 
revival.  Twenty  years  later,  according  to  Volney,  the  village, 
although  consisting  of  wretched  huts,  covered  a  third  part  of 
'  the  peninsula  ;  but  its  only  exports  were  still  a  few  sacks  of 
grain  and  cotton,  and  its  only  merchant  a  Greek  factor  in  the 

'  Marin,  biijut.  p.  232.    Reinaud  p.  a  reverent  aspect,  and  do  instruct  the  pen- 

673.  sive  beholder  with  their  exemplary  fraOty." 

'  Brocardus  c.  2.  p.  170.  Quaresniius  II.  p.  906. 

'  Abulf:  Tab.  Syr.  p.  95.  Edh-Dhahiry       '  D'Arvieux  Memoires,  Par.  173.5.  Tom. 

in' Uosenniullcr  AnaUct.    Arab.  III.  p.  19.  I.  p.  251. 

p.  41,  Lat.  ■  '  Maundrell's  Journal,  March  20th. 

*  Cotovicus  p.  120.    Sandys  p.  168,         Pocooke  Descr.  of  the  East,  IL  L  p. 

"  But  this  ouce  famous  Tyre  is  now  no  82. 
other  than  a  heap  of  ruius ,  yet  they  have       "  Kciso  p.  187. 

iii.  405,  406 


June  25.] 


MODERN  HISTORY.  PAL^TYRUS. 


471 


service  of  the  French  establishment  at  Sidon.*  The  export  of 
tobacco  to  Egypt  has  given  it  an  impulse  during  the  present 
century  ;  in  1815  this  formed  already  its  chief  staple,  along 
with  cotton,  charcoal,  and  wood  ;  and  the  population  was  con- 
tinually increasing.'^  Yet  the  greater  prosperity  and  importance 
of  the  trade  of  Beirlit,  will  probably  prevent  any  further  exten- 
sive enlargement. 

In  connection  with  the  preceding  account  of  ancient  Tyre, 
a  question  arises  in  regard  to  the  site  of  the  earliest  land  city, 
Palcetyrus  ;  of  which  no  known  vestige  now  remains.  The  only 
distinct  notice  we  have  of  its  position,  is  from  Strabo,  three 
centuries  after  its  destruction  by  Alexander.  He  says  it  stood 
thirty  stadia  south  of  the  insular  city.^  Both  the  direction  and 
the  distance  carry  it,  therefore,  to  the  vicinity  of  Eas  el-'Ain. 
It  probably  lay  on  the  south  of  those  fountains  along  the  coast ; 
and  the  hiU  in  that  quarter  may  perhaps  have  been  its  citadel.* 
That  no  remains  are  now  visible,  is  amply  accounted  for  by  the 
fact,  that  Alexander,  more  than  twenty  centuries  ago,  carried  off 
its  materials  to  erect  his  mole  f  and  what  he  left  behind,  would 
naturally  be  swallowed  up  in  the  erections  and  restorations  of 
the  island  city,  during  the  subsequent  centuries.  Even  in  the 
more  modern  Tyre  of  the  middle  ages,  what  has  become  of  her 
double  and  triple  walls,  her  lofty  towers,  her  large  and  massive 
mansions  ?  Not  only  have  these  structures  been  overthrown, 
but  their  very  materials  have  in  a  great  measure  disappeared  ; 
having  been  probably  carried  off  by  water,  and  absorbed  in  the 
repeated  fortifications  of  'Akka  and  other  constructions.* 


Monday,  June  25th.  Our  journey  for  this  day  was  along  the 
coast  from  Tyre  to  Sidon,  a  distance  usually  reckoned  at  eight 


■  Volney  Voyage  II.  pp.  194,  196,  208. 
Comp.  Niebuhr  Reisebeschr.  III.  p.  78. 

'  Turner's  Tour,  II.  p.  101. 

'  Strabo  16.  2.  p.  521,  Merh.  rhv  Tipov 
il  noXofrupos  iv  rpiitcovra  (rraSloii.  Strabo 
is  here  following  the  direction  from  north 
to  south,  and  goes  next  to  PtolemaTs. 

*  There  are  ruins  in  the  plain  an  hour 
and  a  half  south  of  Ras  el-'Ain,  as  not«d 
by  my  companion ;  but  these  are  too  dis- 
tant. Irby  and  Mangles  mention  them  as 
"  the  rubbish  of  an  ancient  city  ; "  Travels 
p.  197.  [61.] 

*  See  above,  p.  467  sq. 

^  The  Hebrew  name  of  Tyre  is 
(Tsor,  rock),  which  is  admirably  adapted 
to  the  i.sland,  but  not  specially  so  to  the  site 
here  assigned  to  the  land  city.  Etymolo- 
gically  therefore,  and  perhaps  on  other 


grounds,  the  city  upon  the  island  might 
well  be  regarded  as  the  original  one ; 
though  against  this  view  we  have  the 
name  Palfetyrus,  and  this  alone,  applied 
to  the  land  city.  (Comp.  Hengstenb.  de 
Rob.  Tyr.  c.  1.)  To  avoid  this  difficulty, 
it  is  sometimes  suggested,  in  accordance 
with  Volney,  Rosenmiiller,  and  others, 
that  Patetyrusmay  have  been  situated  upon 
the  rocky  hill  el-Ma'shuk  ;  to  which  the 
name  (Tsor)  would  certainly  be  very 
applicable.  But  this  liiU  is  east,  or  rather 
northeasterly,  from  Tyre,  at  less  than 
half  an  hour's  distance  ;  and  can  therefore 
have  no  connection  with  Strabo's  Palajty- 
rns.  Winer  Bibl.  Realworterb.  art.  Ti/rus, 
note.  RosenmuUer  Bibl.  Geogr.  II  i.  p. 
31.    Volney  Voyage  II.  pp.  200,  201. 

ui.  407,  408 


472 


FROM  TYRE  TO  SIDON, 


[Sec.  XVI. 


hours.  We  left  the  gate  of  Tyre  at  6  o'clock  ;  and  following  the 
beach  of  sand  along  the  northern  shore  of  the  isthmus,  left  the 
high  and  broken  arches  of  the  ancient  aqueduct  upon  our  right. 
Beyond  the  isthmus,  the  path  gradually  leaves  the  beach.  In 
thirty-five  minutes  we  came  to  a  large  spring  of  fine  water,  once 
enclosed  by  a  wall ;  it  is  highly  prized  by  the  Tyrians,  who 
suppose  it  to  possess  medicinal  virtues.'  The  road  now  strikes 
obliquely  across  the  plain,  towards  the  point  of  the  hills  where 
the  vaUey  of  the  Litany,  here  called  Nahr  el-Kasimiyeh,  issues 
from  them.  Here,  on  the  high  southern  bank  of  the  Wady,  at 
the  foot  of  the  hills,  stands  the  Khan  el-Kasimiyeh,  which  we 
reached  at  7f  o'clock  ;  an  old  dilapidated  building,  on  which 
Sandys  already  bestows  the  epithet  of  ancient.*  At  this  place 
we  stopped  an  hour  for  breakfast.  The  Khan  is  inhabited  ;  but 
the  people  were  aU  absent,  and  had  left  their  poultry  and  other 
effects  to  the  honesty  of  all  comers.  Our  servants  looked  around 
for  something  to  eat,  and  found  at  last  some  eggs  in  the  nest ; 
these  they  took,  leaving  money  in  the  nest  to  pay  for  them. 

Mounting  again  at  8|  o'clock,  we  descended  the  steep  bank 
to  the  river,  which  here  flows  immediately  beneath  it,  and  is 
crossed  by  a  fine  modem  bridge  of  one  arch.'  The  stream  in 
this  part  is  of  considerable  depth,  being  perhaps  one  third  as 
large  as  the  Jordan  above  the  lake  of  Tiberias;  and  flows  to  the 
sea  with  many  windings,  through  a  broad  low  tract  of  meadow 
land.  Its  name,  el-Kasimiyeh,  is  sometimes  said  to  signify 
'  division ; '  and  is  supposed  to  have  arisen  from  its  being  the 
boundary  between  adjacent  districts  ;  though  it  is  more  probably 
derived  from  a  proper  name.^  It  is  the  same  stream,  which  under 
the  name  of  el-Litany  drains  the  great  valley  of  el-Buka'a  be- 
tween Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon,  and  then  breaks  down  through 
to  the  sea,  by  a  mountain  gorge,  at  the  south  end  of  Lebanon.' 
This  river  is  now  commonly  held  to  be  the  Leontes  of  the  ancient 
geographers  ;  and  not  without  good  reason,  though  the  proofs 


'  This  spring  appears  to  be  the  same 
which  Pococke  calls  "  Bakwok  ;"  II.  i.  p. 
84. 

'  "An  ancient  Cane,  whose  port  doth 
bear  the  portraiture  of  a  chalice  ;"  Sandy's 
Travels  p.  166.  Monconys  also  mentions 
the  chalice  on  a  stone  tablet ;  I.  p.  331. 
Comp.  Nau  p.  541. 

'  In  the  seventeenth  century,  D'Arvieux 
and  Maundrell  describe  a  bridge  of  four 
arches  over  the  Kasimiyeh,  broken  down 
and  dangerous  to  be  passed ;  D'Arvieux 
M^m.  II.  p.  5.  Maundr.  March  20th. 
Pococke  in  1738  found  a  bridge  of  two 
arches;  II.  p.  84.  Tunier  in  181.")  speaks 
here  of  "  a  handsome  new  bridge,  twenty 
feet  wide  ;"  Tour  etc.  IL  p.  98. 
ui.  408-410 


*  D'Arvieux  in  1659  says  it  was  so 
called  as  dividing  the  governments  of 
Saida  and  Safed ;  Mem.  II.  p.  5.  Paris 
173.5.  Nau  in  1674,  makes  it  separate  the 
territories  of  Saida  and  Siir  ;  p.  548.  It 
now  forms  the  line  between  the  districts 
BelAd  Besharah  and  Belad  esh-Shiikif. — 
The  form  KuBtn  signifies  '  division  ; '  Kd- 
sim  is  '  divider,'  but  it  is  used  also  as  a 
proper  name.  El-Kdsimiyeh  seems  to  be 
the  feminine  of  the  relative  adjective  Ka- 
nmy,  derived  from  this  proper  name. 

'  See  above,  pp.  437.  438.  The  fable 
respecting  the  drowning  of  the  emperor 
Frederick  Barbarossa  in  this  river,  has  al- 
ready been  noticed ;  p.  466.  n.  2. 


JUNB  25.] 


PHENICIAN  PLAIN. 


473 


are  not  absolutely  decisive.*  By  an  error  destitute  of  the  slightest 
foundation,  yet  going  back  to  the  times  of  the  crusades,  the 
Kasimiyeh  was  formerly  regarded  as  the  ancient  Eleutherus  ;  a 
stream  which  all  the  ancient  geographers  agree  in  placing  on  the 
north  of  TripoHs,  and  which  Maundrell  was  the  first  to  find 
aorain  in  the  Nahr  el-Kebir,  at  the  northern  end  of  Lebanon.* 

Our  road  lay  for  the  remainder  of  the  day  along  the  celebrated 
Phenician  plain,  sometimes  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  and 
sometimes  near  the  shore.  Tins  plain  extends  from  Ras  el-Beyad 
or  el-Abyad,  the  Promontorium  album  of  the  ancients,  nearly 
three  hours  south  of  Sur,  to  the  NahV  el-Auwaly  an  hour  north 
of  Saida  ;  a  distance  of  ten  or  eleven  hours.  Its  breadth  is  un- 
equal ;  but  it  is  nowhere  more  than  half  an  hour,  except  around 
the  cities  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  ;  where  the  mountains  retreat 
somewhat  further.  In  some  places  they  approach  quite  near  to 
the  shore.  The  surface  is  not  a  dead  level,  but  undulating  ;  the 
soil  is  fine  and  fertile,  and  everywhere  capable  of  tUlage  ;  though 
now  suffered  for  the  most  part  to  run  to  waste.  The  adjacent 
heights  are  hardly  to  be  called  mountains  ;  they  constitute  in- 
deed the  high  tract  running  off  south  from  Lebanon,  which  has 
some  higher  bluffs  and  ridges  further  east,  towards  the  Htileh  ; 
but  as  here  seen,  they  are  low  ;  and  though  sometimes  rocky  and 
covered  with  shrubs,  are  yet  oftener  arable  and  cultivated  to  the 
top.  The  hiUs  too  are  enlivened  with  villages  ;  of  which  there 
is  not  a  single  one  in  all  the  plain,  until  near  Sidon. 

We  crossed  the  dry  bed  of  a  mountain  torrent  at  9|  o'clock, 

-  Edrisi,  in  the  twelfth  century,  de-       '  William  of  Tyre  twice  mentions  this 

scribes  a  river  called  Nahr  Lanteh,  as  de-  stream  by  Tyre,  but  gives  it  no  name  ;  7. 

soending  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea  22.   ib.  13.  9.    BrocarJus  has  it  as  the 

between  Sur  and  Surafend ;  Edr.  par  Jau-  Eleutherus,  c.  2.  p.  and  so  too  Ma- 

bert  p.  349.    Reland  PaL  p.  290.    This  rinus  Sanutus  p.  9^5.    Adrichomius  p.  3, 

name  is  obviously  an  Arabic  form  for  the  etc.  etc.    Yet  tte  ancients  with  one  voice 

Leontes ;  and  the  stream  could  not  well  place  the  Eleutherus  north  of  Tripo!is,  on 

have  been  any  other  than  the  Kasimiyeh  ;  or  near  the  northern  border  of  Pheuicia ; 

especially  as  the  name  el-Litany,  still  ap-  so  Ptolem.  15.  4.  Strabo  16.  2.  12.  p  753. 

plied  to  the  same  in  the  mountains,  is  pro-  PUn.  H.  N.  5.  20.    See  Cellarius  Not. 

bably  only  a  further  corruption  of  Leontes  Orb.  IL  p.  374.    Mannert   Geogr.  von 

and  Lanteh — Yet  Ptolemy  sets  the  river  A^abien,  Palastina,  etc.  p.  303.  Leipz.  1831. 

Leontes  between  Betytus  and  Sidon ;  and  Josephus  also  makes  it  a  border  river  north 

Strabo  also  places  a  city  Leontonpolis  be-  of  Tyre  and  Sidon;  and  this  view  is  also 

tween  the  TamjTas  and  Sidon.    Ptolem.  consistent  vnth  the  first  book  of  Mucca- 

5.  4.    Strabo  16.  2.  p  520.    Reland  PaL  bees;  1  Mace.  11,  7.  12,  30.  Joseph.  Ant. 

p.  457.    Cellarius  Notit.  Orb.  II  pp.  377,  15.  4.  1.  B.  J.  1.  18.  5.— Maundrell  was 

379.    In  that  case  the  present  river  el-  the  first  to  draw  attention  to  the  streams 

Auwaly  (the  Bostrenus)  north  of  Sidon  north  of  Tripolis  ;  the  largest  of  which  is 

would  correspond  to  the  Leontes ;  and  so  the  Nahr  el-Keblr,  answering  in  all  respects 

Mannert  assumes  it ;  Phoenic.  p.  294. —  to  the  Eleutherus ;  Maundrell  under  March 

Strabo  expressly  speaks  of  a  river  on  the  9th.     So  too  Pococke  II.  i.  p.  204  sq. 

north  of  Tyre,  unquestionably  the  present  Burckhardt  p.  161.     Reland  Pal<-est.  p. 

el-Kilsimiyeh ;  but  unfortunately  does  not  291.    There  exists  no  ground  whatever, 

record  its  name  :  tha  irphs  Tvpif  noTa/ihs  for  assuming  a  second  stream  of  this  name 

iilvfft.  16.  2.  24.  p.  768.  in  Phenicia. 

Vol.  II.-40*  iii.  410,  411 


474 


FROM  TYRE  TO  SIDON. 


[Sec.  XVI. 


called  Abu  el-Aswad  ;  on  which  are  the  rmns  of  a  bridge  with 
a  round  arch,  now  broken  down.  Tliis  may  be  an  ancient  work  ; 
here  too  is  a  ruined  Khan.  At  10^  o'clock  the  hills  approached 
nearer  to  the  coast ;  and  we  had,  on  the  shore  at  our  left,  the 
traces  of  a  former  site  called  'Adlan,  consisting  of  confused 
heaps  of  stones,  with  several  old  wells.'  On  the  mountains 
above  are  two  or  three  villages  ;  one  of  which  is  called  el-Ansa- 
riyeh  ;  and  in  the  plain  were  fields  of  millet  in  bloom.  The 
side  of  the  projecting  mountain  is  here  rocky  and  precipitous 
near  the  base  ;  and  in  it  are  many  sepulchral  grottos,  hewn  out 
of  the  hard  limestone  rock. 

These  tombs  are  very  numerous  ;  and  were  described  to  us 
by  friends  who  had  visited  them,  as  being  all  of  the  same  form  ; 
having  a  door  leading  into  a  chamber  about  six  feet  square,  with 
a  sort  of  bed  left  in  the  rock  on  three  sides  for  the  dead  bodies. 
The  doors  are  gone,  and  not  a  bone  is  left.  This  accords  with 
the  account  of  Nau  in  A.  D.  1674,  who  describes  them  very 
minutely,  and  was  led  from  their  regularity  and  uniformity  to 
regard  them  as  an  ancient  Laura  of  monastic  cells.^  Is  this 
perhaps  the  spot  spoken  of  by  William  of  Tyre,  as  the  Tyrian 
cave  in  the  territory  of  Sidon,  occupied  by  the  crusaders  as  a 
strong  hold  ?^  If  so,  we  might  compare  it  with  the  "  Mearah 
(cavern)  that  was  beside  the  Sidonians,"  mentioned  in  the  book 
of  Joshua.''  The  whole  suggestion,  however,  is  of  very  ques- 
tionable value. 

Passing  on,  we  crossed  at  11.20  a  small  dry  Wady  studded 
with  oleanders  ;^  and  came  at  llf  o'clock  to  a  Wely  near  the 
shore,  with  a  small  Khan  close  by,  called  el-Khudr,  the  Arab 
name  of  St.  Creorge.  Five  minutes  beyond  is  a  site  of  ruins  on 
the  left,  broken  foundations  and  irregular  heaps  of  stones,  indi- 
cating however  in  themselves  little  more  than  a  mere  village. 
Opposite  to  this  spot,  high  up  on  the  southern  slope  of  a  par- 
tially isolated  hill,  and  hardly  half  an  hour  distant,  is  a  large 
village  with  two  or  three  Welys,  bearing  the  name  of  Surafend. 

'  EJrisi  speaks  of*  this  place  in  the  Report  of  liis  journey  to  Safed,  Miss.  He- 
twelfth  century  ;  par  Jaub.  p.  340.  It  Vs  raid  Nov.  1837,  p.  442. 
doubtles.s  the  Adnoun  of  Nau  and  the  Ad-  '  Will.  Tyr.  19.  11,  "  Municipium  quod- 
nou  of  Pococke.  Nau  p.  548.  Pococke  II.  dam  nostrum,  in  territorio  Sydoniensi  si- 
L  p.  84. — Strabo  places  the  small  city  tbnri,  spcluncara  videlicet  inexpugnabilem, 
(jfoAfx"""')  Ornithon,  Ornithonpolis,  be-  qust  vulgo  dicitur  Cavea  de  Tyro"  This 
tween  Tyre  and  Sidon  ;  but  we  have  no-  was  surrendered  to  the  Saracens  by  treach- 
thing  to  mark  its  position.  It  may  or  may  ery.  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  III.  ii.  p.  94. 
not  have  been  at  Adlan  ;  the  adjacent  se-  Comp.  llosenmOller  Bibl.  Geogr.  II.  i.  pp. 
pulchres  show  at  least  that  hero  must  39,  40. 

have  been  an  ancient  town.    Strabo  10.  2.  *  Josh.  IH,  4.    Comp.  Rosenmiillcr  1  c. 

24.  p  7r)8.    Comp.  Pococke  1.  c.  '  Ha.sselquist  remarks,    that   he  first 

'  Nau  Voyage  pp.  54.')-548.     These  found  the  oleander  (Nerium)  between  Tyre 

tombs  are  mentioned  likewise  by  Sandys,  and  Sidon  ;  Reise  p.  188.    Wc  had  before 

p.  IGG.    D'Arvieux  Mem.  II.  p  5.    Po-  seen  it  in  great  abundance  around  Wady 

cocke  11.  i.  p.  84.    Also  in  Mr  Thomson's  Musa  and  the  lake  of  Tiberias, 
iii.  411-413 


JraK  25.] 


STJRAFEND,  SAEEPTA. 


475 


In  this  name  we  here  have  the  Zarephath  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  the  Sarepta  of  the  New  ;  a  place  situated,  according 
to  Josephus  and  Pliny,  between  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  belonging 
to  the  territory  of  the  latter.'  Here  Elijah  dwelt  long  in  the 
house  of  the  widow,  and  restored  her  son  to  life.'^  Eusebius  and 
Jerome  have  the  name  ;  and  the  latter  speaks  of  Paula  as 
having  visited  the  spot.^ 

In  Latin  poems  of  the  subsequent  centuries,  the  wine  of 
Sarepta  is  highly  celebrated  ;  though  at  the  close  of  the  sixth 
century,  Antoninus  Martyr  describes  the  place  as  only  a  small 
Christian  city.*  It  is  however  nowhere  mentioned  as  an  ancient 
bishopric  ;  the  cru.saders  first  made  it  the  seat  of  a  Latin  bishop 
under  the  archbishop  of  Sidon  ;  and  erected  near  the  port  a 
small  chapel  over  the  reputed  spot,  where  Elijah  dwelt  and  raised 
the  widow's  son  from  the  dead.'  Phocas,  about  A.  D.  1185, 
speaks  here  of  a  fortress  on  the  shore  of  the  sea.  Brocardus  a 
century  later  says,  the  place  had  scarcely  eight  houses,  though 
many  ruins  indicated  its  ancient  splendour.'  The  Christian 
chapel  was  doubtless  succeeded  by  the  mosk,  of  which  former 
travellers  speak  as  erected  here  over  the  widow's  house  ;  and  at 
the  present  day,  the  same  is  probably  found  in  the  Wely  el- 
Khudr.' 

It  would  thus  seem,  that  the  former  city  of  Sarepta  or 
Surafend,  stood  near  the  sea  shore  ;  and  that  the  present  village 
bearing  the  same  name  upon  the  adjacent  hills,  has  sprung  up 
since  the  time  of  the  crusades  ;  the  people  having  probably 
chosen  to  remove  thither  for  the  same  reason,  whatever  it  may 
have  been,  which  has  caused  the  abandonment  of  all  the  rest  of 
the  plain.  The  mention  of  the  former  port  and  of  the  chapel 
near  by,  now  marked  by  the  Wely  and  also  the  adjacent  ruins, 
all  go  to  fix  the  former  site  near  the  sea.  William  of  Tyre 
likewise  gives  decisive  testimony  to  the  same  eff'ect,  when  he 
relates,  that  the  host  of  the  crusaders,  as  they  first  marched 


•  1  Kings  17,  9.  10.  Obad.  vs.  20. 
Ltike  4,  26.  Joseph.  Ant  8.  13.  2.  Plia 
H  X.  5.  19.  Cellarins  Not.  Orb.  EL  p. 
380. 

'  1  Kings  17,  9-24. 

'  Onotnast  Art.  Sarepta.  Hieron.  Epist 
86,  Epitaph.  PaulsB  p.  673.  ed.  Mart.— In 
the  Itiner.  Hieros.  the  name  and  the  dis- 
tance trom  Sidon  are  lost ;  but  the  descrip- 
tion remains  :  "  Ibi  Elias  ad  vidnam  as- 
cendit  et  petiit  sibi  cibum  p.  583,  ed. 
We*s 

*  Sidonius  Apoll.  17.  16.  Fulgent.  My- 
thoL  2.  15.  See  the  citations  in  full,  Cel- 
larius  Not.  Orb.  IL  p.  380  sq.  ReL  PaL 
p.  986. 

'  William  of  Tyre  speaks  of  Sarepta  a» 


a  bishopric,  19.  14.  Other  bishops  are  re- 
corded afterwards.  See  Le  Quien  Oriena 
Chr.  m.  p.  1338  sq.— The  chapel  is  men- 
tioned by  Jac.  de  Vitr.  c.  44.  Marin.  San. 
p.  165. 

'  Phocas  de  Loc.  Sanct.  §  7.  Brocardus 
c.  2.  p.  171. 

'  Sandys'  Travels  p.  166.  Quaresmius 
n.  pp.  907,  908.  Xau  p.  544.  Pococke 
II.  i.  p.  85. — The  Christian  tradition  was 
formerly  somewhat  at  fault  about  this 
mosk ;  some  making  it  cover  the  spot 
where  our  Lord  met  the  S\Topheuician 
woman ;  Matt.  15,  22.  Mark  7,  25.  26. 
See  Quaresmius  ibid,  D'Arrieux  Memoirea, 
U.  p.  4.  Paris  1735. 

iii.  413,  414 


476 


FROM  TTEE  TO  SIDOIT. 


[Sec.  XYL 


througli  the  Phenician  plain  on  their  way  to  Jerasalem,  left  the 
city  of  Sarepta  on  their  right.' — In  the  rocks  along  the  foot  of 
the  hills  are  many  excavated  tombs,  once  doubtless  belongdnor  to 
the  ancient  city.* 

Proceeding  on  our  way,  we  came  at  12  o'clock  in  sight  of 
Saida,  still  at  a  distance,  but  looking  verdant  and  beautiful  in 
the  midst  of  a  forest  of  trees.  Ten  minutes  later  brought  us  to 
a  fine  fountain  near  the  shore,  called  'Ain  el-Kanterah  ;  shaded 
with  many  trees,  and  watering  a  small  tract  of  gardens.  At 
12^  o'clock  we  crossed  a  water-course  from  the  mountains,  near- 
ly dry  ;  and  after  a  quarter  of  an  hour  another,  with  stagnant 
water  in  spots.  Here  again  were  many  oleanders  in  blossom  ; 
and  on  our  left  the  abutments  of  a  ruined  bridge.  We  came  to 
'Ain  el-Burak  at  12.55,  another  fine  fountain  with  a  pretty 
stream  running  to  the  sea.  In  this  pleasant  spot,  Mr  Katafago 
of  Saida  had  recently  built  a  house  and  Khan,  and  laid  out 
large  gardens,  and  planted  extensive  cotton  fields.  The  whole 
estabhshment  was  yet  in  its  commencement ;  but  seemed  to 
promise  well. 

At  a  quarter  past  one  o'clock  we  reached  the  Nahr  ez-Zahe- 
rany,  a  moderate  stream  from  the  mountains  ;  on  our  right,  as 
we  crossed,  were  the  ruins  of  a  modem  bridge,  and  near  by  lay  a 
Koman  mile  stone.  Half  an  hour  beyond  was  another  Wady, 
with  a  little  stagnant  water  ;  and  at  2  o'clock  we  had  on  our 
right,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  the  village  el-Ghazieh. 
Here  the  mountains  retire,  leaving  a  broader  plain  around 
Saida  ;  and  the  meadows  and  gardens  belonging  to  the  city 
commence,  and  extend  north  to  the  Auwaly.  At  2^  o'clock  we 
crossed  the  wide  and  dry  bed  of  a  winter  torrent  in  the  plain, 
called  Xahr  Senik.  On  its  northern  side  was  a  small  Khan,  or 
rather  guard  house,  where  was  stationed  a  quarantine  guard  as 
an  outpost  before  the  city  of  Saida.  The  ignorant  soldiers 
could  not  read  our  bUl  of  health,  and  refused  utterly  to  let  us 
proceed,  until  they  could  send  the  paper  to  the  city  and  obtain 
permission.  They  would  not  even  allow  us  to  accompany  the 
messenger  to  the  gate.  There  was  no  remedy  but  patience  ; 
yet  the  affair  cost  us  a  delay  and  loss  of  nearly  three  hours. 
The  permission,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  was  granted  the 
moment  the  paper  was  presented  ;  so  that  at  least  one  half  of 
the  delay,  was  to  be  ascribed  to  the  unfaithfulness  of  the  mes- 
senger. 

We  set  forward  at  length  at  5j  o'clock  ;  and  very  soon 
passed  another  Roman  mile  stone,  a  large  column  with  a  Latin 
inscription,  containing  the  names  of  Septimius  Se veins  and 

'  Will.  Tyr.  7.  22.  comp.  D'Arrieux  Mem.  IL  p.  i.  Pococke 

'  These  are  not  unfreqnently  mentioned  ;    IL  i.  p.  85. 

iiL  414,  415 


Ju>-k25.]  quarantine.     GATE  OF  SIDON.  477 

Pertinax,  lying  by  the  wayside.  The  inscription  has  been 
several  times  copied  ;  among  others  by  Monconys  and  Maun- 
drell.'  The  path  led  for  a  time  along  an  avenue  of  large 
acacias  and  still  larger  tamarisks  (Turfa),  which  are  common  in 
this  region  ;  and  we  rode  for  the  whole  way  among  gardens  and 
country  seats,  until  at  5.50  we  reached  the  southern  part  of  the 
city.  Wishing  to  encamp  outside,  we  kept  along  the  eastern 
wall,  passing  by  one  gate,  and  seeking  for  a  convenient  spot  to 
pitch  our  tent  in  the  open  ground  adjacent.  This  has  many 
trees,  and  at  a  distance  seemed  im-iting  ;  but  on  approaching 
nearer,  it  turned  out  to  be  occupied  in  great  part  as  a  cemetery  ; 
while  in  the  open  places  were  many  soldiers,  and  the  whole  was 
so  public,  that  we  concluded  to  enter  the  town  and  find  a  lodg- 
ing there. 

We  came  therefore  to  the  gate  near  the  northeast  comer ; 
but  were  again  stopped  by  a  quarantine  guard,  who  would  Usten 
to  nothing  until  the  head  of  the  quarantine  was  called.  Mean- 
time, leaving  Mr  Smith  to  adjust  this  matter,  we  looked  fur- 
ther, and  found  at  last  a  place  for  the  tent,  near  the  shore,  at 
the  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  rods  northeast  from  the  city.  The 
chief  health  officer  having  been  sent  for,  came  himself  to  the 
gate,  and  proved  to  be  a  personal  friend  of  Mr  Smith,  a  Chris- 
tian of  some  education,  who  had  formerly  been  employed  in  the 
schools  of  Beirut.  He  was  greatly  rejoiced  at  thus  meeting  his 
friend  ;  and  gave  at  once  the  necessary  orders  to  the  guard,  to 
let  us  pass  in  and  out  at  oui  pleasure. 

The  delay  to  which  we  had  been  subjected,  was  the  more  to 
be  regretted  j  because  the  day  was  now  far  spent,  and  it  was 
already  too  late  to  see  much  of  this  ancient  place.  I  can  give 
therefore  only  the  impression  received  from  a  hasty  view.  We 
called  upon  our  friend  in  his  office  ;  and  found  him  busily  en- 
gaged in  making  out  bills  of  health  for  several  small  vessels, 
which  were  about  to  leave  the  port  for  Beirut  and  Egypt.  He 
sent  with  us  his  father-in-law,  to  show  us  the  port  and  the  chief 
buildings  of  the  city.  We  afterwards  called  upon  the  American 
consular  agent,  Ibrahim  Nukhly,  a  wealthy  Greek  Catholic,  to 
whom  we  desired  to  pay  our  respects.  His  house  was  a  large 
one,  bmlt  upon  the  eastern  wall  of  the  city ;  the  rooms  were 
spacious,  and  furnished  with  more  appearance  of  wealth,  than 
any  I  saw  in  the  covmtry.  An  upper  parlour  with  many  win- 
dows, on  the  roof  of  the  proper  house,  resembled  a  summer  pal- 
ace ;  and  commanded  a  deUghtful  view  over  the  country  towards 
the  east,  full  of  trees  and  gardens,  and  country  houses,  quite  to 
the  foot  of  the  mountains.  Ibrahim  was  a  man  of  middle  age, 
of  dignified  appearance  and  manners  ;  and  gave  us  the  usual 

>  Monconys'  Voyages  Tom.  n.  p.  332.    Maundrell  under  JIarch  20. 

ui.  415-417 


478 


SIDON, 


[Sec.  XVJ. 


pressing  invitation  to  lodge  at  his  house  ;  but  we  were  already 
provided  for.  Several  of  his  neighbours  were  present  or  came 
in  ;  and  quite  a  divan  assembled  around  us. 

In  one  of  the  rooms,  open  to  all  comers,  a  daughter  five  or 
six  years  old,  lay  dangerously  ill.  The  little  creature  was  evi- 
dently wasting  away  under  a  slow  fever,  and  was  indulged  in 
eating  everything  it  chose  to  call  for  ;  indeed  all  sorts  of  delica- 
cies were  proposed,  in  order  to  excite  its  appetite.  The  father 
was  in  great  alarm,  and  evidently  much  affected  ;  there  was  no 
physician  in  all  the  place  in  whom  he  could  pitt  confidence  ;  and 
he  besought  us  pressingly  to  examine  and  prescribe  for  his  child. 
Never  did  I  more  long  for  the  possession  of  some  degree  of  medi- 
cal knowledge  ;  for  the  poor  child  was  evidently  going  down  to 
the  grave,  in  the  absence  of  all  judicious  treatment. 

It  was  late  when  we  left  the  house  to  return  to  our  tent. 
The  gate  of  the  city  was  already  closed,  and  could  not  be  opened 
without  an  order  from  the  military  commandant ;  but  he  was 
near,  and  in  five  minutes  we  were  enabled  to  pass  out. 

Saida,  the  ancient  Sidon,  lies  on  the  northwest  slope  of  a 
small  promontory,  which  here  juts  out  for  a  short  distance 
obliquely  into  the  sea,  towards  the  southwest.  The  highest 
ground  is  on  the  south,  where  the  citadel,  a  large  square  tower, 
is  situated  ;  an  old  structure,  said  by  some  to  have  been  built 
by  Louis  IX.,  in  A.  D.  1253.'  A  wall  encloses  the  city  on  the 
land  side,  running  across  the  promontory  from  sea  to  sea  ;  it  is 
kept  in  tolerable  repair.  The  ancient  harbour  was  formed  by  a 
long  low  ridge  of  rocks,  parallel  to  the  shore  in  front  of  the  city. 
Before  the  time  of  Fakhr  ed-Din,  there  was  here  a  port  capable 
of  receiving  fifty  galleys  ;  but  that  chieftain,  in  order  to  protect 
himself  against  the  Turks,  caused  it  to  be  partly  filled  up  with 
stones  and  earth  ;  so  that  ever  since  his  day  only  boats  can 
enter  it.**  Larger  vessels  lie  without  the  entrance,  on  the  north 
of  the  ledge  of  rocks,  where  they  are  protected  from  the  south- 
west winds,  but  exposed  to  those  from  the  northern  quarter. 
Here,  on  a  rock  in  the  sea,  is  another  castle  of  the  time  of  the 
crusades,  the  form  of  which  is  in  part  adapted  to  that  of  the 
rock  ;  it  is  connected  with  the  shore  at  the  northern  end  of  the 
city,  by  a  stone  causeway  with  nine  arches,  lying  between  the 
inner  and  outer  port.' 

The  streets  of  Saida  are  narrow,  crooked,  and  dirty,  like 
those  of  most  oriental  cities.  The  houses  are  many  of  them  large 
and  well  built  of  stone  ;  and  the  town,  in  this  respect,  presents 

■  This  Bcems  to  be  the  story  of  the  vieux  5ii  KifiS  makes  no  mention  of  the 

French  residents,  and  may  perhaps  be  well  report.;  Mem.  I.  p.  29G. 
founded ;  Nan  p.  535     Pococke  II.  i.  p.       ^  D'Arvieux  M6m.  I.  p.  298. 
87.    Turner's  Tour  II.  p.  87.    Yet  D'Ar-       '  Niebulir  Reisebeschr.  III.  p.  79. 
iii.  417,  418 


Junk  25.]  THE  CITT.     POPULATION.  COMMERCE. 


479 


a  strong  contrast  to  modern  Tyre.  Those  especially  along  tlie 
eastern  wall,  are  distinguished  for  their  size  and  height  ;  they 
are  buUt  directly  on  the  wall,  so  as  to  constitute  a  part  of  it ; 
and  enjoy  a  pure  air  and  a  pleasing  prospect  of  the  fields  and 
country.  Within  the  city  are  six  Khans,  called  by  the  Arabs 
Wekaleh,  for  the  use  of  merchants  and  travellers.'  The  largest 
of  these  is  the  Wekaleh  formerly  belonging  to  the  French  fac- 
tory and  consulate,  and  still  called  the  French  Khan  ;  a  large 
quadrangle  of  abovit  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  on  a  side,  with 
a  fountain  and  basin  in  the  middle,  and  covered  galleries  all 
around.  It  was  erected  by  Fakhr  ed-Din  early  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  ;  and  is  minutely  described  by  D'Arvieux,  who 
resided  here  for  several  years  as  a  merchant,  soon  after  the  middle 
of  the  same  century. 

The  taxable  males  of  Saida,  as  we  were  told,  amount  as 
registered  to  seventeen  hundred  ;  which,  according  to  the  usual 
proportion,  would  indicate  a  population  of  nearly  seven  thousand 
souls.  Yet  Ibrahim,  who  certainly  had  the  best  opportunities 
of  information,  estimated  the  whole  number  of  inhabitants  at 
not  over  five  thousand.  About  two  thirds  of  the  whole  are 
Muslims  ;  one  eighth  part  Jews  ;  and  the  remainder  Greek 
Catholics  and  Maronites  in  about  equal  proportions,^  with  a  very 
few  Arab  Grreeks. 

The  commerce  of  Saida,  which  five  and  twenty  years  ago  was 
stiU  considerable,  has  of  late  years  fallen  off,  in  consequence  of 
the  prosperity  of  Beirut ;  the  lu,tter  having  become  exclusively 
the  port  of  Damascus.  The  chief  exports  from  Saida  are  silk, 
cotton,  and  nutgalls.*  Indeed,  we  had  now  begun  to  enter  upon 
the  region,  in  which  silk  is  extensively  cultivated  ;  as  is  indica- 
ted by  the  orchards  of  mulberry  trees  around  the  villages.  The 
earthquake  of  1837  threw  down  several  houses  in  Saida  and 
injured  many  others  ;  but  only  a  few  persons  were  killed.' 

The  beauty  of  Saida  consists  in  its  gardens  and  orchards  of 
fruit  trees,  which  fiU  the  plain  and  extend  to  the  foot  of  the  ad- 
jacent hills.  The  city  and  the  tract  around,  are  abundantly 
supplied  with  water,  by  aqueducts  and  channels  which  conduct 
it  from  the  Auwaly  and  other  smaller  streams,  as  they  issue  from 
the  mountains.*  The  environs  exhibit  everywhere  a  luxuriant 
verdure  ;  and  the  fruits  of  Saida  are  reckoned  among  the  finest 
of  the  country.    Hasselquist  enumerates  pomegranates,  apricots, 

*  Turner  ib.  p.  87.    For  the  Wekaleh,  *  Berggren  Reisen  II.  p.  217.  Hassel- 

see  Lane's  Mod.  Egyptians,  II.  p.  8  sq.  quist  describes  the  ancient  aqueduct  which 

This  name  is  sometimes  falsely  written  still  supplies  the  city,  as  bringing  the  wa- 

Okella.  ter  from  the  mountahis,  a  distance  of  two 

'  Turner  ib.  p.  88.  Gorman  or  Swedish  miles,  i.  e.  some  four 

'  Mr  Thomson's  Report  in  the  Mission-  or  five  hours :  Reise  p  192 
aty  Herald  for  Nov.  1837,  p.  434. 

iii.  418-420 


480 


8ID01T. 


[Sec.  XVL 


figs,  almonds,  oranges,  lemons,  and  plums,  as  growing  here  in  such 
abundance  as  to  fumisli  annually  several  ship  loads  for  export ; 
to  which  D'Arvieux  adds  also  pears,  peaches,  cherries,  and  ba- 
nanas, as  at  the  present  day.^  At  the  foot  of  the  hills,  are  many 
ancient  excavated  sepulchres.^ 

Saida  was  at  this  time  the  point,  from  which  travellers  were 
accustomed  to  make  an  excursion  to  the  residence  of  Lady  Hester 
Stanhope,  about  three  hours  distant  in  the  mountains.  We  had 
letters  to  her  ;  but  pressed  as  we  were  for  time,  in  the  hope  of 
still  being  able  t-o  visit  Ba'albek,  we  felt  no  disposition  to  avail 
ourselves  of  the  introduction.  Her  career  was  at  least  an  ex- 
traordinary one  ;  and  whether  she  acted  from  the  promptings  of 
a  noble  or  a  wayward  spirit,  death  has  now  closed  the  scene,  and 
cast  his  pall  over  her  virtues  and  her  follies. 

Sidon  was  the  most  ancient  of  all  the  Phenician  cities  ;  and 
is  mentioned  both  in  the  Pentateuch  and  in  the  poems  of 
Homer  ;  which  Tyre  is  not.^  In  the  division  of  the  Promised 
Land  by  Joshua,  Sidon  is  spoken  of  as  a  great  city,  and  was 
assigned  to  Asher ;  but  the  Israehtes  never  subdued  it.^  In 
later  ages,  the  yoimger  Tyre  outstripped  Sidon  in  the  career  of 
prosperity  and  power  ;  but  both  were  equally  renowned  for  their 
commerce,  their  manufactures,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  fine 
arts,  as  weU  as  for  the  luxury  and  vices  usually  attendant  upon 
commercial  prosperity.'  When  the  Assyrian  Shalmaneser  en- 
tered Phenicia,  about  720  B.  C.  Sidon  and  the  rest  of  Phenicia, 
except  insular  Tyre,  submitted  to  the  conqueror,  and  remained 
long  under  the  dominion  of  the  Assyrians  and  Persians.*  Under 
Artaxerxes  Ochus,  about  350  B.  C.  Phenicia  revolted  from  the 
Persian  yoke  ;  and  Sidon  was  captured  and  destroyed  by  that 
monarch.'.  Yet  it  was  soon  built  up  again  ;  and  in  332  B.  C. 
opened,  its  gates  to  Alexander  the  Great,  on  his  approach.' 

'  D'Arvieux  Mem.  I.  p.  332.    H.issel-  But  Josephus  derives  it  from  Sidon  the 

quist  Reise  p.  1S8.    Besides  these  fruits,  eldest  son  of  Caoaao,  Gen.  10,  15.  Joseph. 

Hasselquist  mentions  also  the  numerous  Ant.  1.  6.  2. 

mulberry  trees,  the  Corrffa  &6<«<ewa,  from       *  Josh.  19,28.    Judg.  1,  31.    10,  12. 

■whose  berries  bird-lime  was  made  and  ex-  Jos.  Ant.  l.">.  i.  1,  in  ■Kpoy6ywv  eK€vb(pa. 
ported,  and  sumac  (Rhus).    He  says  the       '  Is.  23,  2.    Ez.  27,  8.     See  too  the 

vine  was  not  cultivated  around  Saida ;  yet  Homeric  passages  cited  in  note  3.  Virg. 

D'Arvieux,  who  resided  here  a  century  £n.  4.  75.    Diod.  Sic.  16.  41,  4.5.  Strabo 

earlier,  describes  the  vine  as  verj- abundant,  16.  2.  24.  p.  757.  Plin.  H.  N.  36.  66.  The 

yielding  grapes  of  great  perfection,  and  a  Sidonian  architects  were  also  in  request ; 

strong  though  delicate  white  wine ;  Mem.  1  Kings  5,  6.    1  Chr.  22,  4.    Ezra  3,  7. 

L  p.  328.  Strabo  (1.  c.)  attributes  to  the  Sidoniana 

'  Described  by  Maundrell,  April  22d.  great  skill  in  philosophy,  astronomy,  ge- 

Hasselquist  Keise  p.  189.    Pococke  II.  i.  p.  ometry,  arithmetic,  navigation,  and  all  the 

87.  liberal  arts. 

'  Gen.  10,  19.  49,  13.    Horn.  Iliiis  6.       *  Menander  in  Joseph.  Ant.  9.  14.  2. 
289.  ib.  23.  743.    Odyss.  15.  415.  ib.  17.       '  Diod  Sic.  16.  42  sq.  45. 
424.— The  Heb.  name  signifies  "a       •  Jos.  Ant  11.  8.  3.    Arrian.  Alex.  2. 

fishing,  fisherj-;"  and  such  is  the  ancient  15.    Q.  Curt.  4.  1,  15. 
etymology  pruscived  by  Justin;    18.  3. 

iii.  420,  421 


Jdne  25.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


481 


After  Alexander's  death,  Sidon  continued  alternatelj-  in  the 
possession  of  the  Syrian  and  Egyi^tian  monarchs,  until  it  came 
at  last  under  the  Roman  power ;  at  this  time  it  was  stUl  an 
opulent  city.'  This  was  during  the  times  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, when  our  Lord  visited  tlie  territories  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  ; 
and  Paul  afterwards  found  here  Christian  friends  on  his  passage 
to  Rome.*  There  douhtless  was  early  a  Christian  church  and 
bishop  at  Sidon  ;  though  the  first  bishop,  whose  name  is  pre- 
served, was  Theodoras,  who  was  present  at  the  council  of  Nicea, 
in  A.  D.  325.'  In  the  same  centurj',  Eusebius  and  Jerome  still 
speak  of  Sidon  as  an  important  city  but  we  know  little  more 
of  it  until  the  time  of  the  crasades.^ 

The  original  host  of  the  crusaders,  in  their  progress  from 
Antioch  towards  Jerusalem,  in  A.  D.  1099,  marched  along  the 
whole  Phenician  coast,  leaving  the  strong  cities  of  Beirut,  Sidon, 
Tyre,  'Akka,  and  others,  unmolested,  so  far  as  the  latter  suffered 
them  to  pass  by  without  hindrance.  Their  first  and  grand  object 
was  the  Holy  City.  The  Muslim  commander  of  Sidon,  however, 
then  subject  to  the  Khalif  of  Egypt,  at  first  opposed  himself  to 
their  progress  ;  but  his  troops  were  driven  back  into  the  city  by 
the  pilgrims  ;  and  the  latter  then  rested  for  several  days  in  the 
rich  environs,  where  their  light  troops  brought  in  much  booty 
from  the  vicinity.*  Not  until  A.  D.  1107,  were  the  crusaders 
able  to  undertake  in  earnest  the  reduction  of  Sidon  ;  and  even 
then,  at  first,  the  inhabitants  succeeded  in  purchasing  from  king 
Baldwin  I.  a  reprieve,  with  gold.  Yet  they  themselves  proved 
Mthless  ;  and  in  the  next  year  (1108)  Baldwin  formally  laid 
siege  to  Sidon  ;  but,  after  great  efforts,  was  obliged  to  abandon 
the  enterprise.  In  A.  D.  1111,  the  siege  was  again  renewed, 
with  better  success  ;  and  after  six  weeks,  king  Baldwin  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  the  city  surrendered  into  liis  hands,  on  the 
tenth  day  of  December.  It  was  bestowed  as  a  fief  on  the  knight 
Eustache  Grenier.^ 

Sidon  remained  in  the  possession  of  tlie  Christians  until  A.  D. 
1187,  when  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Saiadin,  without  resistance, 
immediately  after  the  battle  of  Hattin.'    The  Sultan  appears  to 


^  Pompon.  Mela  1. 12,  "  adhuc  bpnlenta 
Sidon,  antequam  a  Persis  capta,  maritima- 
rum  urbiuin  maxima." 

>  Matt.  15,21.  Mark  7,24.  Acts  27,  3. 

'  See  the  list  of  bishops,  Reland  Pal.  p. 
104.    Le  Quien  Oriens  Chr.  II.  p.  811  sq. 

^  Ouomast.  art.  Sidon,  "  urbs  Phoeniees 
insignis." 

'  See  generally  Reland  Patest  p.  1010 
sq.  Cellarius  XotiL  Oi*.  11-  P-  379  sq. 
A\'iner  Bibl.  liealworterb.  art.  Sidon.  Ro- 
semnuUer  BibL  Geogr.  II.  i.  p.  20  sq. 

Vol.  II.— 41 


'  Will.  Tyr.  7.  22.  Wilken  Gesch.  der 
Kr.  I.  p.  267. — In  some  of  the  writers  of 
that  age,  Sidon  appe-irs  as  'Sagitta;'  Alb. 
Aquens.  10.  3,  8,  "urbs  Sagitta,  quae  est 
Sidon."    Marin.  Sanut.  pp.  155,  245. 

'  Albert.  Aquens.  10.  3,  4,  8.  45-50.  ib. 
11.  31-34.  Win.  Tyr.  II.  14.  Wilken  ib. 
IL  pp.  213,  216  sq.  221  sq. 

'  Bobaed.  Vit.  Sal.  p.  72.  Abtdf.  An- 
nal.  A.  H.  5S3.  Reinaud  E.xtr.  p.  202. 
Wilken  ib.  IIL  ii.  p.  295. 

iii.  421-423 


482  •  SIDON.  [SEaXVL 

have  dismantled  tlie  fortifications,  and  partially  destroyed  the 
city  ;  for  when  in  A.  D.  1197,  after  the  hard-fought  general 
battle  with  Melek  el-'Adil  in  the  vicinity,  the  Christians  entered 
Sidon,  they  found  it  desolated.  The  pilgrims  stabled  their  horses 
in  mansions  ornamented  with  the  cedar  of  Lebanon  ;  and  cooked 
their  food  at  fires  fragrant  with  the  odours  of  the  same  precious 
wood,  collected  from  the  ruins.'  The  crusaders  proceeded  to 
Beirut,  of  which  they  took  possession  ;  while  Melek  el-'AdU. 
again  appeared  in  their  rear,  and  completed  the  destruction  of 
Sidon.^ 

The  Christians,  however,  rebuilt  and  occupied  the  city ; 
which,  after  half  a  century,  was  once  more  taken  and  dismantled 
by  the  Saracen  forces  in  A.  D.  1249,  during  the  siege  of  Dami- 
etta  by  Louis  IX.  of  France.'  Four  years  later,  in  A.  D.  1253, 
when  an  officer  of  the  French  king  with  a  small  party  of  troops 
had  begun  to  restore  the  city,  a  Muslim  host  again  approached, 
and  took  possession  of  the  place.  The  garrison,  with  a  few  of 
the  inhabitants,  withdrew  to  the  castle  upon  the  rock  ;  which 
being  entirely  surrounded  by  water,  afforded  them  security  ;  but 
of  the  remaining  inhabitants,  two  thousand  were  slain,  and  four 
hundred  carried  ofi"  as  prisoners  to  Damascus,  after  the  city  had 
been  laid  waste.^  In  July  of  the  same  year,  only  a  few  weeks 
afterwards,  king  Louis  himself  repaired  to  Sidon,  and  caused  the 
city  to  be  rebuilt  with  high  walls  and  massive  towers.'  The 
Templars  in  A.  D.  1260  purchased  Sidon  from  Julian  its  tem- 
poral lord  ;  and,  with  the  exception  of  its  being  plundered  by 
the  Mogols  in  the  same  year,  they  retained  possession  of  it  for 
thirty  years.'  In  A.  D.  1291,  after  the  atrocious  and  terrible 
overthrow  of  'Akka  by  the  Sultan  el-Ashraf,  and  the  abandon- 
ment of  Tyre,  the  Templars  also  left  Sidon  to  its  fate,  and 
withdrew  'first  to  Tortosa  and  afterwards  to  Cyprus.  Sidon  was 
taken  possession  of  by  the  Muhammedans,  and  once  more  dis- 
mantled.^ 

Eight  or  ten  years  before  this  event,  Brocardus  describes 
Sidon  as  a  large  place  ;  altbougli  a  great  jjart  of  it  already  lay 
in  ruins.  On  the  north  waa  a  fortress  in  the  sea,  built  originally 
by  crusaders  from  Germany  ;  and  on  the  hUl  upon  the  south 
another,  then  occupied  by  the  Templars.*  After  its  abandon- 
ment by  the  Franks,  Sidon  appears  not  to  have  been,  like  Tyre, 


'  Wilken  ib.  V.  pp.  3.V35,  and  the  au- 
thorities there  citei  Rciiiaud  Ex.tr.  p. 
380. 

"  Wilken  ib.  V.  p.  41. 

'  Roinaud  E.xtr.  p.  45.'5.  Wilken  ib. 
VII.  p.  323. 

*  Wilken  ib.  VII.  p.  323,  etc.  etc. 
Marin.  Sanut  p.  220. — ^This  was  of  course 
iii.  423.  424 


the  prt^ent  castle  in  the  sea  connected  with 
the  shore  by  n  causeway. 

'  Wilken  ibid.  p.  333. 

"  Hugo  I'Ugon  p.  736.  Marin.  Sanut. 
p.  221.    Wilken  ib.  pp.  400,  415. 

'  Wilken  ib.  pp.  771,  772.  Reiuaud  p. 
670.    Comp.  above,  p.  46U. 

"  Brocardus  c.  2.  p.  171. 


JojfK  25.] 


LATER  HISTORY. 


483 


entirely  forsaken  by  its  inhabitants.  Abulfeda  speaks  of  it  not 
long  after  as  a  small  town,  having  a  citadel ;  and  according  to 
edh-Dhahiry  in  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  centurj'  it  was  a 
place  of  some  importance,  constituting  one  of  the  ports  of 
Damascus,  and  visited  by  ships.'  At  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  Frank  travellers  describe  it  as  still  for  the 
most  part  in  ruins,  with  few  inhabitants  and  a  single  Khan.* 

But  about  this  time,  Sidon  received  a  new  impulse  from  the 
genius  and  acti\'ity  of  the  celebrated  Fakhr  ed-Din.  This  Emir 
of  the  Druzes,  having  got  possession  of  aU  the  towns  along  the 
coast,  gave  way  to  his  propensity  for  building,  not  only  at 
Beirut  and  Tyre,  but  also  at  Sidon.  Here  he  erected  a  vast 
seraglio  or  palace  for  himself ;  and  also  the  large  Khan  after- 
wards occupied  by  the  French,  besides  other  structures.^  His 
policy  was  to  encourage  commerce  ;  and  although  he  filled  up 
the  port  of  Sidon,  yet  in  consequence  of  his  measures  and  pro- 
tection, the  trade  of  that  city  revived  to  some  extent,  and  a 
greater  activity  was  awakened  along  the  whole  coast.  Professing 
to  be  himself  descended  from  French  ancestors,  he  treated  the 
Christians  in  his  dominions  with  great  equity,  especially  the 
Franks  ;  granting  privileges  and  immunities  to  the  Latin  con- 
vents, and  encouraging  the  commerce  of  the  French,  which  had 
now  extended  itself  to  these  shores.*  The  consul  and  merchants 
of  this  nation  at  Sidon,  managed  also  to  keep  on  good  terms 
with  the  Emirs  and  Pashas  who  were  his  successors  ;  although 
in  consequence  of  a  temporary  quarrel,  the  consulate  was  for  two 
or  three  years  removed  to  'Akka  ;  from  which  place  it  returned 
to  Sidon  in  the  spring  of  A.  D.  1658.' 

At  this  time,  on  the  establishment  of  a  new  house  at  Mar- 
seilles for  trading  to  Saida,  one  of  its  partners  was  appointed 
consul  at  the  latter  place  ;  and  D'Arvieux,  a  relative,  who  had 
already  been  five  years  in  Smyrna,  also  repaired  thither,  where 
he  continued  chiefly  to  reside  until  A.  D.  1655.  To  him  we  are 
indebted  for  a  minute  account  of  the  city  as  it  then  was,  and  of 
the  state  of  the  French  trade.* 


'  Abnlf.  Tab.  Syr.  p.  93.  Edh-Dhahiry 
in  Rosenm.  Analect  Arab.  ni.  p.  22. 
Lat.  p.  47. 

'  Cotovic.  p.  116.  Sandys'  Travels  p. 
164,  "  But  this  once  ample  city,  still 
suffering  with  the  often  changes  of  those 
coantries,  is  at  this  day  contracted  into 
narrow  limits,  and  oidy  shows  the  founda- 
tions of  her  greatness,"  etc.  etc. 

'  D'Arvieux  Mem.  I.  pp.  303,  312. 

*  D'Arvieux  Mem.  I.  pp.  362,  363.— For 
notices  of  the  life  and  character  of  Fakhr- 
ed-Din,  see  Sandys'  Travels  pp.  164-166. 
D'Arvieux  Mem.  Tom.   I.   p.   357  sq. 


Volney  Voyage  EL  pp.  38-45.  The  Emir 
was  strangled  at  Constantinople  in  A.  D. 
1633,  at  the  age  of  70  years.  The  ac- 
count which  honest  Sandys  (his  cotem- 
porary)  gives  of  him,  is  not  very  favoura- 
ble ;  at  least  in  respect  to  his  moral 
character. 

°  D'Arvieux  M6m.  I.  pp.  380,  397  sq. 
404. — The  occasion  and  progress  of  the 
quarrel  are  detailed  ib.  pp.  261,  262  sq. 

«  Mem.  Tom.  I.  pp.  294  sq.  331  sq. 
463  sq.  Tom.  III.  pp.  341-374.— At  that 
time  there  were  many  Jews  in  Sidon, 
dwelling  in  a  quarter  by  themselves ;  the 
iii.  424-426 


484 


SIDON. 


[SecXVL 


At  that  period  the  French  were  the  only  nation,  who  took 
part  in  the  commerce  of  Sidon,  and  the  vicinity.'  Their  trade 
had  become  so  extensive  and  firmly  established,  as  to  bring 
annually  two  hundred  thousand  crowns  into  the  coffers  of  the 
Grand  Seignor  ;  and  was  so  beneficial  to  the  inhabitants,  ac- 
cording to  D'Arvieux,  that  had  the  Franks  removed  to  another 
place,*the  city  would  have  been  immediately  abandoned  and  left 
desert.^  Saida  was  the  central  point,  and  traded  directly  with 
the  Druzes  ;  but  the  merchants  established  there  had  likewise 
fectors  in  Eamleh,  'Akka,  Beirut,  Tripolis,  and  sometimes  Tyre, 
who  purchased  up  the  products  of  the  country  and  transmitted 
them  to  Saida,  whence  they  were  shipped  to  Marseilles.^  A  di- 
rect and  secure  road  led  from  Saida  to  Damascus  in  two  and  a 
half  days,  over  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon  ;  crossing  the  Buka'a 
obliquely,  and  passing  by  the  villages  Meshghurah  and  Jubb 
Jenln.*  Saida  was  at  this  time  regarded  as  the  j)ort  of  Damas- 
cus ;  but  the  trade  of  the  latter  city  as  yet  went  more  to  Aleppo, 
and  turned  westwards  only  at  a  later  period. 

The  articles  purchased  and  exported  by  the  French  from 
Saida,  were  cotton  both  raw  and  spun,  silk,  rice,  nutgalls,  ashes 
from  the  desert,  bird  lime,  senna,  and  a  few  other  drugs.  Hith- 
erto these  had  been  paid  for  in  money  ;  but  about  this  time  the 
French  began  to  import  various  articles  in  return  ;  among  which 
the  chief  were  cloth,  spices,  dye  stuffs,  and  some  jewelry.^ 

The  French  consul  at  Saida  enjoyed  great  consideration 
throughout  the  country.  His  jurisdiction  and  title  included  also 
Jerusalem  ;  and  it  was  a  part  of  his  duty  to  visit  the  Holy  City 
every  year  at  Easter,  in  order  to  afford  protection  to  the  sacred 
places  and  to  the  Latin  monks.* 

Such,  with  occasional  alterations,  though  with  a  gradual  ex- 
tension, continued  to  be  the  state  of  the  French  trade  at  Saida 
down  to  near  the  close  of  the  last  century.'  In  Pococke's  day, 
the  merchants  all  resided  in  the  great  Khan,  and  exported  cliiefly 
raw  silk,  cotton,  and  grain.'  Hasselquist  in  A.  D.  1751  gives 
a  more  particular  notice  of  their  trade.  More  than  twenty  ships 
were  every  year  freighted  for  France,  laden  chiefly  with  spun 

keya  of  wliioh  were  carried  every  night  to  '  Mnnndrell  accompanied  him  on  this 

the  Kady  or  the  governor ;  ibid.  I.  p.  301.  journey  in  A.  D.  1697;  see  his  Journal, 

Nau  Voyage  p.  537.  March  19th. 

'  D'Arvieux  ib.  p.  464.  '  In  A.  D.  1665  and  for  some  years 


*  Ibid.  1.  p.  464  gq.  II.  p.  465  sq.  Mnnn-  and  for  this,  among  other  reasons,  D'Ar- 
drell  also  travelled  tlus  road  ;  Apr.  25th,    vieux  returned  to  France ;  Mom.  Tom. 


»  D'Arvieux  M6m.  1  p.  334  sq.  465  sq.  542  sq. 
— The  French  consul  and  merchants  had       '  Pococke  Descript.  of  the  East,  IL  i. 

originally  resided  at  Damascus,  and  re-  p.  87. 
Moved  tlieiice  to  Saida ;  ib.  IL  p.  464. 


»  Ibid.  p.  311. 

'  Ibid.  p.  334.  Comp.  p.  247  sq. 


afterwards,  the  Frank  trade  was  greatly 
depressed  by  the  exactions  of  the  Turks  ; 


etc. 


III.  pp.  341-374.    Comp.  Nau  Voyage  p. 


ill.  42G,  427 


June  26.]  FRENCH  TRAOE.     RIVER  AUWALY. 


485 


cotton  and  raw  silk  ;  but  carrying  also  the  beautiful  silken  and 
half  silken  stuffs  of  Damascus  to  Italy,  and  likewise  nutgalls, 
oil,  and  ashes  to  France.  The  imports  were  cloth,  spices,  Span- 
ish iron,  and  dye  stutfs  ;  all  of  which  were  mostly  sent  to 
Damascus,  which  now  furnished  great  part  of  the  trade  both  of 
Saida  and  Beirtit.' 

In  Volney's  time  the  French  continued  to  be  the  sole  European 
traders  at  Saida  ;  and  had  there  a  consul  and  six  commercial 
houses.  Cotton,  both  raw  and  spun,  and  silk,  were  still  the 
chief  commodities.  The  same  traveller  gives  a  general  account 
and  estimate  of  the  French  commerce  in  Syria  at  that  period.* 
But  in  A.  D.  1791,  Jezzir  Pasha  drove  the  French  out  of  all  his 
territories,  including  Saida  and  since  then  its  little  trade  has 
been  carried  on  chiefly  by  the  natives.  At  the  present  day,  the 
tide  of  European  commerce  has  turned  to  Beirtit  ;  and  Sidon  is 
rarely  visited  by  foreign  vessels. 

Tuesday,  June  2Qth.  The  sun  rose  upon  what  proved  to  be 
our  last  day  of  travelling  in  Syria.  Our  journey  lay  along  the 
coast  from  Saida  to  Beiriit,  usually  reckoned  a  distance  of  nine 
hours.  But  the  road  is  difficult ;  leading  most  of  the  way  over 
heavy  sands  or  across  rocky  promontories  ;  and  presents  com- 
paratively little  of  interest. 

We  set  off  at  5.10,  keeping  along  the  sandy  beach ;  and 
after  a  few  minutes,  passed  the  Lazaretto  of  Saida  in  a  pleasant 
shady  spot  on  our  right.*  An  attendant  of  duke  Maximilian 
of  Bavaria,  a  mulatto,  had  been  left  here  by  his  master  ill  of  the 
plague  ;  he  now  lay  at  the  point  of  death  ;  and  in  Beirut  we 
heard  of  his  decease.' 

We  came  to  the  Nahr  el-Auwaly  at  8|  o'clock,  and  in  order 
to  cross  it,  turned  for  some  distance  up  along  its  southern  bank, 
to  a  fine  old  bridge  of  hewn  stone  of  one  arch,  with  mills  and  a 
KhSn  upon  the  northern  side.  This  bridge  is  the  work  of  Fakhr 
ed-Din.*  The  stream  rises  in  Mount  Lebanon,  northeast  of  Deir 
el-Kamr  and  Bteddin,'^  from  fountains  an  hour  and  a  half  beyond 
the  village  of  el-Baruk  ;  it  is  at  first  a  wild  torrent,  and  its 

'  Hasselqnist  Reise  p.  190.    Niebnhi's  '  See  Vol.  I.  p.  250. 

account  is  similar  in  A,  D.  1766;  at  that  "  D'Arvieux  says  it  was  erected  by  an 

time  there  were  here   fourteen  French  Italian   architect  brought  home  by  the 

merchants,  all  living  in  the  Khan.    Reise-  Emir ;  Mem.  I.  p.  327. 

bescbr.  III.  p.  79.  '  Bteddin,  vulg.  for  Beit  ed-Din.  This 

'  Volney  Voyage  en  Syrie  II.  pp.  192,  singular  contraction,  or  rather  hurried  pro- 

391  sq.  nnuciation  of  Beit,  which  thus  assumes 

'  BroWs  Travels  4to.  p.  369.  Olivier  the  form  of  a  simple  6,  is  very  frequent  in 

Voyages,  etc.  Tom.  IL  p.  231.  Mount  Lebanon;  e.g.  Bsherreb,  Bhannis, 

*  This  appears  to  be  the  spot  mentioned  Bzummar,  etc.    Something  of  the  same 

by  D'Arvieux  as  the  site  of  a  Khan  built  kind  is  found  in  Beis;in  for  the  Heb.  Beth- 

by  Fakhr  ed-Din.  on  the  shore  north  of  Shean.     See  Gesenius  Notes  on  Btirck- 

the  city,  just  beyond  a  rivulet ;  Mem.  I.  p.  hardt  p.  491. 
326. 

Vol.  n.— 41*  iii.  427-429 


486 


FROM  SIDON  TO  BEIRUT. 


[Sec.  XVL 


course  about  south.  It  afterwards  turns  west ;  and  where  it  issues 
from  the  mountains,  its  waters  are  taken  out  to  supply  the  city 
of  Saida,  and  to  irrigate  the  surrounding  plain.  Yet  it  here 
was  still  a  fine  broad  stream,  flowing  rapidly  in  a  deep  channel 
through  a  verdant  region.  Maundrell  remarks,  that  before  his 
time  this  river  had  been  mentioned  by  no  geographer  ;  since 
then  it  has  been  noticed  by  all.  Yet  all  appear  to  have  over- 
looked the  fact,  that  this  can  be  no  other  than  the  ancient 
Bostrtnus,  described  by  Dionysius  Periegetes  as  the  ''graceful" 
river,  upon  whose  waters  Sidon  was  situated.' 

The  whole  region  of  the  Auwaly  is  full  of  fig  and  mulberry 
orchards,  intermingled  with  Pride  of  India  and  other  ornamen- 
tal trees.  The  loftier  peaks  of  Lebanon  here  began  to  appear  ; 
the  hills  became  higher  and  more  romantic.  Just  beyond  this 
spot,  indeed,  the  tract  of  mountains  on  the  west  of  the  upper 
part  of  the  Auwaly  approach  the  sea,  and  send  out  their  roots 
quite  to  the  shore.  Here  the  fine  plain  of  Sidon,  as  also  the 
great  Phenician  plain,  terminates  ;  and  for  many  hours  forther 
north,  the  rocky  and  uncultivated  coast  along  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  is  interrupted  only  by  a  succession  of  sandy  coves. 
The  ancients  sometimes  reckoned  this  as  the  beginning  of  Leba- 
non on  the  south.''  The  Auwaly  is  still,  in  this  part,  the  south- 
ern boundary  of  the  territories  of  the  Emir  Beshir  of  Mount 
Lebanon,  extending  from  Belad  esh-Skukif  to  some  distance 
north  of  the  cedars,  and  iucluding  the  whole  mountain,  from 
the  shore  of  the  sea  to  the  Buka'a,  as  well  as  part  of  the  latter. 
Only  the  town  of  Beirut,  and  its  immediate  environs,  are  ex- 
cepted. 

At  6.10,  in  crossing  the  first  promontory  beyond  the  Auwa- 
ly, there  was  a  charming  back  view  of  Saida  and  its  groves  and 
gardens.  The  way  was  now  uneven  and  rough,  for  nearly  two 
hours,  across  the  rocky  tract,  with  an  intervening  sandy  cove, 

'  Dionys.  Perieget.  Orbis  Terr.  Descr.  905  : 

Kol  tvpov  ^ Slyvyir)v,  Br]pvTOv  r'  aiav  ipavy^p, 
Bv0\.oy  T  ayx'iO'^oy,  koX  SiSJva  a.i/bifi6((T(Tav, 
Nato/xfvrjv  x^-P'^"'''''^  ^'P' ■'^^'^'^^  ^o<tt  prjvo^o,  kt\. 
This  passage  is  translated  by  both  the  later  Latin  poets  Avienus  and  PrisciannsasfoUofrs. 
Avieuus : 

Hlc  Tyrus  est  opulens,  et  Bi'rytns  optima,  Byblos, 
Sidoniique  laics;  nhi  lalicns  ugrmine  ainceno 
Cespitis  irrigui  Jiuutrenus  jugcia  llmlit. 

Priscianus : 

Antiqnamque  Tyriiin,  Beryti  pt  iiiftnia  prrntse, 
Viciimmque  iiiari  IJvbluin,  Sidonaquc  pulcram, 
Quani  juxta  liquidi)  Bontrenun  giirgile  currlt. 

The  pttfsagcs  are  cited  in  full  by  Picland,  Paltest.  p.  437  sq. — Mannert  holds  the  Auwaly 
to  be  the  Leoutes  of  Ptolemy,  which  however  was  more  probably  the  Kusimiyeh  ;  see 
nbove,  pp.  472,  473.  n.  1. 

'  Plin  II.  N.  5.  20,  "  Sidon,  artifex  vitri  ...  a  tergo  ejus  mons  Libanus  orsua, 
ttille  (jiiingcntis  stadiis  Simyram  usque  porrigitur." 
iii.  429,  430 


JoifE26.]        THE  AUWALT,  BOSTRENUS.     XEBY  YUXAS. 


487 


At  7h  o'clock  we  came  upon  tlie  remains  of  an  ancient  Eoman 
road,  laid  do\vn  among  the  rocks  and  stones,  which  continued 
visible  for  some  distance.  Another  cove  begins  shortly  after, 
ha\-iug  a  long  beach  of  dry  hea\-y  sand  cur\'ing  inland,  along 
which  the  path  leads.  Not  far  beyond  the  middle,  we  reached 
at  8.10  Khan  Neby  Yunas,  situated  near  the  shore.  Close  by 
is  the  Wely  Neby  Yunas,  with  a  white  dome,  marking  the  place 
where,  according  to  the  Muhammedan  legend,  the  prophet  Jonas 
was  thrown  up  by  the  fish.  Here  is  also  the  small  \-illage  of 
el-Jiyeh.'  Back  of  this  spot  the  mountains  retire  a  Httle,  and 
give  place  to  a  smaU  plain  covered  with  mulberry  orchards. 
These  trees  are  kept  trimmed  down  very  close,  in  order  to  make 
them  put  forth  a  greater  quantity  of  leaves,  for  the  supply  of 
the  silk  worms  ;  but  they  thus  come  to  have  almost  the  charac- 
ter of  dwarf  trees,  and  contribute  little  to  the  beauty  of  the 
country,  except  by  their  verdure. 

We  halted  at  the  Khan,  for  breakfast.  AU  the  Khans  of 
this  region  differ  from  those  we  had  formerly  seen,  along  the 
great  Egyptian  and  Syrian  road.  The  latter  are  very  large,  and 
were  constructed  merely  for  the  accommodation  of  caravans, 
carrying  with  them  their  own  provisions,  both  for  man  and  beast. 
But  the  Khans  this  side  of  Tyre,  (except  that  near  the  river  el- 
Kasimiyeh,)  and  those  still  further  along  the  coast,  are  small ; 
and  while  they  afford^to  the  traveller  no  lodging  beyond  a  mere 
shelter,  yet  they  are  inhabited  by  a  keeper  who  sells  coffee, 
provisions,  and  the  like,  to  the  guests,  so  far  as  they  may  need  ; 
and  furnishes  them  with  fire  and  the  means  of  cooking  for 
themselves.  They  are  hence  called  in  Arabic  shops  (Dukkan)  ; 
and  supply  in  some  small  degree  the  place  of  inns.  Connected 
with  the  Wely  is  a  building,  contaiuuig  two  or  three  good  rooms, 
in  which  travellers  often  lodge  for  hire. 

At  this  spot,  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  is  doubtless  to  be 
placed,  as  suggested  by  Pococke,  the  ancient  city  Porphyreon, 
mentioned  by  Scylax,  between  Sidon  and  Berytus  ;  and  marked 
in  the  Jerusalem  Itinerary,  at  eight  Koman  miles  north  of 
Sidon.*  We  had  occupied  three  hours  in  reaching  the  Khan. 
Pococke  relates,  that  he  saw  here  "  some  broken  pillars,  a  Corin- 
thian capital,  and  ruins  on  each  side  of  a  mountain  torrent."^ 
In  the  side  of  the  mountain,  southeast  of  the  village,  are  also 
extensive  excavated  tombs,  which  my  companion  had  formerly 
visited,  once  apparently  belonging  to  an  ancient  city.  Porphy- 
reon is  mentioned  also  by  Polybius,  as  a  city  not  far  south  of 

•  D'ArvHcux  mentions  this  village  with    Scylax  p  100 ;  quoted  also  in  full  by  Re- 
the  Wely  Xeby  Yunas  near  it,  wTiting  the    land,  Palsestina  p.  431. — See  more  in  Vol 
name  '  Gie    Mem.  11.  p.  329.    Also  Po-    III.  Sect.  11,  under  Apr.  5th,  1852. 
Cocke,  as  "  Jee  ;  "  II.  i.  p.  89.  »  Pococke  II.  i.  p.  89.  foL 

'  Itiuer.  UierosoL  ed.  Wesseling  p.  583. 

ill.  430-432 


488 


FROM  SIDON  TO  BEIRUT. 


[Sec.  XVL 


the  river  Tamyras  ;  and  was  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  a 
bishopric  under  the  metropolitan  of  Tyre.* 

Setting  forward  again  at  8.50,  we  passed,  after  half  an  hour, 
another  Roman  mile  stone,  the  third  we  had  now  seen.  Before 
us  was  another  promontory,  with  a  rocky  and  difficult  pass, 
along  which  the  path  is  cut  for  some  distance  occasionally  in  the 
rock.  This  was  formerly  regarded  as  a  dangerous  spot ;  and  a 
guard  house  or  tower  stood  on  the  promontory,  to  protect  travel- 
lers.^ 

After  clearing  this  promontory  and  reaching  the  shore  of  the 
cove  beyond,  we  came  almost  immediately  to  the  Nahr  ed- 
Dam&r,  at  10^  o'clock.  This  was  now  a  moderate  stream ;  but, 
coming  from  the  mountains,  it  often  swells  in  winter  so  suddenly 
and  powerfully,  as  to  become  impassable  ;  and  many  stories  are 
told  of  travellers  swept  away  in  attempting  to  ford  it.^  Near  by 
were  the  ruins  of  a  bridge,  which  has  often  been  rebuilt,  but  can 
never  be  made  to  stand  the  fury  of  the  winter  torrent.  The 
Damur  rises  on  the  mountains,  far  in  the  northeast  of  Deir  el- 
Kamr  ;  and  passes  down  on  the  north  of  that  place,  where 
there  is  a  bridge  over  it  called  Jisr  el-Kady,  on  the  road  to 
Beirtlt.* 

In  this  stream,  Nahr  ed-Damfir,  we  doubtless  have  the 
Tamyras  or  Damouras  of  the  ancients,  'between  Sidon  and  Bery- 
tus.'  This  circumstance  serves  to  mark  the  difficidt  pass  over  the 
promontory  on  the  south,  as  the  place  of  battle  between  Anti- 
ochus  the  Great  and  the  forces  of  Ptolemy,  about  218  B.  C. 
and  also  as  the  site  of  the  ancient  Platanum.  Nicolaus,  the 
Egyptian  general,  had  divided  his  forces,  stationing  part  at  Por- 
phyreon,  and  with  the  other  occupying  the  narrow  rocky  passage 
at  Platanum,  where  Mount  Lebanon  comes  down  to  the  sea. 
Antiochus  advanced  with  his  army  from  Berytus,  and  encamped 
at  the  river  Damouras.  After  reconnoitering  the  position  of 
the  enemy,  he  despatched  a  party  of  troops  to  climb  the  moun- 
tain, and  attack  the  Egyptians  from  above  ;  while  other  assaults 
were  made  in  front,  and  by  sea.  The  Egyptians  were  driven 
from  their  strong  post ;  two  thousand  were  slain,  as  many  more 
made  prisoners,  and  the  remainder  took  refuge  in  Sidon.^  This 

'  Polyb.  5.  68.  Reland  Falsest,  pp.  531,  '  Maundrell  relates  that  a  Mr  Spon,  a 

957. — The  crusaders  regarded  Haifa  as  relative  of  the  traveller  Dr  Spon,  had  a 

the  ancient  Porphyreon ;  see  in  Vol.  III.  few  years  before  been  swept  away  and 

Sec.  II,  penult.  Kut  there  seems  to  be  no  evi-  drowned ;  March  19th. 

dence,  that  a  city  called  Porphyreon  ever  *  In  the  mountains,  the  stream  too  bears 

stood  on  the  bay  of 'Akka ;  all  the  his-  the  name  of  Nahr  el-Kady;  Burckhardt 

torical  notices  apply  equally  well,  and  in-  p.  192. 

deed  better,  to  the  Porphyreon  north  of  '  Strabo  16.  2.  22.  p.  726,  fitrh  Bripvriv 

Sidon,  the  position  of  which  is  certain.  ^itti  SiSwc*  ^€to|ii  8i  6  Tafiipas  Trora/utfr. 

'  D'Arvieux  M^m.  II.  p.  329  sq.    This  Polybius  writes  the  name  Aanovpas,  5.  68. 

was  the  Burj  cd-Dftmur  of  Pococke  ;  II.  "  Polyb.  Hist.  5.  68,69. — Antiochus  ad- 

L  p.  89.  foL  vanced  further  southwards,  aud  afterwardb 
iii.  432,433 


JtnfK26.]         THE  DAMUR,  TAMTBA8.     KHAN  KHULDA.  489 

Platanum  is  probably  the  village  Platana  mentioned  by  Jose- 
pbus,  not  far  from  Berytus  ;  where  the  tyrant  Herod  left  his 
two  sons,  during  the  mock  trial  held  over  them  in  that  city.' 
It  may,  perhaps,  have  been  a  small  fortress  guarding  the  pass. 

On  the  river  Damiir  and  further  north,  there  is  a  fine  narrow 
tract  between  the  mountains  and  the  shore,  covered  with  mul- 
berry orchards.  The  stream  itself  is  skirted  with  oleanders. 
Several  villages  and  small  convents  now  came  in  view,  hanging 
upon  the  side  of  Lebanon.  At  10.55  we  came  to  Khan  el- 
Musry,  situated  upon  the  sand  near  the  shore  ;  where  a  nide 
tent  close  by,  was  said  to  mark  a  station  of  the  Pasha's  post. 
On  the  mountain  opposite  were  three  villages  and  two  convents  ; 
the  largest  village  bearing  the  name  el-Mu'allakah. — Another 
similar  Khan,  called  el-Ghufr,  succeeded  at  11.35  ;  so  named 
because  a  toll  was  formerly  demanded  here.  Just  before  reach- 
ing it,  the  straggling  village  en-Na'imeh,  with  a  convent,  is  seen 
on  the  mountain's  side.'' 

Another  spot  of  the  like  kind  is  Khan  Khulda,  to  which  we 
came  at  ten  minutes  past  12  o'clock.  It  is  reckoned  three  hours 
or  more  distant  fom  the  gates  of  Beirut  ;  and  persons  travelling 
to  Sidon,  often  come  thus  far  to  lodge,  in  order  to  shorten  the 
next  day's  journey. 

About  ten  minutes  before  reaching  the  Khan,  many  sarco- 
phagi are  seen  among  the  rocks  on  the  right,  a  little  way  up  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  ;  and  again,  beyond  the  Khan,  they  are 
quite  numerous  on  both  sides  of  the  path.  These  sarcophagi 
are  of  ordinary  size,  cut  from  the  common  limestone  rocks  as 
they  lie  upon  the  ground  ;  the  covers  of  some  lie  near  them. 
They  were  obviously  made  upon  the  spot,  and  have  never  been 
moved.  Were  they  once  used  as  sepulchi-es  ?  and  was  here  the 
site  of  an  ancient  town  ?  ^  No  other  remains  are  visible  in  the 
neighbourhood  ;  but  the  name  Khulda  suggests  the  Heldua  of 
the  Jerusalem  Itinerary,  the  first  station  south  of  Berytus.* 

Shortly  beyond  Khan  Khulda,  the  shore  trends  ofi"  north- 
west to  form  the  large  cape  of  Beirut.    After  a  stop  of  five 


snbdaed  Mount  Tabor;  see  above,  p. 
357. 

'  Joseph.  Antiq.  16  1.  2  sq.  iv  Kwfiri 
Tivl  ^.^'jiituy,  UKardin]  KaXovjifyr,. 

'  This  seems  to  be  the  en-NA'uneh  of 
Edrisi,  between  Saida  and  Beirut ;  he  de- 
scribes it  as  a  strong  place  of  moderate 
size,  surrounded  by  carob  trees.  It  may 
then,  like  S'rafend,  have  stood  upon  the 
adjacent  plain.  Edrisi  par  Jaubert  p.  355. 

"  Pococke  notices  these  sarcophagi,  and 
compares  them  with  the  tombs  at  Iksid 
Bear  Mount  Tabor ;  11.  i.  p.  89.  foL  See 
above,  p.  332.  u.  I.     They  are  also  men- 


tioned by  Olivier,  '\royages  Tom.  IL  p. 
223.  Buckingham,  Travels  among  the 
Arab  Tribes  p.  437.  4to. 

*  Itia  Hieros.  ed.  llVesseling  p.  583. 
The  position  of  Heldua  as  marked  in  the 
Itinerary,  12  Roman  miles  from  Berjtus 
and  8  from  Porphvreon,  does  not  corres- 
pond to  Khan  Khulda  ;  it  would  suit  bet- 
ter if  reversed,  viz.  8  Roman  miles  from 
Berytus  and  12  from  Porphyreon. — Po- 
cocke  makes  a  similar  sus^irestion  as  to 
Heldua  and  its  position  ;  althougli  he  ap- 
pears not  to  have  heard  the  name  Khulda ; 
n.  L  p.  89. 

ui.  433-435 


490 


FROM  SIDOX  TO  BEIRUT. 


[Sec.  XVI. 


mmutes,  we  proceeded  on  our  way,  and  at  12^  o'clock  the  path 
began  to  leave  the  coast.  At  1  o'clock  we  crossed  the  dry  "Wady 
Shuweifat,  coming  down  on  the  north  of  the  very  large  village 
of  the  same  name,  on  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  It  is  oftener 
called  Nahr  Ghudir  ;  and  comes  out  from  Wady  Shahrur  in  the 
mountains.  Earlier  in  the  season,  it  has  a  fine  stream  of  water. 
From  this  point  the  mountain  also  runs  otf  more  to  the  right. 
The  promontory  of  Beirut  is  of  a  triangular  form  ;  and  the 
town  itself  lies  about  an  hour  northeast  of  the  extreme  point  or 
cape.  The  southwest  coast  of  the  triangle  is  for  some  distance 
composed  of  sand,  driven  up  into  hills  by  the  waves  and  mnds  ; 
and  these  hills  are  continually  encroaching  more  and  more  upon 
the  cultivated  land  beyond.  The  sands  now  cover  much  of  the 
western  portion  of  the  cape  ;  while  towards  the  east  between 
them  and  the  base  of  the  mountains,  a  broad  low  plain  or  valley 
extends  from  south  to  north  across  the  promontory,  full  of  cul- 
tivation, and  containing  the  largest  olive  grove  in  all  Syria. 
This  grove  hes  directly  under  the  village  of  Shuweifat  above 
mentioned,  and  bears  its  name.  The  plain  further  north,  and 
west  of  Nahr  Beirut,  is  known  as  Ard  el-Burajineh,  from  a 
village  called  Burj  el-Burajineh.  The  other  parts  of  the  prom- 
ontory susceptible  of  tillage,  and  especially  the  tract  around 
Beirut,  are  covered  with  mulberry  groves  ;  the  culture  of  silk 
being  here  the  chief  employment  of  all  the  inhabitants.  The 
plain  and  the  adjacent  mountain  side  absolutely  swarm  with 
villages. 

Our  path  after  leaving  the  shore,  turned  more  northwest,  and 
led  us  over  and  along  the  sand-hills  on  a  direct  course  towards 
Beirut ;  we  thus  left  the  great  plain  and  olive  forest  at  some 
distance  on  the  right.  About  3  o'clock,  we  reached  the  grove 
of  large  and  lofty  pines  planted  by  Fakhr  ed-Din,  called  Hursh 
Beirut,  still  more  than  half  an  hour  from  the  city.'  On  the 
northern  border  of  this  grove,  we  found  a  cordon  of  soldiers  sta- 
•  tioned  ;  the  town  being  yet  nominally  shut  up  on  account  of  the 
plague  ;  although  there  had  been  no  cases  of  the  disease  for  two 
or  three  weeks.  Not  wishing  to  deprive  ourselves  of  the  power 
of  making  further  excursions,  by  entering  a  place  from  which 
we  could  not  come  out  again,  we  pitched  our  tent  within  the 
grove  ;  and  sent  word  of  our  arrival  to  our  friends.  They  soon 
visited  us  ;  but  although  we  learned  from  them,  that  the  cordon 
was  httle  more  than  a  sham,  and  would  probably  soon  be  re- 
moved, yet  as  there  was  some  uncertainty,  we  preferred  to  re- 

*  Common  report  ascribes  the  planting  tury,  describes  Beirut  as  having  on  the 

of  this  grove  to  Fakhr  ed-Din ;  and  so  south  a  large  forest  of  pines,  extending 

too  Monconys  I.  p.  334.    D'Arvicux  Mem.  quite  to  Mount  Lebanon ;    Edr.  par  Jau- 

n  p.  333.    Maundrell  March  10th.    Yet  bert  I.  p.  355. 
Edrisi,  in  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  cen- 
ui.  435,  436 


JciTB  27.] 


LODGINGS  WITH  OUR  FRIENDS. 


491 


main  where  we  were  for  tlie  night,  in  order  to  obtain  more 
certain  intelligence.  We  now  paid  off  and  dismissed  our  mule- 
teer, who  had  brought  us  all  the  way  from  Jerusalem.  We  had 
been  in  general  well  satisfied  with  him  and  with  his  animals  ; 
but  had  never  been  able  to  place  that  confidence  in  his  attach- 
ment and  fidelity,  which  we  had  formerly  felt  towards  all  our 
guides  of  the  Bedawin. 


The  next  morning,  June  27th,  having  ascertained  that  the 
cordon  would  soon  either  be  raised  or  wholly  disregarded  ;  or,  at 
any  rate  would  present  no  hindrance  to  any  excursion  we  might 
wish  to  make  ;  we  entered  the  city,  or  rather  the  gardens  on  the 
south,  and  took  up  our  abode  in  the  houses  of  our  friends.  My 
companion  went  to  the  house  of  Mr  Thomson,  which  had  for- 
merly been  his  own  ;  while  I  found  a  horg,e  in  the  family  of  Mr 
Hebard. '  Here  our  travels  by  land  were  at  an  end  ;  and  we 
were  delighted  to  return  once  more  to  the  order  and  neatness 
and  comfort  of  civilized  life,  and  to  the  enjoyment  of  social  and 
Christian  intercourse  ;  where  we  again  could  perceive  and  feel, 
on  every  side,  the  influence  of  the  female  hand  and  the  female 
mind  ;  an  influence  to  which,  in  our  intercourse  with  oriental 
life,  we  had  so  long  been  strangers.  In  my  own  case,  the  unre- 
mitted attentions  and  kindness  of  the  missionary  families,  under 
the  painful  circumstances  which  rendered  my  presence  a  bur- 
den, demand  this  expression  of  grateful  acknowledgment.  But 
alas  !  for  her  to  whose  active  kindness  and  sympathy  I  was 
most  indebted,  this  tribute  came  too  late,  and  I  could  only  lay 
it  on  her  tomb.* 

Beirut  is  situated  on  the  northwest  coast  of  the  promontory ; 
and,  as  already  said,  an  hour  distant  from  the  cape,  directly 
upon  the  sea  shore.  There  was  once  a  little  port,  now  filled 
up  ;  so  that  vessels  can  anchor  only  in  the  open  road.  The 
town  is  surrounded  on  the  land  side  by  a  wall  of  no  great 
strength,  with  towers.  The  houses  are  high  and  solidly  built 
of  stone.  The  streets  are  narrow  and  gloomy,  badly  paved,  or 
rather  laid  with  large  stones,  with  a  deep  channel  in  the  middle 
for  animals,  in  which  water  often  runs.^    The  aspect  of  the  city 

'  Mr  Bird,  the  oldest  member  of  the  after  a  long  and  painful  illness,  Jan.  1840. 

Syrian  Mission,  had  already  returned  with  She  has  feft  behind  a  durable  remem- 

his  family  to  the  United  States.    To  his  brance,  not  only  in  the  hearts  of  her 

minute  and  valuable  topographical  notices  friends,  but  in  her  influence  upon  the  many 

and  sketches  of  Mount  Lebanon  and  the  Arab  chil  Iren  and  families,  to  whom  she 

coast,  the  map  of  that  region  accompany-  was  a  benefactress. 

ing  this  work  has  been  greatly  indebted.         '■'  Monconys  thus  describes  Bcinit  and 

*  Mrs  Hebiird,    a  lady  of  uncommon  its  streets,  I.  p.  335  :  "  La  ville  est  sombre 

intelligence  and  energy  of  character,  died  et  sale,  les  rues  6troites  avec  le  ruisseau  au 

iii.  436-438 


492 


BEIRUT. 


[Sec.  XVL 


is  more  substantial  than  tliat  of  any  other  we  had  seen  along 
the  coast.  I  went  twice  into  the  town,  and  saw  the  only  re- 
mains of  antiquity  which  are  now  pointed  out,  viz.  the  numerous 
ancient  columns  lying  as  a  foundation  beneath  the  quay,  and 
the  ancient  road  cut  in  the  rock  outside  of  the  southwestern 
wall.  South  of  the  city  gate,  near  the  way  side,  is  a  little  ceme- 
tery, in  which  one  reads  the  names  of  Mr  Abbot  formerly 
British  consul  at  Beirut,  and  of  Pliny  Fisk,  the  missionary  and 
man  of  God. 

The  city  lies  on  a  gradual  slope,  so  that  the  streets  have  a 
descent  towards  the  sea  ;  but  back  of  the  town,  the  ground  rises 
towards  the  south  and  west  with  more  rapidity,  to  a  considerable 
elevation.  Here,  and  indeed  all  around  the  city,  is  a  succession 
of  gardens  and  orchards  of  fruit  and  of  countless  mulberry  trees, 
sometimes  surrounded  by  hedges  of  prickly  pear,  and  giving  to 
the  environs  of  Beirut  an  aspect  of  great  verdure  and  beauty  ; 
though  the  soil  is  perhaps  less  rich,  and  the  fruits  less  fine,  than 
in  the  vicinity  of  Saida.  These  gardens  and  orchards  are  all 
reckoned  to  the  city,  and  were  enclosed  in  the  cordon  ;  in  them 
dwell  at  least  one  third  of  the  population.  The  dwellings  of 
the  Franks  are  scattered  upon  the  hills  towards  the  south  and 
southwest,  each  in  the  midst  of  its  garden  ;  they  are  built  of 
stone  in  the  southern  European  style,  and  exhibit  many  of  the 
comforts  of  the  west,  heightened  by  the  luxuries  and  charm  of 
the  east. 

The  houses  of  our  friends  were  in  this  quarter  ;  and  com- 
manded a  superb  prospect.  From  our  windows  the  eye  took  in 
the  whole  great  bay  north  of  the  promontory  of  Beirut,  extending 
to  the  point  near  Nahr  Ibrahim,  the  ancient  Adonis.  On  the 
right  the  mighty  wall  of  Lebanon  rose  in  indescribable  majesty, 
with  one  of  its  loftiest  summits,  Jebel  Sunnin,  in  lull  view  ; 
while  beneath,  between  us  and  its  foot,  lay  spread  out  a  broad 
region  covered  with  green  trees  and  full  of  beauty.  Along  the 
bay,  where  it  sets  up  to  the  very  foot  of  Lebanon,  we  could  dis- 
tinguish the  mouth  of  the  Nahr  el-Kelb,  the  ancient  Lycus,  with 
its  celebrated  pass  marked  by  Latin  inscriptions  and  Assyrian  and 
Egyptian  monuments  ;'  near  the  southern  corner  is  the  Nahr 
Beirut,  perhaps  the  Magoras  of  Pliny  f  while  still  more  at 
hand  was  pointed  out  the  region  where,  according  to  the  legend, 
the  combat  took  place  between  St.  George  and  the  dragon.^ 

milieu  oCi  vont  les  chevaux,  et  deux  clie-  "  Pliii.  H.  N.  .'>.  20.  Comp.  Pococke  II. 

mins  de  chaque  costc  rclevcs  ou  marclieiit  i.  p.  91.  fol. — There  seems  to  be  not  the 

les  hommes."    The  same  form  of  narrow  slightest  foundation  for  regardiii!!  the  name 

street  is  seen  also  in  Jerusalem.  Magoras  as  a  corruption  I'or  Tamyras,  as 

'  Maundrell  March  17th.    Pococke  II.  supposed  by  Maimert ;  Geogr.  von  PaList. 

i.  p.  92.    Burckhiirdt  p.  100.    The  Latin  etc.  1831.  p.  293. 

inscriptions  are  given  by  Maundrell  .md  ^  Ma\mdrell   1.  c.  Pococke  ib.  p.  91. 

Burckhardt.  Turner's  Tour.  etc.  II.  p.  Gl. — The  legend 
iii.  4m  -43S 


Skc.  XVI.]  VIEW  OF  LEBANON.     TEMPLES,  493 


Yet  what  interested  me  most  of  all,  perhaps,  was  the  view 
of  the  towering  heights  of  Lebanon,  so  rich  in  delightful  associ- 
ations drawn  from  scriptural  history.  As  its  ridges  here  present 
themselves  to  the  eye,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  accounting  for 
the  name  Lebanon,  signifying  in  Hebrew  the  "  White  Moun- 
tain." The  whole  mass  of  the  moixntain  consists  of  whitish 
limestone  ;  or  at  least,  the  rocky  surface,  as  it  reflects  the  light, 
exhibits  everywhere  a  whitish  aspect.'  The  mountain  teems  with 
villages  ;  and  is  cultivated  more  or  less  almost  to  the  very  top. 
Yet  so  steep  and  rocky  is  the  surface,  that  the  tillage  is  carried 
on  chiefly  by  means  of  terraces,  built  up  with  great  labour  and 
covered  above  with  soil.  When  one  looks  upwards  from  below, 
the  vegetation  on  these  terraces  is  not  seen  ;  so  that  the  whole 
mountain  side  appears  as  if  composed  only  of  immense  rugged 
masses  of  naked  whitish  rock,  severed  by  deep  wild  ravines  run- 
ning down  precipitously  to  the  plain.  No  one  would  suspect, 
among  these  rocks,  the  existence  of  a  xamt  multitude  of  thrifty 
villages,  and  a  numerous  population  of  mountaineers,  harily,  in- 
dustrious, and  brave.  The  great  number  of  convents  scattered 
over  Lebanon,  will  be  noticed  in  the  next  section. 

The  celebrated  cedar  grove  of  Lebanon  is  some  thi-ee  days' 
journey  from  Beirtit,  near  the  northern  and  perhaps  liighest 
summit  of  the  mountain,  six  or  eight  hours  north  of  Jebel 
Sunnin.  As  I  was  able  to  visit  the  spot  during  a  subsequent 
journey,  a  description  of  it  belongs  rather  to  another  volume.^ 

To  say  nothing  of  the  rich  mines  of  discovery  in  physical 
science,  still  to  be  explored  in  Mount  Lebanon,  the  mountain 
well  deserves  further  examination  in  a  matter  of  historical  im- 
port. I  refer  to  the  various  ancient  temples  found  in  several 
parts  of  Lebanon,  on  both  sides  ;  some  of  them  high  up,  in 
places  where  it  must  have  been  difficult  to  build  ;  and  exhiljiting 
a  style  of  architecture  similar  to  the  wonderful  structures  of  Ba- 
'albek.  The  site  of  one  of  these  temples  was  visible  from  our 
windows,  near  the  village  Beit  Miry,  half  way  up  the  mountain, 
at  the  distance  of  three  hours  from  Beirftt.  It  is  called  Deir  el- 
Kul'ah  ;  and  was  described  as  built  of  immense  hewn  stones 
without  cement,  with  large  columns  in  front ;  which,  as  well  as 
the  walls,  are  now  mostly  overthrown.  Burckhardt  visited  not 
less  than  four  other  like  temples  in  different  parts  of  the  moun- 
tain ;  and  a  sixth  is  marked  by  Mr  Bird  at  Husn  es-Suf  iry,  in 

has  been  attached  to  this  spot  at  least  ever  come  from  the  perennial  snow  upon  the 

since  the  crusades,  and  is  often  mentioned  mountain ;  but  this  does  not  exi^t  in  suf- 

by  travellers ;  see  de  Suchem  Itin.  p.  102.  ficient  quantity,  to  present  any  permanently 

Reissb.  p.  828.    Breydenbach  in  Ueissb.  p.  marked  appearance. 

124.    Quaresmlus  II.  p.  909.  Monconys  I.  See  in  Vol.  IIL  Sect.  XIII,  imder  June 

p.  334,  etc.  etc.  16th,  1852. 
*  The  name  is  sometimes  said  to  have 

Vol.  II.— 42  iii.  439-441 


494 


BEIRUT. 


[Sec.  XVI. 


the  district  of  ed-Dunniyeh,  northeast  of  Tripoly.  Not  improba- 
bly more  exist  in  various  other  places.' 

Beirut  is  the  ancient  Berytus  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
and  by  some  is  supposed  to  be  also  the  Berothai  or  Berothah  of 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures.  The  notices,  however,  respecting  the 
latter,  are  such,  that  the  name  alone  suggests  an  identity. As 
Berj'tus  it  is  mentioned  by  the  Greek  and  Latiu  geographers.^ 
Under  Augustus  it  became  a  Roman  mditaiy  colony  by  the  name 
of  Felix  Julia  ;  and  was  aftcra'ards  endowed  with  the  Jus  Itali- 
cum'  It  was  at  Berytus,  that  Herod  the  Great  procured  the 
flagitious  mock  trial  to  be  held  over  his  two  sons.^  The  elder 
Agrippa  greatly  favoured  the  city,  and  adorned  it  ^\ith  a  splendid 
theatre  and  amphitheatre,  besides  baths  and  porticos  ;  inaugu- 
rating them  with  games  and  spectacles  of  every  kind,  including 
shows  of  gladiators.^  Here  too,  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem, Titus  celebrated  the  bii'th  day  of  his  father  Vespasian,  by 
the  exhibition  of  similar  spectacles,  in  which  many  of  the  captive 
Jews  perished." 

In  the  next  succeeding  centuries,  Berytus  became  renowned 
as  a  school  of  Greek  learning,  particularly  of  law  ;  and  was  visit- 
ed by  scholars  from  a  distance,  like  Athens  and  Alexandria. 
Eusebius  relates,  that  the  martyr  Appian  resided  here  for  a  time 
to  pursue  Greek  secular  learning  ;  and  the  celebrated  Gregory 
Thaumaturgus,  about  the  middle  of  the  third  century,  after  hav- 
ing frequented  the  schools  of  Alexandria  and  Athens,  repaired 
to  Berytus,  to  perfect  himself  in  the  ci^'il  law.'  A  later  Greek 
poet  describes  Berytus  in  this  respect  as  "  the  nurse  of  tranquil 
life."'    It  was  early  likewise  made  a  Christian  bishopric,  under 


■  For  Deir  el-Kul'ah,  see  Vol.  III.  Sect. 
I. — Of  the  four  temples  seen  by  Bnrck- 
hanlt,  one  is  not  far  from  Zableh,  and  the 
rest  in  the  vicinity  of  the  convent  Deir 
Dimitry  in  the  district  el-Kurah  southeast 
of  Tar  ibulus  or  Tripoly.  Travels  pp.  29, 
173,  17.5 — In  1852  I  was  able  to  visit  a 
large  number  of  similar  temples  iu  Leba- 
non and  Anti-Lebanon,  and  in  the  Bu- 
ka'a.    See  in  Vol.  \W,  passim. 

»  2  Sam.  8,  8.  Ez.  47,  IG.  In  the  former 
passage  Berothai  is  spoken  of  as  belonging 
to  the  kingdom  of  Zobah,  (comp.  vs.  .5,) 
■which  appears  to  have  included  Ilamath  ; 
comp.  vs.  9.  10.  2  Chr.  8,  3.  In  the 
latter  passage  (Ez.  47,  15.  10),  the  border 
of  Israel  is  drawn  iu  prophetic  vision,  ap- 
parently from  the  Mediterraneati  by  Ha- 
math  and  Berotliiih  towards  Damascus 
and  Hauran.  The  Berothah  here  meant, 
would  therefore  more  naturally  seem  to 
have  be«;n  au  inland  city, 
iii.  441-443 


'  Strabo  16.  2. 18,  19.  p.  755  ;  where  he 
relates  that  Berytus  was  taken  by  the  Ro- 
mans after  having  been  destroyed  bv  Try 
phon.    Ptolem.  15.  4.  Plin.  H.  N.  5.  20. 

*  Plin.  ib  "  Berytus  colonia  quse  Felix 
Julia  adpellabatur."  Joseph.  B.  J.  7.  3. 1. 
Leg.  7,  Dig.  de  Censibus  :  "  Juris  Italic! 
sunt  Troas,  Berytus,  Dyrrachium." 

'  Joseph.  Antiq.  16.  11.  1-6. 

«  Ibid.  19.  7.  5. 

'  Joseph.  B.  J.  7.  3.  1 ;  comp.  7.  5.  1. 

'  Euseb.  de  Martyrib.  Pala;st.  c.  4,  de 
Apphiiino :  Tvjj  "£.}Jj]vwv  iraiSilas  iyexa 
Ko<TniK?iS  .  .  .  rhv  irKe'ioya  Kora  t»;v  Brjpyriv 
SiaTpiif.ai  XP^"""- — Socrat.  Hist.  Eec.  4. 
27,  de  Gregor.  Xeocjes.  olros  us  ruy 
'A.^}irp<ri  irofSeuTTjpi'cof  avaxapiiaas  Iv  Tp 
BripvTu  v6novs  ifiavbavtv.  See  too  Cave 
Scriptorum  Ecc.  Hist.  p.  82.  Genev.  1705. 

"  Xonnus  Dionys.  XLI,  fin.  Bijpurbs 
fitSroio  yoKriyaloio  Ti^yj]. 


S*c  XVI] 


BERTTXJS.     HISTORICAL  NOTICES. 


495 


the  jurisdiction  of  the  patriarch  of  Antioch  ;  and  is  mentioned 
by  Jerome,  as  one  of  the  places  visited  by  Paula.' 

Under  the  reign  of  Justinian,  in  the  sixth  century,  Berytus 
was  regarded  as  the  most  beautiful  city  of  Phenicia  ;  its  acade- 
my continued  to  flourish,  and  was  visited  by  many  young  men 
of  wealth  and  rank,  who  pursued  here  the  study  of  the  Roman  law 
in  its  Greek  form.  Under  the  same  reign,  Berytus  was  laid  in 
ruins  by  an  earthquake,  and  the  school  removed  for  a  time  to 
Sidon.*  In  a  later  and  more  legend-loving  age,  in  the  eighth 
century,  Berj-tus  became  the  reputed  seat  of  the  noted  miracle, 
according  to  which,  when  an  image  of  Christ  was  once  mocked 
and  crucified  by  the  Jews  in  scorn,  and  the  side  pierced  with  a 
spear,  there  issued  from  it  blood  and  water  in  great  quantity.^ 

The  crusaders,  in  their  first  progress  along  the  coast  from 
Antioch  to  Jerusalem,  in  A.  D.  1099,  passed  by  BeirCit,  as  they 
did  other  cities,  without  any  attempt  to  get  possession  of  it ; 
indeed  its  commander  is  related  to  have  furnished  to  them  sup- 
plies of  provisions  and  money,  on  condition  that  they  would  spare 
the  harvest,  the  vineyards,  and  the  trees  around  the  city.*  The 
place  was  not  captured  until  A.  D.  1110  ;  when  king  Baldwin 
I.  took  it,,  after  a  protracted  siege  of  seventy-five  days.'  It  re- 
mained long  in  the  hands  of  the  Christians  ;  and  is  described  as 
surrounded  by  a  strong  wall,  and  as  lying  in  the  midst  of 
orchards,  and  groves,  and  vineyards.'  Beirut  was  made  a  Latin 
bishopric,  under  the  archbishop  of  Tyre,  and  the  patriarch  of 
Jerusalem.''  In  A.  D.  1182,  Saladin  besieged  the  town  by  sea 
and  land,  and  made  violent  efforts  to  take  it  by  storm  ;  but 
withdrew  on  the  approach  of  the  Christian  forces  from  Seppho- 
ris,  after  laying  waste  the  adjacent  orchards  and  vineyards.* 
Five  years  later,  immediately  after  the  battle  of  Hattin,  Beirut 
surrendered  to  him  on  the  eighth  day  after  it  was  invested.' 

To  the  new  host  of  crusaders,  chiefly  from  Germany,  who 
reached  the  Holy  Land  in  A.  D.  1197,  the  possession  of  Beirut 

'  Relaiid  Potest,  p.  216.    Le  Qnien  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kr.  I.  p.  267.— The 

Oriens  Chr.  II.  col.  815  sq. — Hieron.  Ep.  cmsaders    .sometimes  call    Beirut  also 

86,  ad  Enstoch.  Epitaph.  Pante,  p.  672.  Banrim  ;  Alb.  Aq.  5.  40.  ib  10.  8. 

»  Agathiae  Hist  lib.  IL  p.  51.  ed.  Paris.  *  Alb.  Aq.  11.  15-17.    Fnlcher  Camot 

In  here  speaking  of  Berytns,  Agathias  c.  36.    WilL  Tyr.  11.  13.    Wilken  ib.  II. 

remarks  among  other  things:  XloKKol  Sk  p.  212. 

ffoi  fTiKvSfs  evrarpiSai  re  koI  ToiSs/oj  '  Edrld  par  Janbert  p.  355.  Jac.  de 

&pt<TTa  €X<"^<r>  ot  8€  vaprj<ra»  robs  'Pa/icduv  Vitr.  c.  26. 

mirov  ava\e^6fifvoi  viifiovs.  '  For  the  bishopric  and  bishops  of  Beirut 

»  See  the  tract  of  the  donbtfnl  Athana-  see  WiU.  Tyr.  14.  13.   ib.  15.  16.   ib.  16. 

sius  Junior,  exhibited  at  the  second  conn-  17.  ib.  17.  1.  ib.  21.  9.  Le  Quien  Oriens 

cil  of  Xicea,  A.  D.  787.  Act.  TV.    Comp.  Chr.  III.  col.  1325  sq. 

Cave  Scriptor.  Eccl.  Hi.st.  pp.  416,  428  "  Will.  Tvr.  22.  17,  18.    Bohaed.  Vit 

sq.  Genev.  1705.    Jac.  de  Vitriac.  c.  26.  Sal.  p.  49.  "WUken  ib.  IIL  ii.  p.  212. 

The  .tory  is  quoted  in  full  by  Quaresmins,  "  Bohaed.  p.  72.    Jac.  de  Vitr.  c.  96. 

IL  P-  W  ilken  Gesch.  der.  Kr.  IIL  u.  p.  295. 


Albert  Aq.  5.  40.    Will  Tyr.  7.  22. 


iii  443,  444 


496 


BEIRUT. 


[Sec,  XVL 


became  an  object  of  importance.  It  was  now  a  seat  of  trade  ; 
it  occupied  a  favourable  position  ;  and  the  Saracen  galleys  •whicb 
harboured  in  and  near  its  port,  committed  great  ravages  upon 
the  Christian  commerce,  capturing  and  making  slaves  of  thou- 
sands of  pilgrims  as  they  approached  the  Syrian  coasts.'  The 
Christian  army  marched  from  Tyre  upon  this  enterprise  ;  and 
after  a  general  battle  with  the  Saracen  forces,  near  Sidon,  ap- 
peared before  Beirut.  They  found  the  gates  open  ;  for,  on  the 
preceding  day,  the  Christian  slaves  within  the  walls  had  risen 
upon  the  Saracens,  and  delivered  the  city  over  to  the  Christian 
fleet.  It  was  now  given  up  to  Amalric,  as  king  of  Cyprus  and 
Jerusalem,  and  reannexed  to  the  latter  kingdom.'' 

In  the  later  strife  between  the  emperor  Frederick  II.  and 
the  regent  J ohn,  of  Ibelin,  Beirut  was  seized  and  occupied  for  a 
time,  in  A.  D.  1231,  by  the  imperial  forces  ;  but  was  again 
abandoned  without  taking  the  citadel.^  The  city  remained 
in  possession  of  the  Christians,  until  the  final  and  terrible 
overthrow  of  the  Frank  dominion  in  Syria,  in  A.  D.  1291,  in 
the  siege  and  storm  of  'Akka.  After  the  abandonment  of  Tyre 
and  Sidon  by  the  Christians,  the  troops  of  the  Sultan  Ashraf 
approached  Beirut.  The  Emir  in  command  announced  to  the 
inhabitants,  that  the  former  truce,  wliich  they  had  not  broken, 
should  be  continued  to  them ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  summoned 
them  to  come  out  and  meet  him  with  confidence,  as  he  drew 
near.  They  went  forth  accordingly  in  procession,  to  receive  him 
on  their  borders  ;  but,  false  to  his  word,  he  caused  them  to  be 
seized  and  put  to  death  or  thrown  into  chains,  took  possession  of 
the  city  and  castle,  and  laid  them  both  in  ruins.^ 

In  the  next  following  period,  Beirut,  like  Saida,  appears  to 
have  recovered  from  its  desolation,  and  continued  to  be  a 
trading  city.  Abulfeda  describes  it  as  surrounded  by  a  rich  soil 
and  gardens,  and  as  the  port  of  Damascus.  So,  too,  edh- 
Dhahiry,  in  the  fifteenth  century.^  Frank  travellers  of  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries,  speak  of  the  beauty  of  its 
environs,  full  of  fruits  and  gardens  of  all  kinds  ;  among  which, 
however,  the  mulberry  already  predominated  ;  the  culture  of 
silk  being,  even  then,  the  chief  occupation  of  the  inhabitants.' 
Like  Saida,  this  city  also  revived  somewhat  in  the  beginning  of 

*  Two  galleys,  which  escaped  to  Beiri\t  '  Mar.  Sannt.  p.  232.  Reinaud  Extr.  p. 

from  the  destruction  of  Saladin's  fleet  in  570.    Wilken  ib.  VII.  772. 

A.  D.  1188,  are  said  to  have  captured  in  '  Abulf.  Tab.  Syr.  p.  94.  Edh-Dhaliiry 

the  nine  following  years  not  less  than  in  Rosonmiiller  Analect.  Arab.  III.  p.  22. 

fourteen  thousand  pilgrims.    AVilken  Gc-  Lat.  p.  47. 

Bchiohte  der  Kr.  V.  p.  33.   Comp.  also  ibid.  '  I5aumgarten  in  A.  D.  1608;  p.  226. 


IV.  p.  232. 

^  Wilken  ib.  V.  p.  32-39. 

•  Wilken  ib.  VI.  pp,  521),  539. 


Villamont  in  1589,  p.  225.  Neitzschita, 
in  1(;35,  speaks  expressly  of  tbo  culture 
of  silk ;  p.  207.    Monconys  I.  p.  335. 


iii.  444-44C 


Sec.  XVI.] 


HISTORICAL  NOTICES.  CONCLUSION. 


497 


the  seventeenth  century,  from  the  activity  of  FaMir  ed-Din, 
who  made  it  one  of  his  chief  places  of  residence,  and  erected 
here  an  extensive  palace  ;  although  he  filled  up  the  port. 
According  to  D'Ar\aeux,  Beirut,  in  his  day,  was  twice  as  large 
as  Saida,  and  much  better  built ;  though  the  chief  centre  of 
European  trade,  during  that  and  the  eighteenth  century,  re- 
mained at  Saida.'  Caravans  from  Aleppo,  Damascus,  and 
Egypt,  regularly  arrived  at  Beirut  ;  especially  at  the  season 
when  the  silk  of  each  year  came  into  market.^ 

Within  the  present  century,  and  indeed  within  the  last 
twenty  years,  Beirut  has  received  a  new  impulse,  from  having 
been  made  the  centre  of  European  trade  for  this  part  of  the 
coast,  and  as  the  port  of  Damascus.  Before  that  time,  one  or 
two  consular  agents  were  the  sole  representatives  of  the  west. 
At  present,  there  are  resident  consuls  from  most  of  the  Euro- 
pean powers,  and  also  one  from  the  American  states  ;  trade  has 
flourished  and  been  extended  by  the  establishment  of  mercantile 
houses,  some  of  which  have  branches  in  Damascus  ;  and  the 
activity,  the  population,  and  the  importance  of  the  city  have 
been  greatly  increased.^  This  circumstance,  and  the  facihties 
of  communication  with  the  interior  and  other  parts  of  the 
country,  have  caused  Beirut  to  be  selected  as  the  chief  seat  of 
the  American  mission  in  Syria  ;  which,  in  its  schools,  and  by  its 
press,  as  well  as  by  direct  effort,  has  prospered  not  only  in 
proportion  to  its  means,  but  to  an  extent  far  beyond  what  its 
limited  means  would  have  authorized  us  to  expect. 

Such  was  Beirut,  and  such  were  Tyre  and  Sidon,  when  we 
saw  them  ;  and  also  when  the  manuscript  of  these  pages  was 
completed,  in  August  1840.  But  in  the  middle  of  the  very- 
next  month,  September  1840,  Beirut  was  laid  in  partial  ruin  by 
a  bombardment  from  the  combined  English  and  Austrian  fleet ; 
and  Tyre,  Sidon,  Haifa,  and  'Akka,  in  their  turn  were  subjected 
to  the  like  fate. 

CONCLUSION. 

Thus  ends  the  Journal  of  our  Travels  in  the  Holy  Land. 
We  had  planned  an  excursion  from  BeirUt  to  Ba'albek,  intend- 

'  D'Arvieux  Mem.  II.  p.  337  sq.    The  squadron ;  Busching  Erdsbesohr.  XI.  i.  p. 

palace  of  the  Emir  at  Beiriit  is  fully  de-  362, 

scribed  by  Maundrell,  March  18th.— For       "  D'Arvieux  ib.  II.  p.  343.  The  French 

the  general  condition  of  Beirut  and  its  had  merchants  at  Beirut ;  but  merely  as 

trade,  from  that  time  to  the  commence-  agents  of  the  houses  in  Saida.  ib. 
ment  of  the  present  century,  see  Niebuhr  Nearly  sixty  years  ago,  Volney  gives 

Eeisebeschr.  II.  p_.  469.    Volney  Voyage  the  population  of  Beirut  at  fix  tliousand ; 

11.  p.  169  sq.    Olivier  Voyage,  etc.  II.  p.  Voyage  II.  p.  170.    Twenty  years  since, 

218.    In  A.  D.  1772,  Beirfit  was  bom-  it  was  estimated  at  ten  or  twelve  thousand ; 

barded  and  plundered  by  a  small  Russian  0.  v.  Richter's  WaUfahrten  p.  76.  In 
Vol.  II. -42*  iii.  445.  447 


498 


CONCLUSION. 


[Sec.  XVL 


ing  to  cross  the  ridge  of  Lebanon  by  the  nsual  road,  to  Damas- 
cus, or  esh-Sham,  as  the  natives  usually  call  it  (by  contraction 
for  Dimeshk  esh-Sham,  Damascus  of  Syria),  and  then  pass  more 
to  the  northeast  by  Zahleh  into  the  valley  el-Buka'a.  Thence 
we  wished  to  return  over  Lebanon  by  "way  of  the  cedars  to 
Tripoly,  and  so  along  the  coast  to  Beirut.  But  during  the  first 
days  after  our  arrival  at  Beirut,  the  road  to  Damascus  was 
understood  to  be  shut  up  by  the  insurgent  Druzes,  and  the 
whole  Buka'a  to  be  insecure.  My  own  health  too,  which  had 
been  failing  ever  since  we  reached  Tyre,  now  gave  way  ;  and  on 
Friday  (June  29th),  and  for  the  eight  following  days,  I  was 
confined  mostly  to  my  room.  I  was  thus  cut  off"  irom  visiting 
even  Xahr  el-Kelb  and  Deir  el-Kul'ah. 

It  had  ever  been  our  hope,  that  before  this  time  a  line 
of  steamers  would  have  been  established  between  Beirut  and 
Smyrna  ;  such  a  line  had  been  long  announced,  and  has  since 
been  put  in  operation.  But  as  yet  nothing  of  the  kind  had 
been  commenced  ;  and  we  therefore  decided  to  take  the  English 
steamer  to  Alexandria,  and  thence  proceed  by  the  French  line. 
We  had  indeed  offers  enough  of  Greek  vessels  direct  to  Smyrna, 
at  a  much  less  expense  ;  but  in  these  vessels,  there  was  not 
only  no  accommodation  for  passengers,  but  besides,  at  this 
season,  we  could  not  hope  to  reach  Smyrna  by  snch  a  convey- 
ance imder  thirty  days.  Indeed,  we  afterwards  learned,  that 
one  of  our  friends,  who  had  made  the  voyage  a  few  weeks 
previously,  had  been  forty  days  between  the  two  ports.  The 
EngKsh  government-steamer,  the  Megjera,  arrived  at  Beirut 
during  the  night  of  July  6th  ;  and  on  Sunday  the  8th  we  went 
on  board  at  noon,  after  attending  the  English  service  of  the 
mission  held  in  the  house  of  the  American  consul,  Mr  Chasseaud. 
The  steamer  got  imder  way  immediately.  "We  found  everything 
on  board  in  the  neatest  order  ;  the  crew  were  all  in  their  Sunday 
clothes  ;  and  in  the  afternoon,  all  were  mustered  to  attend  the 
solemn  serWce  of  the  English  church  on  deck,  each  with  his 
Bible  and  prayer-book.  Among  the  passengers  were  the  two 
English  travellers,  whom  we  had  met  at  Hebron.  We  were 
throughout  highy  grarified  with  the  kind  and  gentlemanly 
deportment  of  the  commander,  Lieut.  Goldsmith  ;  with  whom  it 
seemed  to  be  the  constant  aim,  to  keep  his  ship  in  perfect  order, 
and  promote  in  the  highest  degree  the  comfort  of  his  passen- 
gers. 

We  entered  the  harbour  of  Alexandria  in  the  afternoon  of 

1836   Ellintt  makes  the   popnlation  of  the  Egrptian  provernment ;  Travels  II.  p. 

the  town  and  suburbs  to  be  fifteen  thon-  218.    A  year  later,  Schubert  gives  it  at 

Band,  which  is  probably  nearly  correct ;  only  nine  thousand,  meaning  perhnps  only 

the  camber  haricg  greatly  increased  under  those  within  the  walls ;  Reise  III  p.  380. 
iiL  447-449 


SBa  XVI.] 


SMYRNA.  CONSTANTINOPLE. 


499 


Tuesday,  July  lOtli ;  and  anchored  in  the  midst  of  the  levia- 
thans of  the  Egyptian  fleet,  which  now  seemed  like  old  ac- 
quaintances. Our  vessel  was  of  course  in  quarantine  ;  and  as 
she  was  to  wait  a  week  in  this  port  for  the  arrival  of  the  India 
mails,  we  preferred  to  remain  on  board,  rather  than  venture  the 
discomforts  and  risks  of  an  Egyptian  lazaretto.  In  due  time 
the  French  steamer  arrived  ;  and  at  the  end  of  a  week,  both 
vessels  were  to  depart  at  the  same  hour.  On  the  17th,  at  the 
very  last  moment,  after  the  French  vessel  had  closed  its  com- 
munication with  the  shore,  we  were  admitted  on  board  at  4 
o'clock  P.  M.,  and  the  two  steamers  left  the  port  together,  one 
steering  towards  Malta,  and  the  other  for  Syra. 

After  a  long  passage,  rendered  unpleasant  by  a  strong  head 
wind  the  whole  way,  we  anchored  at  Syra  early  in  the  morning 
of  July  21st ;  and  having  lain  there  all  day,  (the  vessel  being 
in  quarantine,)  were  transferred  again  at  the  last  moment  to 
another  French  steamer;  in  which,  after  a  calm  and  very  pleas- 
ant trip,  as  on  a  river,  we  arrived  at  Smyrna  at  11  o'clock  A.  M. 
the  next  day.  Here,  in  the  hospitable  mansion  of  Mr  Temple 
in  the  city,  and  afterwards  in  the  lodgings  of  Mr  Calhoun 'm  the 
charming  village  of  Bujah,  I  passed  several  days  of  great  enjoy- 
ment. 

A  week  later,  I  proceeded  to  Constantinople,  in  one  of  the 
fine  steamers  that  plough  the  waves  of  the  Hellespont ;  accom- 
plishing their  voyage  ordinarily  in  from  twenty-four  to  thirty 
hours.  Here  too  in  the  estimable  families  of  missionary  friends, 
Messrs  GoodeU  and  Schauffler,  I  was  welcomed  to  a  grateful 
home  ;  and  visited  all  the  points  of  interest  at  leisure.  We 
had  arrived  on  the  morning  of  July  30th,  before  dawn  ;  and  on 
coming  upon  deck,  I  had  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  the 
glories  wliich  surround  the  Grolden  Horn.  Splendid  indeed  for 
situation  is  Constantinople  ;  magnificent  in  its  graceful  contour 
of  land  and  water,  in  its  towering  domes  and  slender  minarets, 
and  in  the  deep  verdure  of  the  trees  and  gardens  which  every- 
where rises  above  the  dwellings  ;  surpassingly  beautifiil  a|  beheld 
from  without ;  but  within,  alas,  "full  of  dead  men's  bones  and 
all  uncleanness  ! "  I  rejoiced,  that  the  crown  of  oriental  cities 
had  thus  been  reserved  for  me  till  the  last. 

On  the  morning  of  August  13th,  my  companion,  Mr  Smith, 
arrived  from  Smyrna,  in  order  to  accompany  me  to  Germany  ; 
whither  he  had  been  commissioned  to  repair,  in  order  to  procure 
the  casting  of  new  founts  of  Arabic  types,  for  the  press  at 
Beiriit.  We  embarked  the  same  day  on  board  of  one  of  the 
Danube  steamers  ;  and  after  a  slow  but  pleasant  voyage  across 
the  Black  Sea  and  up  the  "dark  rolling"  river,  skirted  with 
cities  renowned  in  the  vrars  of  former  centuries,  we  entered  the 

iii.  449,450 


500 


CONCLUSION. 


[Sec.  XVI. 


borders  of  Hungary.  Our  quarantine  of  ten  days  was  spent  at 
Orsova,  in  the  midst  of  the  green  Carpathian  chain,  above  the 
far  famed  Iron  Gate,  but  still  below  the  more  romantic  passes. 
We  lay  afterwards  for  a  whole  day  at  Semlin  ;  and  saw  the  first 
steamer  enter  and  pass  up  the  river  Save,  between  that  city  and 
Belgrade.  Among  tiie  immense  marshes  which  stretch  along 
the  Danube  in  this  quarter,  I  probably  inhaled  the  poison  of  an 
intermittent  fever  ;  with  which  not  less  than  four,  out  of  the 
nine  passengers  of  whom  our  company  consisted,  became  ulti- 
mately aifected.  We  had  probably  laid  a  foundation  for  it,  in 
the  change  from  an  oriental  to  an  occidental  mode  of  life  ;  and 
from  constant  and  vigorous  exercise,  to  the  indolence  and  list- 
lessness  of  a  steam  vessel.  We  reached  Vienna  on  the  13th  of 
September.^ 

Here  my  disorder,  after  a  few  days,  assumed  a  new  and 
alarming  form,  and  brought  me  speedily  to  the  borders  of  the 
grave.  One  day  the  physician  left  me,  saying  to  my  companion 
that  I  should  probably  expire  in  two  or  three  hours.  He  after- 
wards returned,  expecting  to  find  me  dead.  Meantime,  through 
the  mercy  of  Grod,  a  crisis  had  taken  place  ;  I  had  slept,  and 
was  better.  Two  days  later  my  family  arrived  by  forced  stages 
from  Dresden  ;  and  from  that  time  my  recovery  was  as  rapid,  as 
had  previously  been  the  progress  of  the  disease.  For  the  pre- 
servation of  my  life,  I  regard  myself  as  principally  indebted, 
under  God,  to  the  judicious  care  and  devoted  attentions  of  the 
tried  friend,  who  had  been  so  long  the  companion  of  my  wander- 
ings in  the  east. 

'  Our  voyage  up  the  Danube  has  al-  key,  in  search  of  manuscripts  of  the  By- 
ready  been  described  by  one  of  the  party,  zantine  law ;  and  we  had  now  met  again 
Dr.  E.  Zacharia,  a  young  jurist  of  Heidel-  at  Constantinople.  He  too  was  one  of  the 
berg,  with  whom  I  had  left  Vienna  in  the  four  sufferers.  See  Zachariii's  Reise  in 
preceding  autumn.  He  had  travelled  den  Orient,  Heidelb.  1840.  Pref.  and  p. 
through  Italy,  Greece,  and  a  part  of  Tur-  322  sq. 
iii.  450,  451 


t 


SECTIOI^  XYII 


RELIGIOUS  SECTS  IN  SYRIA  AND  PALESTINE. 

The  object  of  the  present  Section  is,  to  embody  in  one  view 
the  information  to  which  we  had  access,  respecting  the  various 
religious  denominations  and  parties,  prevailing  throughout  the 
Holy  Land.  This  account  contains  the  result  of  extensive 
inquiry  on  the  part  of  the  American  mission,  continued  through 
several  years  ;  in  which  my  friend,  the  Rev,  Mr  Smith,  bore  a 
leading  part.  He  had  travelled  in  this  behalf  through  the 
greater  portion  of  the  Pashalik  of  Damascus,  from  Hamah  on 
the  north  to  Hauran  and  the  Belka  on  the  south,  as  well  as 
throughout  Mount  Lebanon  and  western  Palestine.  The  in- 
quiries of  the  mission  were,  of  course,  directed  chiefly  to  the 
state  of  the  Christian  population  in  general,  and  particularly  in 
Mount  Lebanon. 

The  following  view  of  the  various  Christian  sects,  may 
therefore  be  considered  as  derived  from  the  best  authority.  It  is 
here  given  as  exhibiting  their  actual  state,  without  any  refer- 
ence to  the  somewhat  difficult  historical  questions  connected 
with  the  subject.  The  remarks  near  the  close,  upon  the  policy 
to  be  hoped  for  from  Protestant  England  in  behalf  of  the  Chris- 
tians of  Syria,  must  be  regarded  as  my  own. 

I.  Christian  Sects, 

The  Christian  population  of  Syria  and  Palestine  embraces, 
according  to  the  best  and  most  careful  estimates,  between  four 
and  five  hundred  thousand  souls.  It  is  divided  into  the  follow- 
ing eight  sects,  viz.  Greeks,  Greek  Catholics  ;  Maronites  ;  Syri- 
ans or  Jacobites,  Syrian  Cathohcs;  Armenians,  Armenian  Cath- 
olics ;  Latins, 

iii.  452,  453 


502 


KELIGIODS  SECTS. 


[Sec.  Xm 


GREEKS. 

The  most  numerous  of  all  the  Christian  sects  are  the 
Greeks.  They  are  so  called  in  Syria,  merely  because  of  their 
professing  the  Greek  faith,  and  belonging  to  the  Greek  church- 
There  are  now  no  traces,  either  in  their  spoken  language  or  in 
the  language  of  their  public  services,  of  any  national  affinity 
with  the  Greek  people.  They  are  Arabs,  like  the  other  Arabs 
of  the  country.  Nor,  on  the  other  hand,  are  there  any  indica- 
tions of  a  Syriac  origin  in  any  part  ;  with  the  single  exception 
of  Ma'lula  and  its  vicinity,  on  Anti-Lebanon  north  of  Damas- 
cus. In  this  region,  the  dialect  now  spoken,  as  well  as  the  old 
church  books,  long  since  indeed  disused,  show  that  the  inhabi- 
tants are  originally  of  the  Syrian  race.  With  this  exception, 
the  language  of  the  Greek  Christians  of  Syria,  both  as  spoken 
and  as  used  in  their  churches,  is  Arabic. 

The  spoken  Arabic  differs  so  little  from  the  language  of 
books,  that  all  books  written  in  a  plain  style,  are  intelligible  to 
the  common  people.'  Hence  it  will  be  seen,  that  these  Chris- 
tians enjoy  the  great  privilege,  of  having  their  religious  worship 
conducted  in  a  language  which  they  understand  ;  a  privilege 
denied  to  those  of  the  same  church,  who  speak  the  Greek 
tongue,  and  to  every  other  Christian  sect  indeed  in  Western 
Asia,  except  their  countrymen  and  relatives,  the  Greek  Catho- 
lics. Perhaps,  however,  it  should  be  added,  that  their  church 
books  contaia  many  imtranslated  technical  terms,  from  the 
Greek  ;  and  that  on  particular  occasions,  or  for  the  sake  of 
variety,  certain  portions  of  the  service,  or  even  the  whole  ser- 
vice, is  sometimes  said  in  Greek. 

This  is  most  frequently  the  case,  when  the  high  clergy  offi- 
ciate. It  is  an  important  fact,  that  nearly  if  not  quite  all  the 
bishops  of  this  sect,  are  Greeks  by  birth,  and  foreigners  in  the 
country  ;  a  circumstance  which  shows  how  great  an  influence 
the  see  of  Constantinople  exerts,  in  the  ecclesiastical  afi'airs  of 
Syria.  It  is  a  fact  to  be  lamented.  These  bishops  rarely  leara 
to  speak  the  Arabic  language  well ;  of  course  they  cannot 
preach  ;  and  their  medium  of  intercourse  with  the  people  in 
conversation  is  very  imperfect.  There  naturally  faUs  to  take 
place  that  unity  of  national  feeling  between  the  bishop  and  his 
flock,  which  might  lead  to  national  improvement,  especially  in 
education.  A  Greek  bishop  from  abroad,  able  only  to  stammer 
Arabic,  and  perhaps  not  reading  it  at  all,  and  regarding  it  only 
as  a  barbarous  dialect,  (a  feeling  wliich  is  inherent  in  almost 

'  This  important  remark  is  from  the  pen    opportunities  of  forming-  a  correct  jndg- 
of  Mr  Smith,  who  has  had  the  very  best  ment 
iii.  453,  454 


Sec.  XVn.] 


GREEKS. 


503 


every  Greek  by  birth,)  cannot  be  expected  to  take  much  interest 
in  promoting  a  system  of  national  education  among  his  flock. 
It  is  a  natural  result,  though  not  arising  exclusively  from  the 
cause  here  brought  to  view,  that  notliing  of  the  kind  is  done. 
If  a  bishop  thinks  of  establishing  a  school,  as  the  object  of  his 
own  particular  patronage,  it  will  be  a  school  for  teaching  Greek, 
ancient  or  modern  ;  and  generally  the  apparent  ruling  motive, 
even  for  such  a  step,  will  be,  that  he  may  have  around  him  a 
sufficient  number  of  persons  acquainted  with  the  Greek,  to 
assist  him,  when  he  performs  the  services  of  the  church  in  that 
tongue. 

There  exists,  in  the  whole  country,  no  school  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  Greek  clergy.  The  parish  priests  are  taken  from  the 
ranks  of  the  common  people,  with  no  other  preparation  for  their 
sacred  office,  than  the  ceremony  of  ordination.  They  are  gen- 
erally selected,  each  by  the  parish  which  he  is  to  sei-ve,  from 
among  themselves  ;  and  the  usual  ordination  fee  to  the  bishop, 
rarely  fails  to  secure  the  administration  of  that  rite,  according  to 
their  wishes.  These  priests  are  universally  married,  and  differ 
not  in  character  from  the  rest  of  the  people  ;  frequently  occu- 
pying themselves  with  the  same  handiwork,  from  which  they 
obtained  their  livelihood  before  assuming  the  ecclesiastical  char- 
acter. They  are  often  the  schoolmasters  of  then-  villages  ;  if 
that  can  be  called  a  school,  which  consists  of  some  half  a  dozen 
boys  coming  together  at  irregular  hours,  and  bawling  over  their 
lessons,  right  or  wrong,  while  their  master  is  engaged  in  working 
at  his  trade.' 

The  doctrines  and  ceremonies  of  the  Greek  church  in  Syria, 
are  the  same  as  in  other  countries  ;  and  therefore  need  not  be 
described  here. 

In  its  ecclesiastical  organization,  the  Greek  church  in  Syria 
is  divided  into  the  two  patriarchal  dioceses  of  Antioch  and 
Jerusalem  ;  an  arrangement  which  has  existed  ever  since  the 
fifth  centuiy.'^  These  are,  nominally,  both  independent  of  the 
Greek  patriarch  of  Constantinople  ;  but  are  really,  to  a  great 
extent,  under  his  control. 

The  head  of  the  diocese  of  Antioch,  is  ordinarily  styled 
"  Patriarch  of  Antioch  and  of  all  the  East ; "  and  on  certain 
occasions,  more  fully,  "  Patriarch  of  Antioch,  Syria,  Cilicia,  and 
all  the  East."  The  Syrian  bishoprics  under  his  jurisdiction  are 
the  following  :  1.  Beirut,  which  is  the  largest  ;  and  its  occupant 
is  styled  also  "  Bishop  of  Phenicia  on  the  coast."  2.  Tripoly 
(Tariibulus).  3.  'Akkdr.  4.  Laodicea  (el-Ladikiyeh).  5.  Sa- 
mah.    6.  Hums  (Emessa).    7.  Saidandya  and  Ma'Uda.  8. 

'  Seo  the  description  of  a  Greek-Arab       ^  See  Vol  I.  p.  380. 
schoolmaster,  Vol.  I.  p.  45i. 

iii.  454-456 


504 


RELIGIOUS  SECTS. 


[Sec.  XVIL 


Tyre,  including  Hasbeiya  and  Raslieiya.' — Aleppo  formerly  be- 
longed also  to  the  patriarchate  of  Antioch.  But  it  was  severed 
from  it  not  many  years  ago,  on  occasion  of  a  dissension  between 
the  Greeks  and  Greek  Catholics  of  that  city  ;  and  has  ever 
since  remained  under  the  immediate  ecclesiastical  government 
of  Constantinople.  The  patriarch  of  Antioch  usually  resides  at 
Damascus  ;  and  from  this  circumstance  is  ordinarily  spoken  of 
by  the  people,  as  the  patriarch  of  Damascus.  He  is  also  a 
Greek  by  birth. 

The  jurisdiction  of  the  patriarchate  of  Jerusalem  begins  at 
'Akka,  and  extends  over  the  whole  of  Palestine,  both  west  and 
east  of  the  Jordan.  The  following  are  the  bishoprics  subject  to 
it  :  1.  Nazareth.  2.  'AJcka.  3.  Lydda.  4.  Gaza.  5.  Se- 
haste.  6.  Nabidus.  7.  Fhiladelphia  (es-Salt).  8.  Petra 
(Kerak).  Of  these  bishops,  only  the  bishop  of  'Akka  resides 
within  his  own  see  ;  all  the  rest  remain  shut  up  in  the  convents 
at  Jerusalem.  The  patriarch  himself  is  also  a  non-resident, 
living  at  Constantinople  ;  and  never,  so  far  as  we  could  learn, 
visiting  his  diocese.  His  place  is  represented,  and  the  business 
of  the  patriarchate  transacted,  by  a  board  of  bishops  (Wakils) 
at  Jerusalem.* 

GBEEK  CATHOLICS. 

The  sect  of  Greek  Catholics  had  its  origin  in  a  secession 
from  the  Greek  church  in  Syria  ;  which  was  brought  about  by 
Roman  Catholic  influence,  not  far  from  a  century  ago.  Until 
recently,  this  sect  existed  only  in  Syria  ;  but  has  now  extended 
itself  into  Egypt.  The  Greeks  who  have  elsewhere  submitted 
themselves  to  the  pope,  have  generally  become  amalgamated 
with  the  Latin  church.  The  Greek  Catholics  of  Syria,  on  the 
contrary,  are  a  sect  by  themselves,  constituting  an  oriental  papal 
church.  They  take  indeed  the  occidental  view  of  the  procession 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  believe  in  purgatory  and  the  pope,  eat  fish 
in  lent,  and  keep  a  smaller  number  of  fasting  days  than  the 
Greeks  ;  but  otherwise,  they  subjected  themselves  to  few  chan- 
ges, in  passing  from  one  jurisdiction  to  the  other.  They  stiU 
enjoy  the  same  privilege  as  their  countrymen  of  the  Greek 
church,  in  ha\'ing  their  religious  services  performed  in  their 
native  Arabic  tongue.  They  observe  the  oriental  calendar  ; 
receive  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  in  both  kinds,  as 
formerly  ;  and  their  priests  are  still  allowed  to  marry.  This 
however,  is  not  done  so  universally,  as  among  the  Greek-Arab 
clergy  ;  a  large  part  of  them  remaining  immarried. 

'  See  above,  p.  466.  rusalem,  their  convents,  and  bishops,  Vol 

'  See  the  account  of  the  Greeks,  at  Je-    I.  pp.  424,  425. 

iii.  456.  457 


StaaXVIL]  GREEK  CATHOLICS.     MABOXTTES.  505 

They  hare  eight  bishoprics ;  and  have  long  had  their  own 
patriarch  ;  but  until  the  country  came  under  the  more  tolerant 
government  of  Egypt,  he  nnitbnnly  resided  in  Mount  Lebanon  ; 
where  the  local  authorities  have,  for  many  years,  been  imder 
papal  influence.  He  has  now  removed  to  Damascus  ;  was  tully 
acknowledged  by  the  Egyptian  government  ;  and  has  extended 
his  diocese  into  Egypt.  The  high  clergy  of  this  sect  are  mostly 
Arabs  by  birth,  and  at  the  same  time  educated  at  Rome. 
They  thus  rmite  a  natural  attachment  to  their  countr-men, 
with  some  degree  of  European  cultivation  ;  and  the  insult  is  a 
certain  elevation  of  their  sect.  The  patriarch  has  also  estab- 
lished a  college,  for  teachiug  different  languages  and  branches  of 
science  :  which  however  seems,  as  yet,  to  have  accomplished 
very  little. '  It  was  afterwards  destroyed  during  the  war  with 
the  Druzes. 

The  sect  embraces  a  large  proportion  of  the  most  enter- 
prising and  wealthy  Chrisrians  in  Syria,  and  possesses  great 
influence.  Especially  do  its  members  occupy  more  than  their 
due  proportion  of  offices  under  the  government.  Some  of  them 
were  now  in  high  favour ;  and  this  secured  for  the  sect,  at  the 
time,  great  consideration. 

A  convent  belonging  to  the  Greek  Catholics,  at  esh-Shuweir 
in  Mount  Lebanon,  has  for  many  years  possessed  an  Arabic 
printing  press  ;  which  supplies  their  own  church,  and  also  the 
Greeks,  with  most  of  their  church  books.  The  press  in  1845 
was  nearly  worn  out.* 

StABONilES. 

The  sect  of  the  Maronites  furnishes  decisive  evidence  of  a 
Syrian  origin.  Its  ecclesiastical  language  is  wholly  Syriac  ; 
though  none  now  understand  it,  except  as  a  learned  language. 
The  Maronites  also  not  unfrequently  write  Arabic  in  the  Syriac 
character.'  They  acknowledge  no  affinity  with  any  other  sect 
in  the  cotmtry,  except  throtigh  a  common  relationship  to  the 

'  While  in  Cairo  I  once  attended  the  of  good  sense  and  practical  f  rce. — On  the 
sonrice  of  the  Greek  Catholics  incompaDv  origin  or  this  ject,  see  Smith  andDwi^it's 
with  Me:5srs  lieder  aad  Smith,  where  the  Ees.  in  .Armenia.  L  pp.  61,  62. 
patriarch  -was  present,  conducted  the  ser-  '  This  is  the  celebrated  press  of  the  con- 
vice,  and  afterwards  preached  a  sermon,  vent  iLir  Yuhanna,  -which  has  been  in 
An  was  in  Arabic.  The  roam  was  small  operation  ever  since  A.  D.  1 733.  See 
and  crowded;  the  pe<^  stood  and  listened  Volney's  account  of  the  press  and  the 
attentirelj  to  the  discourse  ;  bnt  on  a  mo-  books  printei  Voyage  VoL  11.  pp.  1  Ti- 
tian of  the  hand  by  the  patriarch,  all  184.  Schnnrrer  Bibliotheca  Anibica,  p. 
aqoatted  down  tqtoii  didr  feet  He  was  379  sq.  Miss.  Herald,  18i5,  p.  ;ii.5.— For 
a  man  of  nobie  mien ;  his  manner  digni-  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  Greek 
fied,  fan  of  gesture,  and  impresive.  'His  Catholics,  see  >lisa.  Herald,  ibid.  pp.  354, 
aeimon.  acceding  to  the  judgment  of  mj  355. 

oaaqnnions,  was  wefl  ordeied,  logical,  fnU  *  See  also  Bnrckhaidt's  Travels  pt  22. 

YoL.  IL— i3  in.  437  453 


506 


RELIGIOUS  SECTS. 


[Sec.  XVn. 


pope.  They  are  disposed  to  be  exclusive,  and  also  conceited 
in  the  idea  of  their  unparalleled  orthodoxy  ;  and  are  not  much 
liked  by  their  neighbours,  even  of  the  papal  church  ;  being 
generally  accused  of  narrow-mindedness. 

The  Maronites  are  characterized  by  an  almost  unequalled 
devotedness  to  the  see  of  Rome,  and  the  most  implicit  obedi- 
ence to  their  priests.  It  may  be  doubted,  whether  there  is  to 
be  found,  anywhere,  a  peojile  who  have  so  sincere  and  deep  a 
reverence  for  the  pope,  as  the  Maronites  of  Syria.  Yet  they 
have  thair  own  distinct  church  establishment  ;  and  also  some 
usages  which  are  not  tolerated  in  the  papal  church  in  Europe. 
They  follow  indeed  the  occidental  calendar ;  observe  the  same 
rules  of  fasting  as  the  European  papists;  and  celebrate  in  the 
same  manner  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper.  But  they 
have  some  saints  of  their  own,  and  especially  their  patron  saint, 
Mar  Maron,  not  elsewhere  acknowledged  in  the  papal  church. 
And  every  candidate  for  the  priesthood,  who  is  not  already 
under  the  vow  of  celibacy,  is  allowed  to  marry  before  ordina- 
tion ;  so  that  most  of  their  parish  clergy  are  actually  married 
men.  They  have  nine  dioceses  and  more  bishops  ;  and  at  their 
head  a  patriarch,  who  styles  himself  "  Patriarch  of  Antioch." 
His  usual  residence  is  the  convent  of  KanObin,  on  Mount  Leba- 
non, back  of  Tripoly ;  though  during  the  summer  months  his 
head  quarters  are  at  the  convent  Bkerky,  in  Kesrawan.  They 
have  in  all  more  than  fifty  convents. 

The  Maronites  are  found  in  cities  and  large  towns,  as  far 
north  as  Aleppo,  and  as  far  south  as  Nazareth.  But  they  are 
at  home,  as  cultivators  of  the  soil,  only  in  Mount  Lebanon  ; 
unless  with  very  few  exceptions.  This  mountain  they  inhabit, 
more  or  less,  throughout  its  whole  range,  from  its  northern  end 
above  Tripoly  to  the  region  of  Safed.  But  their  strong  hold  is 
Kesrawan,  a  district  separated  from  that  of  Metn  on  the  south 
by  Nahr  el-Kelb,  and  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  district  of 
Jebeil.  Of  this  tract  they  are  almost  the  only  inhabitants. 
Throughout  the  whole  of  the  country  governed  by  the  Emir 
Beshir,  they  are  more  numerous  than  any  other  sect.  The 
balance  of  power,  which  was  formerly  kept  up  between  them 
and  the  Druzes,  is  now  entirely  destroyed  ;  the  latter  having 
become  far  inferior  in  numbers  and  strength.  This  is  the  result 
of  the  conversion  of  the  ruling  family  of  Emirs,  the  house  of 
Shehab,  who  were  formerly  Muslims,  to  the  Maronite  faith. 
Their  example  had  great  influence  ;  and  has  been  followed  by 
the  two  largest  branches  of  another  family  of  Emirs  of  Druze 
origin  ;  so  that  now  almost  aU  the  highest  nobility  of  the  moun- 
tain are  Maronites.' 

'  For  the  history  and  churaotcr  of  the    pp.  1-100.   Nicl)iihr  Reiseb.  II.  pp.  42.5  sq. 
Maronites,  see  Le  (iuicn  Oriens  Chr.  III.    455  sq.    Volney  Voyage  IL  p.  8  sq.  Par- 
iii.  458-460 


Sec.  XVn.] 


MARONITES.  JACOBITES. 


507 


In  the  elementary  instruction  of  the  common  people,  the 
Maronites  are  quite  as  deficient  as  the  other  Christian  sects  in 
the  country.  But  for  a  select  number,  and  especially  for  clerical 
candidates,  the  patriarch  has  established  a  college  at  'Ain 
Warkah  in  Kesrawan,  which  takes  a  higher  stand  than  any 
other  similar  establishment  in  Syria.  It  deserves  great  praise, 
for  the  thorough  manner  in  which  it  initiates  at  least  some  of 
its  pupils  into  the  knowledge  of  their  native  Arabic  tongue. 
They  also  study  Syriac,  Latin,  and  Italian.' 

SYRIANS  OR  JAt!OBITES. 

The  same  evidence  of  a  Syriac  origin,  which  exists  in  the 
case  of  the  Maronites,  is  found  also  among  the  Jacobites. 
Though  they  now  speak  in  Syria  only  Arabic,  yet  their  church 
service  is  in  Syriac.  Indeed,  the  common  name,  by  which  they 
are  known  in  the  country,  is  simply  Suridn,  that  is,  Syrians. 
The  epithet  Jacobite  it  is  not  customary  to  add  ;  as  there  are 
in  the  country  no  Syrians  of  the  orthodox  Greek  rite  from 
whom  it  is  necessary  to  distinguish  them  ;  (though  at  Ma'ltila 
and  in  its  vicinity  there  probably  existed  such  a  community  not 
many  generations  ago  ; )  and  the  seceders  to  the  papal  church, 
are  sufficiently  designated  by  the  term  Catholics. 

The  number  of  the  Jacobites  in  Syria  is  very  small.  A  few 
families  in  Damascus  and  in  Nebk,  the  village  of  Sudud,^  and  a 
part^of  the  village  of  Kuryetein,  a  small  community  in  Hums, 
with  a  few  scattered  individuals  m  two  or  three  neighbouring 
villages,  and  a  similar  community  in  Hamah,  constitute  nearly 
or  quite  the  whole  amount  of  the  sect. 

They  are  subject  to  the  tfacobite  patriarch,  who  resides  in 
Mesopotamia  ;  and  from  him  they  receive  their  bishops.  One 
of  these  latter  has  his  residence  at  the  convent  of  Mar  Mtisa 


is  1787.  Schnurrer  de  Ecclesia  Maron- 
itica,  2  Progr.  Tubing.  1800  ;  also  Ger- 
man in  Stiiudlin  and  Tzschimer's  Ar- 
chiv  fur  Kirchengesch.  I.  1.  Schuurrer 
Bibl.  Arab.  p.  309  sq.  Gesenius'  Notes  on 
Burcldiardt  p.  492. 

'  See  more  on  this  school  in  Burck- 
hardt'.-*  Travels  p.  185.  —  Seetzen  and 
Burckhardt  mention  also  the  Maronite 
printing-press  at  the  convent  of  Kuzheiya 
three  h()\irs  from  Kanobln,  where  their 
church  books  in  the  Syriac  language  were 
priiited.  It  was  established  in  A.  D.  1802. 
Seet/en  in  Zach's  Mon.  Con-.  XHI.  p  533. 
Bnrcklmrdt  p.  22.  Miss.  Herald,  184.5,  p. 
319. — I  'or  a  more  complete  account  of  the 
Maronites,  see  Miss.  Herald,  ib.  pp.  314- 
319. 


"  The  large  village  of  Sudud  lies  in  the 
desert  east  of  the  road  from  Damascus  to 
Hums.  To  reach  it  my  companion  left  the 
great  road  at  Deir  'Atiyeh  north  of  en- 
Nebk,  from  which  Sildud  is  a  short  day's 
journey ;  and  then  fell  into  the  same  road 
again  at  Hasya.  In  the  name  S..dud  we 
may  recognise  the  Zalad  i^l^)  of  the 
Old  Testament,  on  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  Promised  Land  ;  Nnm.  34,  8.  Ez. 
47,  15. — The  ancient  Riblah  mentioned  in 
the  same  connection  and  elsewhere,  ia 
found  again  in  the  present  Ribleh,  a  ■vil- 
lage  several  hours  S  S.  W.  of  Hums  on 
the  river  el-'Asy  (Oi'ontes),  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  great  valley  el-Buka'a.  Num. 
34,  11.  2  K  23,  33.  25,  6.  etc. 


ui.  4C0,  461 


508  KELIGIOUS  SECTS,  [Sec.  Xm 

near  Nebk,  The  Jacobites  are  looked  upon  by  all  otlier  sects  in 
the  country  as  heretics  ;  and  as  such,  and  because  they  are  few 
and  poor,  they  are  generally  despised. 

SYRIAN  CATHOLICS. 

The  Syrian  Catholics  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  Jaco- 
bites, as  the  Greek  Catholics  do  to  the  Greek  church.  They 
are  Komish  converts,  who  still  retain  the  oriental  rite  and  the 
use  of  Syriac  in  their  churches. 

The  community  in  Aleppo  has  long  existed  in  its  present 
relation  to  the  pope.  But  the  Syrian  Catholics  of  Damascus 
and  of  Rasheiya  in  Jebel  esh-Sheikh,  are  recent  converts. 
Except  in  these  places,  there  are  not  known  to  be  any  other 
communities  of  tlus  sect  among  the  people  of  Syria.  In  Mount 
Lebanon,  however,  there  are  two  or  three  small  convents  in- 
habited by  Syrian  Catholic  monks. 

ARMENIANS. 

The  Armenians  in  Syria  are  properly  to  be  regarded  aa 
foreigners.  Yet  they  have  been  there  so  long,  that  the  country 
has  become  their  home  ;  and  they  must  not  be  overlooked  in 
speaking  of  the  native  Christian  sects.  They  are  found  only  as 
merchants  and  mechanics  in  cities  and  large  towns  ;  and  no- 
where as  cultivators  of  the  soil.  Their  character,  religious, 
intellectual,  and  national,  is  the  same  as  elsewhere,  and  need 
not  be  described.    Their  number  is  very  small. 

Their  ecclesiastical  estabhshm^nt  is  distinct  from  that  of 
Constantinople.  At  their  head  is  a  patriarch,  who  is  styled 
"  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,"  and  whose  diocese  embraces  also 
Egypt.' 

ARMENIAN  CATHOLICS. 

These  are  seceders  from  the  Armenian  to  the  papal  church  ; 
as  the  Greek  Cathohcs  are  from  the  Greek  church.  Like  them, 
too,  the  Armenian  Catholics  still  adhere  to  the  oriental  rite, 
and  have  changed  few  of  their  original  ceremonies  or  dogmas. 
They  are  few  in  number  ;  but  have  their  patriarch,  who  resides 
in  a  convent  at  Bzummar,  on  Mount  Lebanon."  It  is  worthy 
of  remark,  that  this  patriarchate  existed  here  under  the  protection 

'  See  more  respecting  this  patriarch  in       *  See  Bnrckhardt's  Travels  in  Syria,  eta 
Smith  and  Dwight's  Researches  in  Arme-    p.  186. 
nia,  I.  pp.  iO,  62. 
ill.  461.  4G2 


Skc.  xvn.] 


AEMENIANS,  ETC.  CONVENTS. 


509 


of  the  government  of  this  mountain,  long  before  the  sect  was 
acknowledged  and  had  its  patriarch  at  Constantinople. 

LATINS. 

Native  Koman  Catholics  of  the  occidental  rite,  are  very  few 
in  Syria.  They  exist  only  in  connection  with  the  convents  of 
the  Terra  Santa  at  Jerusalem,  Bethlehem,  St.  John  in  the 
Desert,  Nazareth,  and  perhaps  a  few  other  places.  They  are 
ecclesiastically  dependent  on  the  convents,  and  form  parishes 
under  the  immediate  charge  of  the  monks  ;  but  amount  in 
all  to  a  few  hundred  in  number.  Their  language  is  Arabic,  like 
that  of  all  the  other  native  inhabitants  of  the  country. 

There  are  also  Latins  at  Aleppo  ;  but  whether  of  native  or 
foreign  descent,  was  not  known. 

CONVENTS. 

Convents  of  native  monks  are  very  rare  in  Syria,  except  in 
the  district  of  Mount  Lebanon.  Besides  the  Jacobite  convent 
at  Mar  Musa  near  Nebk,  and  the  Greek  convents  of  Saidanaya, 
and  of  Mar  Jirjis  northeast  of  Tripoly,  there  is  hardly  another 
known  to  be  inhabited  by  natives.  All  the  convents  in  and 
around  Jerusalem,  Bethlehem,  Ramleh,  Yafa,  and  in  other 
cities,  whether  Greek,  Armenian,  or  Latin,  belong  entirely  to 
foreigners,  and  are  occupied  by  them. 

But  whUe  such  is  the  case  with  the  other  parts  of  Syria,  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  Mount  Lebanon,  is  its 
multitude  of  convents.  They  are  seen  perched  upon  its  rocks 
and  scattered  over  its  sides  in  every  direction  ;  even  a  glance  at 
the  map  is  sufficient  to  excite  astonishment.  WhUe  monasti- 
cism  has  declined,  and  almost  gone  out  of  date,  in  so  many  other 
countries  ;  it  continues  here  to  flourish  in  its  pristine  vigour,  if 
not  in  its  pristine  spirit.  I'he  numerous  convents  are  many  of 
t  them  small  establishments ;  but  they  are  well  filled  with 
monks,  and  abundantly  endowed.  There  are  also  convents  of 
nuns.  The  greatest  number  belong  to  the  Maronites  but  aU 
the  other  sects  above  mentioned,  excepting  the  Jacobites,  have 
each  at  least  one  convent,  and  most  of  them  several. 

,  ■    PROTESTANTS.  . 

At  the  time  of  our  former  journey,  Protestants  did  not  exist 
in  Syria  as  a  native  sect,  nor  in  any  other  part  of  the  Turkish 

'  The  Maronite  convent  of  Kanobin  is   triarch  before  A.  D.  1445.    See  Le  Quien 
said  to  have  been  built  by  Theodosius  the    Oriens  Chr.  III.  p.  63. 
Great,  and  was  already  the  seat  of  the  pa- 

VoL.  II.— 43*  iii.  4G3,  4G4 


510 


RELIGIOUS  SECTS. 


[Sec.  XVn. 


empire  ;  nor  were  they,  as  such,  tolerated.  The  government 
has  ever  recognised  and  tolerated  certain  known  sects  of  Chris- 
tians ;  and  the  members  of  these  were  allowed  to  transfer  their 
relations  from  one  sect  to  another,  whenever  they  might  choose. 
But  Protestants  were  not  among  these  sects  ;  and  therefore  no 
one  was  legally  allowed  to  profess  Protestantism.  It  was  by  the 
operation  of  this  principle  of  the  Turkish  government,  and  by 
this  alone,  that  the  rise  of  Protestantism  in  Syria  was  checked. 
Very  many  persons,  from  time  to  time,  show  a  strong  disposition 
to  throw  off  the  domination  of  their  priests,  and  claim  their 
right  to  the  liberty  of  the  Gospel.  Probably  at  one  time,  (A. 
D.  1839,)  nearly  the  whole  nation  of  the  Druzes  would  have 
declared  themselves  Protestants,  and  put  themselves  under 
Protestant  instruction,  could  they  have  had  secured  to  them,  in 
that  profession,  the  same  rights  as  are  enjoyed  by  the  other 
Christian  sects. 

That  England,  while  she  had  so  deep  a  political  interest  in 
all  that  concerns  the  Turkish  empire,  should  remain  indifferent 
to  mch  a  state  of  things  in  Syria,  was  a  matter  of  sui-prise.' 
France  has  long  been  the  acknowledged  protector  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  religion,  in  the  same  empire  ;  and  the  followers  of  that 
faith  find  in  her  a  watchful  and  efficient  patron  ;  quite  as 
efficient  since  the  revolution  of  July,  as  before.  The  conse- 
quence is,  that  wKerever  there  are  Roman  Catholics,  France  has 
interested  partisans ;  and  were  she  to  land  troops  in  Syria 
to  morrow,  every  Roman  Catholic  would  receive  them  with  open 
arms,  including  the  whole  Maronite  nation,  now  armed  and 
powerful.  In  the  members  of  the  Greek  church,  still  more 
numerous,  the  Russians  have  even  warmer  partisans.  In  Syria, 
the  famed  power  of  Russia  is  their  boast ;  and  though  this 
feehng  is  carefully  concealed  from  the  Muslims,  and  would  not 
be  expressed  to  an  Englishman,  it  often  amounts  almost  to 
enthusiasm.  Hence,  wherever  Russia  sends  her  agents,  they 
find  confidential  friends  and  informants ;  and  were  she  to  invade 
the  country,  thousands  would  give  her  troops  a  hearty  welcome. 

But  where  were  England's  partisans  in  any  part  of  Turkey  ? 
Not  a  single  sect,  be  it  ever  so  small,  looked  to  her  as  its 
natural  guardian.  Her  wealth  and  her  power  are  indeed  ad- 
mired ;  her  citizens,  wherever  they  travel,  are  respected  ;  and 
the  native  Christians  of  eveiy  sect,  when  groaning  under  oppres- 
sion, would  welcome  her  interference  as  a  rehef  Yet,  of  course, 
none  but  Protestants  would  look  to  her  for  permanent  protec- 
tion.   There  is,  too,  no  other  Protestant  power  to  whom  such  a 

'  The    following  remarks  were   first    Syria  to  the  immediate  authority  of  the 
penned  in  A.  I).  1 839 ;  but  I  do  not  perceive    Sultan,  detract  at  all  from  their  force, 
that  tlie  later  revolution  and  reversion  of 

iii.  404-406 


Sec  XVn.]  PROTESTANTS.  MUHAMMEDANS. 


511 


sect  could  look  for  such  protection,  nor  would  they  wish  to  look 
elsewhere  ;  for  England's  protection,  whenever  granted,  is  known 
to  he  more  efficient  than  any  other.  To  secure  the  existence  of 
such  a  sect,  the  English  government  needed  to  take  but  a  single 
step,  and  that  unattended  by  difficulty  or  danger.  It  needed 
simply  to  obtain,  for  native  Protestants,  the  same  acknowledg- 
ment and  rights,  that  are  granted  to  other  acknowledged  Chris- 
tian sects.  Such  a  stand  England  has  since  taken  ;  and  now 
(since  1853)  Protestant  communities  in  the  Turkish  empire  are 
placed  upon  the  same  footing  with  those  of  other  Christian 
sects.' 

II.  MuHAMMEDANS  AND  OTHER  SeCTS. 

I  add  here  merely  the  names  of  the  other  religious  sects  in 
Palestine  and  Western  Syria,  not  Christians. 

The  Muhammedans  who  constitute  the  lords  of  the  country, 
and  the  mass  of  the  population,  are  Sunnites  of  the  orthodox 
faith,  and  require  no  description. 

The  Metawileli  (Sing.  Mutaw^ly)  have  their  chief  seat  in  the 
district  Belad  Besharah,  and  the  vicinity,  and  have  been  already 
noticed.  They  are  of  the  sect  of  'Aly,  and  their  faith  is  kindred 
to  that  of  the  Shiites  (Shi'ah),  the  Muhammedans  of  Persia  ; 
but  they  are  here  regarded  as  heretics.* 

The  Druzes  (ed-Deruz,  Sing.  ed-Derazy)  are  at  home  upon 
Mount  Lebanon  ;  but  dwell  also  as  far  south  as  the  district 
el-Jebel  west  of  Safed,  in  some  parts  of  Hauran,  and  around 
Damascus.  They  were  formerly  masters  of  the  country  of 
Mount  Lebanon  and  the  adjacent  coast  ;  but  are  now  surpassed 
in  numbers  and  influence  by  the  Maronites,  as  already  described. 
The  Drazes  appear  to  have  sprung  up  out  of  some  one  of  the 
many  Muhammedan  sects  of  the  centuries  before  the  crusades  ; 
and  the  insane  Hakim,  Khalif  of  Egypt,  is  regarded  as  their 
deity. ^  The  Druzes  keep  their  religious  tenets  and  practices 
secret ;  though  they  have  often  professed  themselves  to  be 
Muhammedans.  Not  a  few  of  their  books,  however,  containing 
the  dogmas  of  their  religion,  have  found  their  way  by  the 
fortune  of  war,  or  other  chances,  to  the  hbraries  of  Europe, 
particularly  to  Kome  and  Paris  ;  and  from  these  De  Sacy 
compiled  his  work  upon  this  people,  the  last  published  produc- 
tion of  his  long  and  learned  career.  In  the  course  of  the 
insurrection  of  1838,  many  of  their  books  were  also  seized  by  the 
Egyj)tians  ;  one  or  two  of  which  were  purchased  by  the  mis- 

'  See  the  account  of  Protestantism  in  Volney  Voyage  11.  p.  77  sq.  Paris  1787. 
Turkey  in  Vol.  III.  Sect.  I.  See  above,  pp?448,  449,  450. 

'  Sale's  Koran,  Prelim.  Disc.  c.  8.    Nie-       »  See  Vol.  I.  p.  395. 
bulir  Reisebeschr.  II.  p.  270  sq.  426  sq. 

iii.  46G.  467 


512 


RELIGIOUS  SECTS. 


[Sec.  XVn. 


sionaries  at  Beirut,  and  others  are  said  to  have  reached  Europe. 
After  the  return  of  peace,  the  Druzes  came  in  throngs  to  put 
themselves  under  Christian  instruction  ;  and  although  the  mo- 
tive at  the  moment  was  perhaps  political,  yet  had  it  been 
possible  to  take  proper  advantage  of  the  movement,  it  might 
probably  have  resulted  in  an  extensive  and  beneficial  change  in 
their  relations.' 

The  Nusarnyeli"^  are  also  regarded  as  the  offspring  of  one  of 
the  early  Muhammedan  sects,  the  Karmathians.  They  too 
keep  their  religion  a  secret  ;  and  often  conform  externally  to 
the  faith  of  those  by  whom  they  are  surrounded,  whether 
Mussulmans  or  Christians.  Their  chief  seat  is  the  range  of 
mountains  extending  on  the  north  of  Mount  Lebanon  towards 
Antioch  ;  which  takes  from  them  the  name  of  Jebel  en-Nusai- 
riyeh  ;  but  they  are  found  scattered  in  villages,  as  far  south  as 
the  vicinity  of  Banias.  The  accounts  respecting  them  are  as 
yet  very  imperfect.' 

The  Ismaelites  (Isma'iliyeh)  were  originally  a  religious 
political  subdivision  of  the  Shiites  (Shi'ah)  ;  and  are  now  the 
comparatively  feeble  remains  of  the  people,  who  became  too 
well  known  in  the  time  of  the  crusades,  vmder  the  name  of  the 
Assassins.  They  likewise  possess  a  secret  mystical  religion  ; 
and  stiU  have  their  chief  seat,  as  formerly,  in  the  castle  of 
Masyad  or  Masyaf,  on  the  mountains  west  of  Hamah.* 

'  On  the  Drnzes,  see  especially :  De  AVll.   pp.  975-995.    This  people  was 

Sacv  Expose  de  la  Religion  des  Druzes,  etc.  visited  in  1840  by  the  Rev.  Mr  Thomson 

2.  Tom.  Paris,  1838.  8vo.    Also  Niehuhr  of  Beirut;  whose  report,  however,  adds 

Reiseheschr.  II.  p.  428  sq.   Volney  Voyage  little  to  our  previous  information  respect- 

II.  p.  37  sq.  Par.  1787.     Burckhardt's  ing  them.    See  the  Missionary  Herald  for 

Travels  pp.  193-205.    BibHoth.  Sac.  1843,  Feb.  and  March,  1841. 
pp.  205-253.  *  See  Von  Hammer's  Gesch.  der  Assassi- 

'  Usually  called  Amalriyeh,  by  a  vnl-  nen,  Stuttg.   1818.     Wilken  Gesch.  der 

gar  corruption.  Kr.  II.  p.  240  sq.     Quatremere  Notice 

^  See  Barhebr.  Chron.    Syr.   p.  173.  Historique  sur  les  Ismaeliens,  in  Fundgr. 

Assemani  Biblioth.  Oriental.  Tom.  II.  p.  des  Orients  IV.  p.  339  sq.    Also  Niebnhr 

318,  where  an  account  of  their  origin  is  Ptcisebeschr.  II.  p.  444  sq.  Burckhardt's 

givea    Pococke  Spec.  Hist  Arab.  i!d.  1.  Travels  p.  150  sq.    Gesenins'  Notes  on 

pp.  25,  2G5.    ManndreU,  under  March  4th.  Bnrckhardt  p.  514-517.     Ritter  Erdk. 

Niebuhr  Reiseheschr.  II.  p.  439  sq.    Vol-  XVIL  p.  9G6-974.    Abulfed.  Tab.  Sjt.  p. 

ney  Voyage  II.  p.  1  sq.     Burckhardt's  20.    Schultens  Index  in  Vit.  Salad,  art 

Travels  pp.  151,  155  sq.    Gesenins'  Notes  Masiata. 
on  Bnrckhardt  p.  517.     Ritter  Erdk. 

iii.  407,468 


NOTES. 


Note  XXXI.— Page  33. 

ScMMEiL,  St.  Samtel.  Our  visit  to  SCimmeil  enables  me  to  correct 
an  error  of  more  than  three  centuries'  standing.  Tucher  of  Nrtmberg 
in  A.  D.  1479,  on  his  journey  from  Bethlehem  by  way  of  Dhikhrin  to 
Gaza  (see  Text  p.  29),  passed  by  this  place ;  and  confounding  the  name 
Summeil  with  Samuel,  calls  it  the  Castle  of  St.  Samuel.  He  says  it 
then  paid  a  rent  of  two  thousand  ducats  yearly  to  a  hospital  in  St. 
Abraham  or  Hebron;  from  which  twelve  hundred  loaves  of  bread  and 
other  articles  of  food,  were  daily  distributed  to  the  poor.  See  Reissb. 
p.  678.  Tucher's  work  was  first  published  in  Germany  in  A.  D.  1482. — 
The  next  year,  in  A  D.  1483,  Breydenbach  and  Felix  Fabri  travelled 
from  Hebron  to  Gaza,  apparently  by  way  of  Beit  Jibrin ;  at  least  they 
lodged  the  first  night  at  the  vUlage  of  Sukkariyeh  not  far  distant.  Fa- 
bri, in  describing  St.  Abraham  (Hebron),  speaks  of  the  same  hospital  as 
situated  near  the  great  mosk;  and  tells  the  same  story  of  the  twelve 
hundred  loaves  of  bread,  and  the  two  thousand  ducats  rent  from  a  castle 
of  St.  Samuel ;  which  he  supposed  to  be  not  far  off,  though  he  did  not 
see  it.  The  very  same  account  of  a  distribution  of  bread  from  the  great 
mosk,  or  an  establishment  connected  with  it,  is  given  in  Gumpenberg's 
Journal  A.  D.  1449  (Reissb.  p.  445) ;  and  also  in  the  Arabic  History 
of  Jerusalem  and  Hebron  by  Mejr  ed-Din,  A.  D.  1495;  Fundgr.  des  Or. 
II.  p.  377. 

All  this  goes  to  confirm  the  statements  of  Tucher  ;  and  there  is  noth- 
ing improbable  in  the  account,  that  the  mosk  or  hospital  at  Hebron  may 
have  derived  a  part  of  its  revenues  from  Summeil ;  just  as  the  great  mosk 
at  Jerusalem  still  receives  rents  from  the  villages  of  Taiyibeh  and  Ram- 
Allah.  This  is  also  implied  in  the  name  Summeil  el-Khulil,  which  it 
still  bears.  But  now  comes  Breydenbach,  who  made  this  journey  with 
Fabri,  in  which  they  certainly  did  not  take  the  route  by  Summeil,  and 
relates  that  on  their  first  day's  journey  from  Hebron,  before  they  came 
to  Sukkariyeh,  they  passed  by  a  castle  of  St.  Samuel,  near  which  was  a 


514 


NOTES. 


[XXXII, 


small  town  called  St.  Abraham's  Castle ;  tere  was  a  hospital  which  dis- 
tributed bread,  etc.  Reissb.  p.  186.  This  implies,  that  there  was  a 
second  castle  of  St.  Abraham  distinct  from  Hebron,  and  a  second  castle 
of  St.  Samuel  between  Hebron  and  Sukkariyeh.  But  Fabri,  who  was 
in  the  same  party,  says  not  a  word  of  all  this;  and  the  whole  is  obvious- 
ly a  mere  figment,  arising  out  of  a  gross  misapprehension  of  Tucber's 
language,  which  the  writer  copies  in  order  to  supply  his  own  deficiencies. 
It  furnishes  one  instance  of  the  higher  value  of  Fabri's  testimony  iv, 
general,  as  compared  with  that  of  Breydenbach.  Yet  Breydenbach's 
account  has  been  copied  and  credited  by  Biisching  and  others;  and  in 
consequence,  a  castle  of  St.  Abraham  and  another  of  St.  Samuel 
figure  on  Berghaus'  map,  at  some  distance  west  of  Hebron.  See  Biisch- 
ing's  Erdbeschr.  Th.  XI.  i.  p.  449.    Bachiene  Th.  II.  ii.  p.  348. 

»   


Note  XXXII.— Page  41. 

The  "  Desert  "  near  Gaza.  In  Acts  8,  26,  Philip  is  directed  to 
go  from  Samaria  "  toward  the  south,  unto  the  way  that  goeth  down 
from  Jerusalem  unto  Gaza,  which  is  desert ;  "  inl  rijv  oSov  r-qv  Kara^ai- 
vovaav  airb  'lepovcraX-qfj.  ets  Tdt,av  ■  avrr]  icTiv  epr]ixo<;.  Here  avrr]  may 
refer  either  to  o8ov  (way)  or  to  Gaza.  The  facts  in  the  history  of  Gaza 
given  in  the  text,  render  it  improbable  that  the  city  is  here  meant ; 
although  there  is  a  possibility,  that  Luke  might  have  written  just  after 
the  destruction  of  Gaza  about  A.  D.  65;  and  thus  have  been  led  from 
the  novelty  of  the  event  to  mention  it.  On  this  hypothesis,  the  words 
must  belong,  not  to  the  angel,  but  to  Luke,  as  a  mere  parenthetic  remark. 
If  attributed  to  the  angel,  and  understood  in  this  sense,  it  is  difficult  to 
see  what  bearing  they  could  have  upon  his  instructions  to  Philip;  since 
the  latter  was  not  to  go  to  Gaza,  but  only  upon  the  road  leading  to  it ; 
and  this  road  was  the  same,  whether  Gaza  was  desolate  or  not. 

More  probable  therefore  is  it,  that  the  term  "  desert "  is  to  be  refer- 
red to  the  road  on  which  Philip  should  find  the  eunuch ;  and  was  indeed 
meant  as  a  description,  to  point  out  to  him  the  particular  road,  where  he 
should  fall  in  with  the  latter.  This  was  the  more  necessary,  because 
there  were  several  ways  leading  from  J erusalem  to  Gaza.  The  most 
frequented  at  the  present  day,  although  the  longest,  is  the  way  by  Ramleh. 
Anciently  there  appear  to  have  been  two  more  direct  roads ;  one  down 
the  great  Wady  es-Siirar  by  Beth-shemesh,  and  then  passing  near  Tell 
es-Safieh  ;  the  other,  through  Wady  el-Musnrr  to  Betogabra  or  Eleu- 
theropolis,  and  thence  to  Gaza  through  a  more  southern  tract.  Both 
these  roads  exist  at  the  present  day ;  and  the  latter  now  actually  passes 
through  the  desert ;  that  is,  through  a  tract  of  country  without  villages, 
inhabited  only  by  nomadic  Arabs.  This  is  more  particularly  described 
in  the  subsequent  pages  of  the  text. 

If  we  may  suppose  the  case  to  have  been  the  same,  or  nearly  so,  when 
the  book  of  Acts  was  written,  the  explanation  becomes  easy ;  for  the 
chief  difficulty  has  ever  been,  to  show  how  this  region,  in  itself  so  fertile, 
could  be  called  "  desert."  That  the  district  was  at  that  time  in  like 
manner  deserted,  is  not  improbable.    In  the  days  of  the  Maccabees,  the 


xxxiil] 


INSCRIPTIONS  AT  BEIT  JIBRIN. 


515 


Idumeans  had  taken  possession  of  Judea  as  far  north  as  to  Hebron, 
Adora,  and  Marissa,  cities  lying  on  or  near  the  mountains;  -where  they 
■were  subdued  and  compelled  to  embrace  Judaism ;  1  Mace.  5,  65. 
Joseph.  Antiq.  13.  9.  1.  ib.  15.  7.  9.  This  serves  to  show,  that  the  south- 
ern part  of  Judea  was  no  longer  occupied  by  the  Jews  themselves;  nor 
is  there  any  mention  of  cities  or  villages  in  the  plain  between  Gaza  and 
the  mountains,  later  than  the  time  of  Nehemiah.  It  seems  therefore  pro- 
bable, that  even  then  the  migratory  hordes  of  the  southern  desert  had 
spread  themselves  further  to  the  north;  and  thus  connected  this  tract,  as 
at  the  present  day,  with  their  own  "  desert." 

When  Jerome  says  that  in  his  time  "  the  site  of  ancient  Gaza  pre- 
sented only  vestiges  of  foundations,  and  the  city  of  that  day  stood  in  a  dif- 
ferent spot,"  this  seems  only  an  hypothesis  of  his  own,  in  order  to  make 
out  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy;  Zeph.  2,  4.  Amos  1,  7.  Eusebius  has 
nothing  of  the  kind ;  and  it  is  inconsistent  with  all  other  historical  ac- 
counts.   See  Onomast.  art.  Gaza. 

When  we  were  at  Tell  el-Hasy,  and  saw  the  water  standing  along 
the  bottom  of  the  adjacent  Wady,  we  could  not  but  remark  the  coinci- 
dence of  several  circumstances  with  the  account  of  the  eunuch's  baptism. 
This  water  is  on  the  most  direct  route  from  Beit  Jibrin  to  Gaza,  on  the 
most  southern  road  from  Jerusalem,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  country  now 
"  desert,"  i.  e.  without  villages  or  fixed  habitations.  The  thought  strtick 
us,  that  this  might  not  improbably  be  the  place  of  water  described. 
There  is  at  present  no  other  similar  water  on  this  road;  and  various 
circumstances — the  way  to  Gaza,  the  chariot,  and  the  subsequent  finding 
of  Philip  at  Azotus — all  go  to  show  that  the  transaction  took  place  in 
or  near  the  plain. 


Inscriptions  at  Beit  Jibrin.  The  two  following  inscriptions  in 
old  Cufic,  were  copied  by  Mr  Smith  in  the  cavern  with  a  small  fountain, 
N.  E.  of  the  ruined  church  of  Santa  Hanneh,  near  Beit  Jibrin. 
Through  the  kindness  of  Professor  Koediger  of  Halle,  I  am  enabled 
to  subjoin  their  probable  form  in  modern  Arabic,  with  a  translation. 
It  will  be  seen  that  they  are  the  work  of  visitors,  and  afford  no  in- 


NoTE  XXXIII.— Page  52. 


formation  respecting  the  caverns. 


1. 


0  God !    Ibn  SuleimAn  testifies, 


lliat  there  is  no  god  but  God. 


516 


NOTES. 


[xxxiv. 


11. 


ULl.lnzJ 

p-g-UI  OGodl 

yfJ  Forgive  thoa  Yez- 

Ju  id  'bn  'Omar 

^^JOXIII  [J^l]  (jjf  Ibn  el-Kandy. 


NoTK  XXXIV.— Page  64. 

Yicus  Betagab.eorum.  a  Tillage  of  this  name  is  mentioned  in 
the  Life  of  St.  Euthymius  (ob.  473)  by  Cyril  of  Scythopolis,  ati 
situated  in  the  region  of  Gaza  and  Eleutheropolis;  and  Keland  sup- 
poses it  to  be  the  same  with  Betogabra;  Palaest.  p.  627.  This  biogra- 
phy is  found  in  the  Greek  original  in  Cotelerii  Monum.  Ecclesiae 
Graecae,  Tom.  II.  p.  200  sq.  The  Latin  version  of  G.  Hervetus  is 
given  by  Surius  under  Jan.  20th,  and  also  by  Bolland  in  Acta  Sanctor. 
Jan.  Tom.  II.  p.  298  sq.  The  passage  in  question  occurs  in  ^  150 
of  the  Life,  Coteler.  p.  328.  Bolland  p.  326. 

The  writer,  after  enumerating  several  miracles  of  St.  Euthymius, 
proceeds  to  recount  another  which  took  place  in  the  village  of  the 
Betagabaeans  (xaTo,  rrjv  BT^raya/iatW  xoj/xiyv,  in  vico  Betagahworum). 
There  was  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Euthymius  a  presbyter  named  Ach- 
thabius,  who  had  practised  there  a  life  of  obedience  to  Christ  for  forty- 
five  years.  This  man  had  a  brother,  called  Romanus,  in  the  village  of 
the  Tagabaeans,  {kv  rrj  Taya/3ai(Di/,  in  vico  TagahcBorum,)  twelve  miles 
from  Gaza,  who  was  unlike  him  in  every  particular,  living  luxuriously 
and  dissolutely.  A  certain  person,  envying  the  latter  his  wealth,  plotted 
to  deprive  him  of  it ;  but  not  at  first  succeeding,  he  went  to  Eleuthero- 
polis, and  engaged  a  magician  (yoTys)  to  use  his  arts  against  him.  In 
this  way  the  sufferer  was  thrown  into  a  stupor  and  dropsy;  of  which  he 
was  at  length  miraculously  healed  by  St.  Euthymius  in  a  vision. 

On  this  passage  it  is  to  be  remarked,  that  the  village  of  the  Betaga- 
baeans  and  Tabagaeans  is  here  obviously  one  and  the  same  ;  and  the  name 
should  therefore  be  written  alike  in  both  places.  It  is  indeed  so  written 
(BrjTayajSaiW),  probably  by  emendation,  in  the  Greek  of  Cotelier  ;  but 
the  version  of  Hervetus  (collated  by  Bolland)  has  "  Tagabaeorum"  in 
the  second  instance,  showing  that  his  Greek  copy  had  the  same  reading. 


XXXV.] 


ZOAR. 


517 


— Again,  this  village  was  not  itself  Eleutheropolis,  but  lay  apparently 
between  that  city  and  Gaza ;  or  at  least  lay  from  Gaza  somewhere  in 
the  direction  of  Eleutheropolis. — Further  and  mainly,  the  village  was 
not  Betogabra ;  for  admitting  the  reading  Betagabaji  (Br/Taya/Sai  oi')  to 
be  correct,  the  omission  of  the  r  would  be  a  very  unusual  circumstance; 
this  letter  being  (after 'Ain)  the  most  tenacious  of  the  whole  alphabet, 
and  being  very  rarely  dropped,  if  in  any  other  instance.  Besides,  the 
village  in  question  lay  twelve  Roman  miles  from  Gaza,  while  Beit  Jibrin 
(Betogabra)  is  about  eight  hours  or  twenty-four  Roman  miles  distant 
from  that  city.  I  hold  therefore  that  "  vicus  Tagabaeorum"  {Tayafialwv) 
is  probably  the  true  reading ;  while  the  other  form  may  be  supposed  to 
have  crept  in  later,  among  monkish  transcribers,  by  confounding  it  with 
Betogabra.  This  was  the  more  natural;  as  the  village  was  probably 
unknown  to  them ;  and  the  name  of  Beit  Jibrin  was  again  current  in  the 
centuries  before  the  crusades. 

This  conclusion  is  strengthened,  by  the  actual  existence  at  the  present 
day,  of  what  appears  to  have  been  the  original  name  of  the  village  in 
question.  From  Um  Lakis,  we  saw  and  took  the  bearing  of  a  deserted 
site  called  T  jbfikah  or  TCibakah,  lying  S.  10^  E.  in  the  country  of  Hasy, 
between  Huj  and  Tell  el-Hasy,  about  four  hours  or  twelve  Roman  miles 
from  Gaza,  half  way  to  Beit  Jibrin.  (See  page  47.)  The  position 
corresponds  very  exactly  to  that  of  the  "vicus  Tagabseorum."  This 
name  too,  on  Greek  lips,  could  hardly  be  expected  to  escape  with  less 
perversion;  especially  when  monkish  transcribers  probably  held  it  to  be 
the  same  as  Betogabra,  and  assimilated  it  to  that  form. 


Note  XXXV.— Page  107. 

ZoAR.  In  the  text  I  have  brought  forward  the  reasons  which  show 
conclusively,  that  the  modern  ez-Zuweirah  has  no  relation  to  the  ancient 
Zoar.  The*object  of  this  note  is,  to  present  the  testimonies  on  which 
those  arguments  rest,  and  to  collect  some  further  historical  notices  of 
the  ancient  Zoar. 

Abulfeda  repeatedly  speaks  of  Zoghar  (Zoar)  as  a  place  adjacent  to 
the  Dead  Sea  and  Ghor.  Tab.  Syr.  ed.  Kohler  p.  8  bis,  9,  11,  148. 
Ibn  el-Wardi  ib.  p.  178.  Abulfeda  also  calls  the  Dead  Sea  itself 
"Lake  oi  Zoghar;"  ibid.  p.  12,  148,  156.  Edrisi,  in  the  manuscript 
used  by  Jaubert,  hasZu'ara;  though  the  Latin  version  everywhere  reads 
Zoghar;  p.  338. 

That  Zoar  lay  near  and  in  sight  of  Sodom,  and  also  in  or  adjacent  to 
the  plain,  so  as  to  be  exposed  to  the  same  destruction  as  the  other  cities, 
is  apparent  from  Gen.  19,  19-21 ;  where  the  angel  exempts  Zoar  from 
overthrow  at  the  entreaty  of  Lot. 

That  the  ancient  Zoar  lay  on  the  east  side  of  the  Dead  Sea,  appears 
from  several  considerations,  which  seem  to  be  decisive.  Lot  ascended 
from  it  into  the  mountain,  where  his  daughters  bore  each  a  son;  and 
these  became  the  ancestors  of  the  Moabites  and  Ammonites ;  Gen.  19, 
30.  37.  38.  Now  the  Moabites  and  Ammonites  both  dwelt  in  the  east- 
ern mountains;  and  the  purpose  of  the  sacred  writer,  is  here  obviously 
to  recount  in  what  way  these  mountains  became  peopled,  viz.  by  an 

Vol.  II.— 44. 


518 


NOTES. 


[xxxv. 


event  wliicli  took  place  on  the  spot.  Further,  Josephus  in  speak- 
ing of  this  citj,  calls  it  "  Zoar  of  Arabia,"  fx.ixP'-  Zoaptov  r>|;  'Apa/Jias,  B. 
J.  4.  8.  4.  But  the  Arabia  of  Josephus  was  on  the  east  of  the  Dead 
Sea ;  and  the  name  is  never  applied  to  the  mountains  west  of  the  sea, 
which  belonged  to  Judea.  Bell.  Jud.  4.  8.  4. 
«  To  the  same  effect  are  various  testimonies  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome, 

chieliy  in  the  Onomasticon.  Thus  in  the  article  Luith,  they  say  this 
was  a  village  situated  between  Areopolis  and  Zoar.  But  Areopolis  was 
Ar  of  Moab,  called  also  Rabbath  Moab,  and  lay  on  the  eastern  mountains 
some  hours  north  of  Kerak ;  where  its  name  and  remains  exist  at  the 
present  day.  See  Reland  Palaest.  pp.  577,  957.  Seetzen  in  Zach's 
Moaatl.  Corr.  XVIII.  p.  433.  Burckbardt  p.  377.  Irby  and  Man- 
gles p.  456.  [141.]  Again  in  the  art.  Nemrim,  they  speak  of  a  village 
Benamerium  (Beth  Nimrin)  as  lying  north  of  Zoar  ;  and  Nimrin,  as  we 
have  seen,  lay  east  of  the  Jordan  overagainst  Jericho.  See  Text,  Vol.  I. 
p.  551. — Further,  Phjenon  is  said  by  them  to  be  situated  between  Petra 
and  Zoar;  art.  Fenon,  <l>tva)v. — Last  of  all,  Jerome  expressly  affirms, 
that  Zoar  was  in  the  borders  of  Moab  :  "  Segor  in  fiuibus  Moabitarum 
sita  est,  dividens  ab  lis  terram  Philistiim ;  "  Comm.  in  Esa.  xv.  5.  He 
is  here  speaking  of  Zoar  as  being  the  key  (vectes)  of  Moab  towards  the 
west. 

In  like  manner,  the  crusaders  in  the  expedition  of  king  Baldwin  I, 
to  the  country  S.  E.  of  the  Dead  Sea  in  A.  D.  1100,  after  marching 
from  Hebron  and  descending  into  the  Ghor,  proceeded  around  the  south 
end  of  the  lake,  (girato  autem  lacu  a  parte  ausirali,)  and  came  at 
length  to  the  place  called  Segor,  doubtless  the  Zoghar  of  Abulfeda. 
From  this  point  they  began  to  enter  the  eastern  mountains.  Fulcher 
Cam.  23.  p.  405.    Will.  Tyr.  10.  8. 

All  these  circumstances  seem  to  me  decisive  as  to  the  position  of 
Zoar  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Dead  Sea,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 
near  its  southern  end.  Josephus  and  Eusebius  indeed  expressly  describe 
the  sea,  the  one  as  extending  to  Zoar,  and  the  other  as  lyipg  between 
Jericho  and  that  place ;  Jo  eph.  B.  J.  4.  8.  4.  Onomast.  art.  31are  Sa- 
linarum.  This  would  still  be  true  in  a  general  sense,  supposing  Zoar 
to  have  stood,  as  I  have  assumed  in  the  text,  in  the  mouth  of  Wady 
Kerak,  where  it  issues  upon  the  isthmus  of  the  peninsula.  This  point 
is  in  fact  the  southern  end  of  the  broad  part  of  the  sea ;  the  water  which 
extends  further  south  forming  rather  a  bay ;  while  the  site  in  question  is 
hardly  more  distant  from  the  southern  extremity  even  of  this  bay,  than 
Jericho  is  from  the  north  end  of  the  sea.  Further,  this  position  of  Zoar 
seems  to  me  to  be  strongly  implied  in  the  notice  of  Eusebius  above 
quoted,  which  places  Luith  between  Areopolis  and  Zoar;  for  had  Zoar 
lain  further  south,  for  instance  at  the  mouth  of  Wady  el-Ahsy,  (the 
present  Siifieh,)  it  would  have  been  far  more  natural  to  say,  that  Luith 
lay  between  Charac-Moab  (Kerak)  and  Zoar.  So  too  Jerome's  account 
of  Zoar  as  the  vectes  of  Moab  against  Palestine,  points  to  the  same  con- 
clusion ;  for  Wady  Kerak  was  (and  is  to  the  present  day)  the  great  road 
between  southern  Judoa  and  the  country  of  Moab. 

The  account  given  of  the  lower  part  of  Wady  Kerak  by  Irby  and 
Mangles,  is  as  follows:  "  All  this  tract  might  be,  and  probably  has  been 
irrigated ;  for  it  would  be  easy  to  dam  up  the  brook  and  conduct  it  in 


XXXVI.] 


ZOAE.   TOMB  OF  AARON. 


619 


almost  every  direction.  The  form  of  fields,  and  even  the  marks  of  fur- 
rows, are  to  be  seen  ;  and  some  ruins  like  those  of  cottages,  or  of  a  small 
hamlet.  Lower  down  there  is  very  clearly  an  ancient  site ;  stones  that 
have  been  used  in  building,  though  for  the  most  part  unhewn,  are  strewed 
over  a  great  surface  of  uneven  ground,  and  mixed  both  with  bricks 
and  pottery.  This  appearance  continues  without  interruption,  during 
the  space  of  at  least  half  a  mile,  quite  down  to  the  plain  ;  so  that  it 
would  seem  to  have  been  a  place  of  considerable  extent.  We  noticed 
one  column,  and  we  found  a  pretty  specimen  of  antique  variegated  glass ; 
it  may  possibly  be  the  site  of  the  ancient  Zoar.  Near  these  remains, 
the  Wady  opens  from  its  glen  into  the  plain  to  the  northward  by  a  nook, 
where  there  is  a  wall  of  rude  brick,  with  an  arched  doorway."  Travels 
p.  447,  sq.  [138.] 

The  preceding  considerations  seem  to  me  sufSciently  to  bear  out  all 
the  positions  taken  in  the  text  relative  to  the  ancient  Zoar.  A  few 
other  historical  notices  may  properly  find  their  place  here. 

The  earliest  name  of  Zoar  was  Bela,  Gen.  14,  2.  In  the  Septuagint 
the  name  Zoar  is  written  STf/ojp,  Segor;  Josephus  gives  it  by  Zcuapa, 
Zoara;  while  Eusebius  and  Jerome  use  both  forms.  After  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  cities  of  the  plain,  Zoar  continued  to  exist  as  a  city  of  Moab ; 
Deut.  34,  3.  Is.  15,  5.  Jer.  48,  34.  It  is  never  mentioned  as  belong- 
ing to  Judea ;  except  where  Josephus  speaks  of  it  as  having  been  wrest- 
ed from  the  Arabians  by  Alexander  Jannaeus,  Antiq.  14.  1.  4.  Ptol- 
emy also  assigns  it  to  Arabia  Petraea;  see  Reland  Palsest.  p.  463. 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  describe  it  in  their  day  as  having  many  inhabitants 
and  a  Roman  garrison;  Onomast.  art.  Bala.  Stephen  of  Byzantium 
calls  it  a  large  Arillage  and  a  fortress;  Reland  Pahest.  p.  1065.  In  the 
ecclesiastical  NotiiicB  it  «3  mentioned  as  the  seat  of  a  bishop  in  the 
Third  Palestine,  down  to  the  centuries  preceding  the  crusades ;  Reland 
pp.  217,  223,  226 ;  comp.  p.  230.  The  crusaders  appear  to  have  found 
the  name  Segor  (Zoghar)  still  extant :  and  describe  the  place  as  pleasant- 
ly situated  with  many  palm  trees ;  Fulcher  Carnot.  23.  p.  405.  WUL 
Tyr.  10.  8.  Hence  they  also  call  it  Villa  Palmarum,  and  likewise 
Paumier  or  Palmer  ;  Albert.  Aq.  7.  41,  42.  Jac.  de  Vitr.  53.  p.  1076. 
Will.  Tyr.  22.  30.  But,  as  in  the  case  of  Jericho  and  'Ain  Jidy,  the 
palm  trees  have  here  also  disappeared ;  and  although  the  name  of  Zoghar 
appears  to  have  existed  in  Abulfeda's  time,  yet  we  have  no  further  noti- 
ces of  the  city  itself. 

In  view  of  aU  this  testimony,  M.  de  Saulcy  ought  not  to  assume,  so 
lightly  as  he  has  done,  the  identity  of  the  names  and  position  of  Zoar 
and  Zu^eirah.    Narrat.  I.  p.  481,  482. 


Note  XXXVI.— Pages  152,  173. 

Tomb  of  Aaron.  The  following  account  is  given  by  Irby  and 
Mangles  of  their  ascent  of  Mount  Hor  in  1818,  and  of  the  Muham- 
medan  Wely  dedicated  to  Neby  HarOn  on  the  summit.  Travels  p. 
434  sq.  [134.] 

"  We  engaged  an  Arab  shepherd  as  our  guide,  and  leaving  Abu  Ra- 


520 


NOTES. 


[XXXVT. 


stid  witL  our  servants  and  horses,  where  the  steepness  of  the  ascent  com- 
mences, vre  began  to  mount  the  track,  which  is  extremely  steep  and 
toilsome,  and  affords  but  an  indifferent  footing.  In  most  parts  the  pil- 
grim must  pick  his  way  as  he  can,  and  frequently  on  his  hands  and 
knees.  Where  by  nature  it  would  have  been  impassable,  there  are 
flights  of  rude  steps,  or  inclined  planes,  constructed  of  stones  laid 
together ;  and  here  and  there  are  niches  to  receive  the  footsteps,  cut 
in  the  live  rock.  The  impressions  of  pilgrims'  feet  are  scratched  in 
the  rock  in  many  places ;  but  without  inscriptions.  Much  juniper 
grows  on  the  mountain,  almost  to  the  very  summit,  and  many  flower- 
ing plants  which  we  had  not  observed  elsewhere;  some  of  these  are 
very  beautiful;  most  of  them  are  thorny.  On  the  top  there  is  an 
overhanging  shelf  in  the  rock,  which  forms  a  sort  of  cavern;  here  we 
found  a  skin  of  extremely  bad  water,  suspended  for  drinking,  and  a 
pallet  of  straw,  with  the  pitcher  and  other  poor  utensils  of  the  Sheikh 
who  resides  here.  He  is  a  decrepit  old  man,  who  has  lived  here  dur- 
ing the  space  of  forty  years,  and  occasionally  endured  the  fatigue  of 
descending  and  reascendiug  the  mountain. 

"  The  tomb  itself  is  enclosed  in  a  small  building,  differing  not  at 
all  in  external  form  and  appearance  from  those  of  Muhammedan  saints, 
common  throughout  every  province  of  Turkey.  It  has  probably  been 
rebuilt  at  no  remote  period  ;  some  small  columns  are  bedded  in  the 
walls,  and  some  fragments  of  granite,  and  slabs  of  white  marble  are 
lying  about.  The  door  is  near  the  southwest  angle;  within  which  a 
tomb,  with  a  pall  thrown  over  it,  presents  itself  immediately  on  en- 
tering; it  is  patched  together  out  of  fragments  of  stone  and 
marble,  that  have  made  part  of  other  fabrics.  Upon  one  of  these  are 
several  short  lines  in  the  Hebrew  character^  cut  in  a  slovenly  man- 
ner; we  had  them  interpreted  at  Acre,  and  they  proved  to  be  merely 
the  names  of  a  Jew  and  his  family  who  had  scratched  this  record. 
.  .  There  are  rags  and  shreds  of  yarn  with  glass  beads  and  paras, 
left  as  votive  offerings  by  the  Arabs. 

"  Not  far  from  the  northwest  angle  is  a  passage,  descending  by  steps 
to  a  vault  or  grotto  beneath,  for  we  were  uncertain  which  to  call  it, 
being  covered  with  so  thick  a  coat  of  whitewash,  that  it  is  diflicult  to 
distinguish  whether  it  is  built  or  hollowed  out.  It  appeared,  in  great 
part  at  lea^t,  a  grotto  ;  the  roof  is  covered,  but  the  whole  is  rude,  ill- 
fashioned,  and  quite  dark.  The  Sheikh,  who  was  not  informed  that  we 
were  Christians,  furnished  us  with  a  lamp  of  butter.  Towards  the  fur- 
ther end  of  this  dark  vault  lie  the  two  corresponding  leaves  of  an  iron 
grating,  which  formerly  prevented  all  nearer  approach  to  the. tomb  of 
the  prophet ;  they  have,  however,  been  thrown  down,  and  we  advanced 
so  as  to  touch  it;  it  was  covered  by  a  ragged  pall.  AYe  were  obliged  to 
descend  barefooted;  and  were  not  without  some  apprehension  of  tread- 
ing on  scorpions  or  other  reptiles  in  such  a  place. 

"  The  view  from  the  summit  of  the  edifice  is  extremely  extensive  in 
every  direction ;  but  the  eye  rests  on  few  objects,  which  it  cau  clearly 
distinguish  and  give  a  name  to;  though  an  excellent  idea  is  obtaiued  of 
the  general  face  and  features  of  the  country  .  .  .  An  artist  who 
would  study  rock  scenery  in  all  its  wildest  and  most  extravagant  forms, 
and  in  colours  which,  to  one  who  has  not  seen  them,  would  scarcely  ap- 


XXXVII.] 


PETRA. 


521 


pear  to  be  in  nature,  would  find  himself  rewarded,  should  he  resort  to 
Mount  Hor  for  that  sole  purpose. 

"  We  had  employed  just  an  hour  in  the  ascent;  and  found  that  our  re- 
turn to  the  place  where  we  had  left  our  horses,  occupied  the  same  time." 

Mr  Legh  who  accompanied  Irby  and  Mangles,  says  :  "  Against  the 
walls  of  the  upper  apartment  were  suspended  beads,  bits  of  cloth  and 
leather,  votive  offerings  left  by  the  devotees ;  on  one  side,  let  into  the 
wall,  we  were  shown  a  dark-looking  stone,  that  was  reputed  to  possess 
considerable  virtues  in  the  cure  of  diseases,  and  to  have  formerly  served 
as  a  seat  to  the  prophet."  According  to  Mr  Stephens,  ostrich  eggs  have 
since  been  added  to  the  other  offerings  here  suspended ;  Incidents,  etc. 
II.  p.  95.  Schubert  found,  near  the  top  of  the  mountain,  many  frag- 
ments of  pottery  and  bits  of  coloured  glass ;  but  the  convent  which  he 
speaks  of  as  having  once  stood  here,  seems  to  have  no  sufficient  historical 
foundation;  Reise  II.  p.  420,  421. 

The  irregular  form  of  the  summit  of  Mount  Hor,  has  already  been 
alluded  to ;  Text  p.  125.  The  date  of  the  tomb  of  Aaron  goes  back 
beyond  the  time  of  the  crusaders,  who  already  found  here  an  oratory  or 
Wely;  Gesta  Dei  p.  581.  Fulch.  Carnot.  ib.  p.  405.— The  old  Sheikh 
who  formerly  resided  on  the  mountain  has  long  been  dead ;  his  place  as 
keeper  of  the  Wely  was  now  occupied  by  an  inhabitant  of  Eljy,  who  oc- 
casionally visits  the  spot.  He  was  present  during  our  affair  at  Wady 
Miisa,  and  strongly  took  our  part ;  probably  not  being  willing  to  forego 
the  benefit  which  might  be  expected  to  accrue  to  himself,  should  we  ascend 
the  mountain. 


Note  XXXVII.— Page  171,  173. 

Petra.  Two  or  three  questions  respecting  the  various  names  applied 
to  Petra,  and  also  respecting  the  application  of  this  name  to  other  places, 
remain  to  be  investigated. 

Josephus  relates,  that  the  most  ancient  name  of  Petra  was  Arke  or 
Arekeme  ('ApK?;,  'ApeK€fx.q),  and  that  it  was  so  called  from  its  founder 
Rekem  (opi ),  one  of  the  Midianitish  kings  slain  by  the  Israelites ;  Num. 
31,  8.  Joseph.  Ant.  4.  4.  7.  ib.  4.  7.  1.  But  this  seems  to  be  some- 
what doubtful ;  for  the  Targums  of  Oukelos  and  Pseudo-Jonathan  apply 
the  name  Rekem  (cpn)  not  to  Petra,  but  to  Kadesh ;  Gen.  16,  14.  20, 
1.  Eusebius  and  J erorae,  indeed,  speak  of  Rekem  as  the  Syrian  name 
for  Petra ;  but  as  in  another  place  they  cite  Josephus  as  their  authority 
for  this  assertion,  it  would  seem  that  they  in  no  case  speak  from  their 
own  knowledge;  Oaomast.  arts.  PetTa,  Becem,  comp.  art.  Arcem. 

There  seems  to  be  no  further  very  definite  ancient  notice  of  this 
name ;  but  in  the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  century,  Abulfeda  de- 
scribes a  place  called  er-Rakim,  which  in  its  character  would  well  corres- 
pond to  Wady  Mnsa :  "Among  the  noted  towns  of  Syria  is  er-Rakim,  a 
small  place  near  the  Belka,  the  houses  of  which  are  all  cut  in  the  live 
rock,  as  if  of  one  stone;"  Tab.  Syr.  p.  11.  This  is  accordingly  as- 
sumed by  Schultens  and  others,  as  the  Arekem  of  Josephus  and  the  Petra 
of  the  Greeks;  Vita  Salad.  Index  art.  Errakimum.  Busching  Th. 
XI.  i.  p.  508.  But  the  position  near  the  Belka  is  inconsistent  with  such 
Vol.  II.— 44.* 


522 


NOTES. 


[xxxvii. 


an  hypothesis ;  and  the  matter  is  set  at  rest  by  another  passage  in  the 
same  author.  In  his  Annals,  Abulfeda  speaks  of  the  same  place  as  near 
to  Kerak ;  and  relates  that  Nureddin,  marching  from  Damascus  to  Kerak, 
advanced  as  far  as  to  er-Rakim  and  there  turned  back.  It  lay  therefore 
north  of  Kerak.  Abulf.  Annal.  Musi,  ad  A.  H.  568.  Schult.  Excerpt, 
in  Vit.  Sal.  p.  15.  See  Gesenius  Comm.  zu  Jes.  16,  1.  p.  537.  The 
excavated  dwellings  found  by  Seetzen,  which  Gesenius  refers  to  this 
place,  were  situated  far  to  the  north  both  of  the  Belka  and  of  Jebel 
'Ajlun;  Zach's  Monatl.  Corr.  XVIII.  pp.  355,  356. 

Equally  untenable  is  the  hypothesis  first  suggested  by  Bochart,  which 
identifies  Pctra  or  Wady  Miisa  with  the  place  called  by  Arabian  writers 
el-Hijr,  where  are  excavated  caverns.  Bochart  was  probably  led  to  it 
by  the  Chaldee  form  xnan,  Gen.  16,  14.  20,  1;  which  the  Targum  of 
Onkelos  there  reads  instead  of  Bered  and  Shur.  He  and  others  also 
read  the  Arabic  name  as  el-Hajr  (a  stone),  and  held  it  therefore  to  be 
synonymous  with  the  name  Petra;  although  it  is  properly  written  with 
Kesrah,  el-Hijr,  and  has  no  such  meaning.  See  Freytag's  Lex.  Arab. 
I.  pp.  315,  316.  Bochart  Geogr.  Sacr.  p.  688.  Bernard  on  Joseph.  Ant. 
4.  4.  7.  ed.  Haverc.    Reland  Pal.  p.  933. 

But  apart  from  all  this,  the  place  called  el-Hljr  lay  at  least  eight  days' 
journey  south  from  Wady  Musa,  and  therefore  cannot  be  brought  into 
any  connection  with  Petra.  Edrisi  says  that  Tebuk  lies  between  el-Hijr 
and  the  border  of  Syria,  four  days'  journey  from  the  latter ;  and  on  the 
present  route  of  the  Syrian  Haj,  Tebuk  is  also  four  days  south  of  Ma'an  ; 
Edrisi  par  Jaubert  p.  333.  Burckhardt's  Travels  App.  pp.  658,  659. 
Further,  Edrisi,  in  describing  the  same  Syrian  route,  places  el-Hijr  at 
four  days  from  Tebuk  towards  Medina;  ib.  pp.  359,  360.  Burckhardt's 
notices  do  not  mention  el-Hijr;  probably  because  the  Haj  at  the  present 
day,  south  of  Tebuk,  takes  a  more  western  route;  ib.  p.  659. — The  sup- 
posed identity  of  el-Hijr  with  Petra  is  properly  denied  by  Bernard  and 
Schultens,  as  above  quoted;  and  also  by  Gesenius,  Comm.  zu  Jes.  16,  1. 
p.  537.  The  latter  however  refers  by  oversight  to  Rommel's  Abulfeda, 
p.  84  ;  where  the  writer  is  speaking  of  another  el-Hijr,  situated  in  the 
interior  province  Yemameh.  See  Abulf.  Tab.  Arab.  ed.  Hudson,  pp. 
37,  60.    Edrisi  ib.  pp.  154,  155. 

Thus  far  of  Arabian  writers.  We  turn  now  to  another  question : 
Whether,  as  has  been  assumed,  there  existed  anciently  more  than  one 
city  of  the  name  of  Petra  It  may  first  be  proper  to  remark,  that  as 
early  as  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century,  the  general  name  of  Palestine 
had  been  so  extended  as  to  include  the  whole  of  Arabia  Pctraja,  quite 
to  Ailah.  Thus  at  the  council  of  Nicea  A.  D.  325,  among  the  bishops 
of  Palestine  whose  subscriptions  are  there  preserved,  is  the  name  of 
Peter,  bishop  of  Ailah;  and  Jerome,  paraphrasing  Eusebius,  places 
Ailah  in  the  extreme  borders  of  Palestine  on  the  Red  Sea;  Onomast. 
art.  Ailath.  Labbe  Concil.  Tom.  II.  c.  51.  Le  Quieu  Orieus  Chr.  III. 
p.  759.  Hence  Eusebius,  writing  about  A.  D.  330,  could  with  proprie- 
ty speak  of  Petra,  sometimes  as  a  city  of  Arabia  and  sometimes  as  be- 
longing to  Palestine.  Thus  Onomast.  art.  Petra  :  "  Petra  civitas  Arabiae 
in  terra  Edoin ;  "  but  under  the  arts.  Arcem  and  Cades:  "  Petra  civi- 
tas nobilis  Pahcstinac."  When  therefore  in  other  writers,  we  find  Petra 
assigned  sometimes  to  Palestine  and  sometimes  to  Arabia,  this  docs  not 


xxxvn.] 


PETRA. 


523 


in  itself  imply  more  than  one  Pctra.  Reland  Pal.  p.  926. — Early  in 
the  fifth  century,  as  we  have  seen,  this  region  took  the  specific  name  of 
the  Third  Palestine.    See  Text  p.  161. 

Cellarius  assumes  a  Petra  of  the  Amalekitcs,  distinct  from  that  of 
Arabia,  on  the  strength  of  Judg.  1,  36,  and  2  Kings  14,  7  ;  where  a 
Petra  (Heb.  Sela)  is  spoken  of  in  connection  with  the  ascent  of  Akrab- 
bim  and  with  the  Valley  of  Salt ;  Notit.  OrbisII.  p.  680.  The  consider- 
ations advanced  in  the  text,  show  this  conjecture  to  be  without  solid 
foundation  ;  see  Text  p.  169  sq. 

At  a  still  earlier  period,  a  Petra  of  Palestine  had  been  assumed,  also 
as  distinct  from  Petra  of  Arabia,  on  the  strength  of  a  passage  in  the 
works  of  St.  Athanasius ;  see  Geogr.  Sacr.  Caroli  a  St.  Paulo,  Amst. 
1711.  p.  306.  Reland  p.  927.  The  passage  is  usually  referred  to  as 
contained  in  the  "  Epist.  ad  solitariam  Vitara  agentes ;  "  though  in  the. 
Benedictine  edition  at  least,  it  is  found,  not  in  that  epistle,  but  in  the 
Historia  Arianor.  ^  18,  Opera  Tom.  I.  p.  354.  Paris  1698  :  koL  "Apeiov 
fi,(.v  KoX  'AarepLOv  rov  fjiiv  aTro  YleTpuiv  rys  HakaLO-TU'rj^  tov  Si  a.TTo  Tri<; 
'ApttjStas  {TrifTKoVous,  "  Et  Ariuni  quidem  et  Asterium,  ilium  Petrarum 
PalaestinK,  hunc  ex  Arabia,  episeopos."  In  another  place  Athanasius 
speaks  of  Asterius  alone  as  bishop  of  Petra  in  Arabia  :  'Aa-reptos  nerptuv 
TTjs  'Apa/3ta9,  Tomus  ad  Antioch.  ^  10.  Opera  Tom.  I.  ii.  p.  776. 

Now,  as  Reland  justly  remarks,  if  there  was  actually  a  city  called 
Petra,  an  episcopal  see  in  Palestine,  distinct  from  that  of  Arabia,  it  is 
certainly  very  singular,  that  there  should  nowhere  exist  the  slightest  al- 
lusion to  it  in  all  the  subscriptions  of  councils,  in  the  various  ecclesiasti- 
cal Notiti;B,  and  in  the  numerous  writings  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  who 
were  cotemporary  with  Athanasius,  and  lived  in  and  wrote  expressly 
upon  Palestine.  This  remark  afi'ords  strong  ground  to  suspect  a  corrup- 
tion of  the  text  in  the  passage  of  Athanasius ;  which,  as  Reland  has 
acutely  shown,  might  very  easily  take  place.  Either  the  word  ller/Dtov 
has  been  transposed  from  its  proper  place,  so  that  we  ought  to  read  :  tov 
fiev  arro  tJj?  naA.ai(rTiVrjs,  tov  6i  aTro  Ilerpaiv  rr/s  'Apa/iitas, — or,  as  is  more 
probable,  the  word  lleTp(ov  was  at  first  a  gloss  in  the  margin,  afterwards 
inserted  in  the  text  in  the  wrong  place.  On  the  latter  supposition,  no 
city  was  originally  mentioned,  but  the  text  stood  thus :  tov  /xei/  airo 
Ilakai.<TTLvr]i,  rov  Se  uiro  'Apa^Staj.  That  this  is  the  true  readiug  is  ren- 
dered the  more  probable  from  the  fact,  that  Athanasius  himself  in 
another  place  uses  the  very  same  formula  :  MuKapLov  a-rb  Ilo.XauTTLvr]': 
Koi  ^Aa-Tfotov  dirb  'Apa^ia?,  Apol.  contra  Arianos  ^  48.  0pp.  Tom.  I.  p. 
166.  (Here  we  have  obviously  the  corruption  MaKapiov  for  'Apeuw.)  The 
same  reading  is  also  supported  by  two  like  passages  in  the  historical  frag- 
ment of  Hilarius,  where  he  speaks  of  the  same  bishops,  p.  188  :  "  Arium 
ex  Palasstina  et  Stephanum  (Asterium)  de  Arabia ;  "  and  p.  1293 : 
"Arius  a  Palaestina,  Asturus  (Asterius)  ab  Arabia."  See  Reland  Palaest. 
p.  928. — The  preceding  considerations  seem  to  me  completely  to  do 
away  the  authority  of  this  isolated  and  unsupported  passage  of  Athana- 
sius. 

One  other  point  of  confusion  remains  to  be  noticed.  We  have  seen 
in  the  text,  that  the  crusaders  thought  they  found  Petra  in  Kerak ;  to 
which  they  accordingly  gave  the  name  of  "  Petra  deserti,"  and  established 
there  a  Latin  bishopric;  see  Text  pp.  166, 167.  There  can  be  no  question 


524 


NOTES. 


[xxxvni. 


that  their  "  Petra  deserti  "  was  Kerak ;  for  besides  the  passages  cited 
in  the  text,  "William  of  Tyre  writes  expressly,  20.  28  :  "  Secundje  Arabiae 
metropolim  Petram,  quae  alio  nomine  Crac  appellatur ;  "  and  again,  22. 
28  :  "Urbem  cui  nomen  pristinum  Petra  deserti,  modernum  vero  Crach." 
So  too  Jacob  de  Vitry  c.  56,  p.  1077  :  "  Est  autem  Petra  civitas  muni- 
tis?ima,  quse  vulgari  nomine  hodie  dicitur  Crac  et  Petra  deserti ;  "  and 
he  goes  on  to  say  correctly:  "Est  autem  juxta  urbem  antiquissimam, 
qu£e  dicitur  Rabbath ;  "  meaning  the  ruins  of  Rabbah  still  found  two  or 
three  hours  north  of  Kerak. 

I  have  also  already  alluded  to  the  fact,  that  after  the  destruction  of 
the  ancient  Petra,  the  metropolitan  see  of  the  Third  Palestine  was 
transferred  to  Rabbah ;  as  appears  from  the  two  later  Latin  Notitiae,  in 
which  the  name  of  Petra  is  not  found,  but  Rabbah  stands  as  the  metro- 
polis; Reland  Pal.  pp.  223,  226.  See  Text,  p.  166.  But  now,  on  the 
strength  of  two  doubtful  passages,  it  has  been  held,  that  the  name  of 
Petra  deserti  was  also  sometimes  applied  in  like  manner  to  Rabbah.  See 
Raumer  Pal.  p.  412  sq.  The  first  passage  is  the  title  inscribed  over 
one  of  the  Latin  ^o^iYicB  abovementioned :  Sedes  tertia  Arraba  Moa- 
bitis,  id  est  Petra  deserti.  These  last  words  are  obviously  nothing 
more  than  a  gloss,  added  by  the  Latin  transcriber  or  compiler;  implying 
only,  that,  as  he  supposed,  the  metropolitan  seat  of  Rabbah  was  once 
known  as  that  of  Petra  deserti. — The  other  passage  is  in  William 
of  Tyre,  15.  21  :  "  Castrum  sedificavit  cui  nomen  Crach,  .  .  .  juxta  urbem 
antiquissimam  ejusdem  ArabijB  metropolim,  prius  dictam  Raba,  .  .  . 
postea  vero  dicta  est  Petra  deserti."  But  this  is  in  direct  contradiction 
with  himself  and  the  other  historians  of  the  crusades.  Thus  he  says  in 
22.  28  :  "  Urbem  cui  nomen  pristiuum  Petra  deserti,  modernum  vero 
Crach."  See  too  the  other  references  just  above,  and  Text,  pp.  163, 
164,  166,  167.  Hence  it  is  a  natural  supposition,  that  the  state- 
ment of  the  passage  in  question  was  a,  la_psi'.s  either  of  the  author,  or 
more  probably  of  some  transcriber. — The  later  confused  and  erroneous 
notices  of  Brocardus  and  Marinus  Sanutus  need  not  here  be  taken  into 
the  account. 

The  general  result  then  of  the  inquiries  in  the  present  note,  is  the 
following,  viz.  That  there  was  in  ancient  times  only  a  single  city  called 
Petra,  which  is  spoken  of  successively  and  sometimes  indiscriminate- 
ly as  belonging  to  Edom,  Arabia,  and  Palestine,  and  whose  remains  are 
still  seen  in  Wady  Musa;  that  to  this  city,  whether  as  existing  or  in 
ruins,  as  Petra  or  as  Wady  Musa,  Arabian  writers,  so  far  as  yet  known, 
make  no  allusion  earlier  than  the  13th  and  15th  centuries ;  and  that  the 
crusaders  transferred  the  name  of  Petra  (Petra  deserti)  to  Kerak,  and 
to  that  place  alone. 

Note  XXXVIII.— Page  192. 

Catastrophe  of  Sodom.  The  following  is  the  original  of  the  letter 
of  L.  von  Buch,  given  in  the  text. 

Berlin,  20  Avril,  1839. 

MONSIEDR, 

C'est  plutot  pour  repondre  k  I'honorable  confiance  que  vous  voulez 


XXXVIII.]  LETTER  FROM  L.  VON  BUCH.  525 

avoir  en  moi,  que  dans  l'esp6rance  de  pouvoir  vous  faire  une  observation 
digue  de  vous  etre  pnJsentee,  que  je  vous  adresse  cea  lignes. 

La  vallee  du  Jourdain  est  une  crevasse,  qui  sV  tend  depuis  le  Liban 
jusqu'a  la  nier  Rouge  sans  interruption.  Voila,  ;1  ce  qui  me  semble,  le 
resultat  de  vos  recherches,  comme  de  celles  de  Mr  de  Bertou  et  Mr  Cal- 
lier,  qui,  nialgre  ce  fait,  en  veulent  a  Mr  Ritter  pour  avoir  dit  la  meme 
chose.  Ccs  longues  crevasses,  frcquentes  surtout  dans  les  moutagnes 
calcaires,  donnent  la  configuration  a  nos  continents.  Si  elles  sont  tris 
larges  et  profondes,  elles  donnent  passage  aux  montagnes  primitives,  qui, 
par  cette  raison,  forment  des  chalnes,  dans  une  direction,  que  la  crevasse 
leur  a  prescrite.  On  pent  done  s'attendre  a.  un  plus  grand  developpement 
des  agents  volcaniques  au  fond  de  cette  crevasse,  que  sur  les  hauteurs. 

Le  sel  gemme  est,  d'apres  les  recherches  les  plus  recentes,  un  produit 
d'unc  action  volcanique  ou  plutonique  le  long  d'une  ouverture  de  cette 
nature.  Mais,  les  sources  d'asphalte  ou  de  bitume  le  sont  aussi ;  comme 
le  prouvent  la  quantity  de  sources  de  bitume  depuis  le  pied  du  Zagros  aux 
environs  de  Bassorah  jusqu'A  Mosul,  et  aussi  a  Bakou ;  comme  le  prou- 
vent encore  la  source  de  bitume  dans  le  golfe  de  Naples,  et  a  Mellilli 
pres  de  Siracuse ;  comme  le  prouvent  les  sources  de  bitume  sur  Pile  de 
Zante,  et  meme  le  bitume  de  Seyssel  dont  on  fait  les  trottoirs  a  Paris. 

L'Asphalte  de  la  mer  Morte  n'est  vraisemblablement  que  le  bitume 
consolide  au  fond  du  lac,  qui  ne  pent  pas  s'ecouler,  et  forme  par  conse- 
quent une  couche  sur  le  fond,  comme  a  I'ile  de  Trinidad.  II  est  assez 
vraisemblable,  que  cette  accumulation  se  soit  faite  dans  les  temps  recules, 
comme  de  nos  jours ;  et  si  des  actions  volcaniques,  une  elevation  du  ter- 
rain, et  des  tremblements  de  terre  ont  mis  au  jour  des  masses  d'asphalte 
analogues  a  celle  que  vous  avez  dccrite,  (phenom^ne  de  la  plus  haute 
importance,  inconnu  jusqu'ici,)  on  pent  tres  bien  concevoir  la  conflagra- 
tion de  cites  entieres  par  I'inflammation  de  mati^res  si  eminemment  com- 
bustibles. 

Si  on  pouvait  d(5couvrir  quelque  masse  basaltique  dans  la  partie  m6- 
ridionale  ou  vers  I'extremite  sud  de  la  mer  Morte,  on  pouvait  croire, 
qu'un  "  dyke"  basaltique  se  soit  fait  jour  lors  de  la  celebre  catastrophe, 
comme  cela  est  arriv6  en  1820  pr6s  de  File  de  Banda,  et  dans  un  autre 
temps  au  pied  du  volcan  de  Ternate.  (Descript.  phys.  des  lies  Canaries, 
p.  412,  433.)  Les  mouvements  qui  accompagnent  la  sortie  d'un  tel 
"  dyke  "  sont  bien  en  etat  de  produire  tous  les  phenomynes,  qui  ont 
changes  cette  contr6e  int^ressante,  sans  exercer  une  influence  tres  mar- 
qude  sur  la  forme  et  la  configuration  des  montagnes  a  I'entour. 

La  fertility  du  sol  depend  quelquefois  de  tres  legers  accidents.  II 
n'est  pas  probable,  que  le  bitume  soit  propre  pour  I'augmenter.  Mais  il 
est  bien  possible,  que  les  mouvements  du  terrain  ont  pu  mettre  au  jour 
une  plus  grande  masse  de  sel  gemme,  qui  entrain^  par  les  eaux  vers  le 
fond  de  la  vallee,  sufiirait  pour  lui  oter  sa  productibilit6.  Le  sel  gemme 
n'aurait  pas  tant  frappe  Lot,  pour  s'imaginer  que  sa  femmeefit  €t6  changce 
en  sel,  si  on  avait  eu  connaissance  de  son  existence  entre  les  couches  de 
toute  la  montagne,  avant  la  catastrophe  memorable. 

II  faut  esperer,  que  la  Soci6te  geologique  de  Londres,  si  active, 
voudra  bien  un  jour  envoyer  un  de  ses  membres,  pour  eclairer  avec  la 
flambeau  de  la  Geologie  des  faits  qui  iuturessent  tout  le  monde.  Mais, 


526  NOTES.  [xxxix. 

il  faudrait  rechcrcher  toute  la  constitution  goologique  et  du  Liban  et  de 
toute  la  vallce  du  Jourdain,  depuis  Tiberias  jusqu'a  Akaba. 

Je  concois,  Monsieur,  que  toute  ceci  doit  peu  vous  contenter.  Mais, 
je  pense  qu'  il  est  temeraire  de  se  faire  une  theorie  sur  des  faits,  dout  on 
n'a  pas  du  moins  observe  soi-meme  les  resultats. 

J'ai  I'honnour  d'etre  avec  la  plus  haute  consideration, 

Monsieur, 
Votre  tres-humble  et  obeissant, 

Leopold  de  Buch. 


Note  XXXIX.— Page  195. 


Stations  of  the  Israelites.  The  following  Table,  arranged  in 
accordance  with  the  suggestions  advanced  in  the  text,  presents  a  synop- 
tical view  of  all  the  stations  of  the  Israelites  enumerated,  from  their 
departure  out  of  Egypt  until  their  arrival  overagainst  Jericho. 

'  1.  From  Egypt  to  Sinai. 


Exodus  c.  12-19. 
From  Rameses,  12,  37. 

1.  Succoth,  12,  37. 

2.  Etfiam,  13,  20. 

3.  Pi-haheroth,  14,  2. 

4.  Passage  through  the  Red  Sea, 

14,  22;  and  three  days' 
march  into  the  desert  of 
Shur,  15,  22. 

5.  Marah,  15,  23. 

6.  Elim,  15,  27. 
7. 

8.  Desert  of  Sin,  16,  1. 
9. 
10. 

11.  Rephidim,  17,  1. 

12.  Desert  of  Sinai,  19,  1. 


Numbers  c.  33. 

From  Rameses,  verse  3. 
Succoth,  vs.  5. 
Etham,  vs.  6. 
Pi-haheroth,  vs.  7. 
Passage  through  the  Red  Sea,  and 

three  days'  march  in  the  desert 

of  Etham,  vs.  8. 

Marah,  vs.  8. 
Elim,  vs.  9. 

Encampment  by  the  Red  Sea,  vs.  10. 

Desert  of  Sin,  vs.  11. 

Dophka,  vs.  12. 

Alush,  vs.  13. 

Rephidim,  vs.  14. 

Desert  of  Sinai,  vs.  15. 


2.  From  Sinai  to  Kadesh  the  second  time. 


Numbers  c.  10-20. 
From  the  desert  of  Sinai,  10,  12. 

13.  Taberah,  11,  3.  Deut  9,  22. 

14.  Kibroth-hattaavah,  11,  34. 

15.  Hazeroth,  11,  35. 

16.  Kadesh,  in  the  desert  of  Pa- 

ran,  12,  16.  13,  26.  Deut. 
1,  2.  19.  Hence  they 
turn  back  and  wander  for 
thirty-eight  years;  Num. 
14,  25  sq. 


Numbers  c.  33. 
From  the  desert  of  Sinai,  vs.  16. 

Kibroth-hattaavah,  vs.  16. 
Hazeroth,  vs.  17. 


XXXIX.] 


STATIONS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


17.  Rithma,  vs.  18. 

18.  Rimmon-parez,  vs.  19. 

19.  Libnah,  vs.  20. 

20.  Rissab,  vs.  21. 

21.  Kehelathah,  vs.  22. 

22.  Mount  Shapher,  vs.  23. 

23.  •  Haradah,  vs.  24. 

24.  Maklieloth,  vs.  25. 

25.  Tahath,  vs.  26. 

26.  Tarah,  vs.  27. 

27.  Mithcah,  vs.  28. 

28.  Hashinonah,  vs.  29. 

29.  Moseroth,  vs.  30. 

30.  Bene-jaakan,  vs.  31. 

31.  Hor-hagidgad,  vs.  32. 

32.  Jotbathah,  vs.  33. 

33.  Ebronah,  vs.  34. 

34.  Ezion-gaber,  vs.  35. 


85.  Return    to   Kadesh,    Num.    Kadesh,  vs.  36. 
20,  1, 

3.  From  Kadesh  to  the  Jordan. 


36. 
37, 

38. 
39. 
40. 


41. 

42. 
43. 
44. 
45. 

46. 

47. 
48. 
49. 

50. 
51. 
52, 


Num.  cc.  20.  21.  Deut.  cc. 
1.  2.  10. 
From  Kadesh,  Num.  20,  22. 
Beeroth   Bene-jaakan,  Deut. 

10,  6. 

Mount  Hor,  Num.  20,22;  or 
Mosera,  Deut.  10,  6; 
where  Aaron  died. 

Gudgodah,  Deut.  10,  7. 

Jotbath,  Deut.  10,  7. 

Way  of  the  Red  Sea,  Num. 
21,  4;  by  Elath  and 
Ezion-gaber,  Deut.  2,  8. 


Oboth,  Num.  21,  10. 
lie-abarim,  Num.  21,  11. 
The  brook  Zered,  Num.  21, 

12.  Deut.  2,  13.  14. 
The  brook  Arnon,  Num.  21, 

13.  Deut.  2,  24. 


Beer   (well)   in  the  desert, 

Num.  21,  16.  18, 
Mattanah,  21,  18. 
Nahaliel,  21,  19. 
Bamoth,  21,  19. 


Numbers,  c.  33. 
From  Kadesh,  vs.  37. 

Mount  Hor,  vs.  37. 


Zalmonah,  vs.  41. 
Punon,  vs.  42. 
Oboth,  vs.  43. 

Ije-abarim,  or  lim,  vs.  44.  45. 


Dibon-gad,  vs.  45  ;  now  Dhiban, 
Almon-diblathaim,  vs,  46. 


528 


NOTES. 


[XL. 


53.  Pisgah,  put  for  tbe  range  of   Mountains  of  Abarim,  near  to  Nebo, 

Abarim,  of  wbicb  Pisgah         vs.  47. 
was  part;  21,  20. 

54.  By  tbe  way  of  Basban  to  the    Plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan,  near 

plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan,         Jericho,  vs.  48. 
near  Jericho;  Num.  21, 
33.    22,  1. 


Note  XL.— Page  243. 

Itineraries.  In  April,  1835,  the  Rev.  E.  Smith  made  a  journey 
from  Beirut  along  the  coast  to  Yafa,  and  thence  to  Jerusalem.  There 
were  ladies  in  tbe  party,  and  they  travelled  leisurely.  The  following 
Nos.  1  and  2,  are  from  imperfect  notes  of  that  journey.  No.  3  is  from 
the  Rev.  Mr  Lanneau,  drawn  up  from  his  own  notes ;  and  gives  the 
usual  rate  between  Jerusalem  and  Yafa.  In  comparing  Nos.  2  and  3 
the  leisure  travelling  of  one  party  must  be  taken  into  account ;  as  well 
as  the  fact,  that  in  one  case  the  direction  of  the  journey  was  up  the  moun- 
tain, and  in  the  other  down. 

1.  From  ^Akka  to  Yafa. 


H.  M. 

From  'Akka 
River  Na'man  20 

"  el-Mukutta'  2  15 

Haifa  30 
Convent  on  Carmel  1 
'Atblit  3  20 

A  village  1  40 

Tantura  45 
River  Belka 

H.  M. 

From  Yafa 
YasCir  1 
A  village  1 
Ludd  J  35 

er-Ramleh  45 


H.  M. 

From  Jerusalem 

Kulonieh  1  30 

Kuryet  el-'Enab  1  30 

Saris  1 

Bab  el-Wady  1 

Latron  1 


H.  M. 

River  Zerka  1  40 

Kaisariyeh  35 

A  river  55 

River  Abu  Zabftra  1  50 

MCikhalid  2 

A  brook  [Nahr  ArsOf]  1  50 

el-Haram  2  40 

Nahr  el-'Aujeh  [or  Butrus]  2  05 

Yafa  2  05 


H.  ^r. 

Kubab,  on  the  first  hills  2 
Latrim,  foot  of  Wady  'Aly  1 
Saris,  top  of  the  mountain     2  30 
Kuryet  el-'Enab,  in  a  valley  40 
Jerusalem  3  30 


H.  &L 

Kubab  1 

Ramleh  .  2 

Srirafend  30 

Beit  Dcjan  1 

Yasur  30 

Yafa  1 


2.  From  Yafa  to  Jerusalem. 


3.  From  Jerusalem  to  Yafa. 


XLI.] 


EARTHQUAKE  AT  SAFED.  529 


Note  XLI.— Page  423. 

Earthquake  at  Safed.  The  following  is  the  Report  of  Mr  Thom- 
son mentioned  in  the  test,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  Safed.  He  reached 
that  place  on  the  18th  of  Jan.  1837.  The  earthquake  took  place  on 
the  1st  of  the  same  month.  See  Missionary  Herald  for  Nov.  1837,  p. 
436  sq. 

"  Just  before  we  began  to  ascend  the  mountain  of  Safed,  we  met  our 
consular  agent  of  Sidon,  returning  home  with  his  widowed  sister.  His 
brother-in-law,  a  rich  merchant  of  Safed,  had  been  buried  up  to  his  neck 
by  the  ruins  of  his  fallen  house,  and  in  that  awful  condition  remained 
several  days,  begging  and  calling  for  help,  and  at  last  died  before  any 
one  was  found  to  assist  him !  As  we  ascended  the  steep  mountain,  we 
saw  several  dreadful  rents  and  cracks  in  the  earth  and  rocks,  giving 
painful  indications  of  what  might  be  expected  above.  But  all  anticipa- 
tions were  utterly  confounded  when  the  reality  burst  upon  our  sight. 

"  Up  to  this  moment  I  had  refused  to  credit  the  accounts ;  but  one 
frightful  glance  convinced  me,  that  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  language 
to  overstate  such  a  ruin.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  this  great  town,  which 
seemed  to  me  like  a  bee-hive  four  years  ago,  and  was  still  more  so  only 
eighteen  days  ago,  is  now  no  more.  Safed  was,  but  is  not.  The  Jewish 
portion,  containing  a  population  of  five  or  six  thousand,  was  built  around 
and  upon  a  very  steep  mountain ;  so  steep,  indeed,  is  the  hill,  and  so 
compactly  built  was  the  town,  that  the  roofs  of  the  lower  houses  formed 
the  street  of  the  ones  above,  thus  rising  like  a  stairway  one  over  another. 
And  thus,  when  the  tremendous  shock  dashed  every  house  to  the  ground 
in  a  moment,  the  first  fell  upon  the  second,  the  second  upon  the  third, 
that  on  the  next,  and  so  on  to  the  end.  And  this  is  the  true  cause  of 
the  almost  unprecedented  destruction  of  life.  Some  of  the  lower  houses 
are  covered  to  a  great  depth,  with  the  ruins  of  many  others  which  were 
above  them.  From  this  cause  it  also  occurred,  that  a  vast  number  who 
were  not  instantaneously  killed,  perished  before  they  could  be  dug  out ; 
and  some  were  taken  out  five,  six,  and  one  (I  was  told)  seven  days  after 
the  shock,  still  alive.  One  solitary  man,  who  had  been  a  husband  and 
a  father,  told  me,  that  he  found  his  Avife  with  one  child  under  her  arm, 
and  the  babe  with  the  breast  still  in  its  mouth.  He  supposed  the  babe 
had  not  been  killed  by  the  falling  ruins,  but  had  died  of  hunger,  endea- 
vouring to  draw  nourishment  from  the  breast  of  its  lifeless  mother ! 
Parents  frequently  told  me,  that  they  heard  the  voices  of  their  little  ones 
crying  papa,  mamma,  fainter  and  fainter,  until  hushed  in  death ;  while 
they  were  either  struggling  in  despair,  to  free  themselves,  or  labouring 
to  remove  the  fallen  timber  and  rocks  from  their  children. 

"  What  a  dismal  spectacle  !  As  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  nothing  is 
seen  but  one  vast  chaos  of  stones  and  earth,  timber  and  boards,  tables, 
chairs,  beds,  and  clothing,  mingled  in  horrible  confusion.  Men  every- 
where at  work,  worn  out  and  woe-begone,  uncovering  their  houses  in 
search  of  the  mangled  and  putrified  bodies  of  departed  friends ;  while 
here  and  there,  I  noticed  companies  of  two  or  three  each,  clambering 
over  the  ruins,  bearing  a  dreadful  load  of  corruption  to  the  narrow  house 
appointed  for  all  living.  I  covered  my  face  and  passed  on  through  the 
Vol.  II.— 45 


530 


NOTES. 


half-living,  wretclied  remnants  of  Safed.  Some  were  weeping  in  despair, 
and  some  laughing  in  callousness  still  more  distressing.  Here  an  old 
man  sat  solitary  on  the  wreck  of  his  once  crowded  house ;  there  a  child 
was  at  play,  too  young  to  realize  that  it  had  neither  father  nor  mother, 
brother  nor  relative,  in  the  wide  world.  They  flocked  around,  us  hus- 
bands that  had  lost  their  wives,  wives  their  husbands,  parents  without 
children,  children  without  parents,  and  not  a  few  left  as  the  solitary 
remnants  of  large  connections.  The  people  were  scattered  abroad,  above 
and  below  the  ruins,  in  tents  of  old  boards,  old  carpets,  mats,  canvas, 
brush,  and  earth,  and  not  a  few  dwelling  in  the  open  air;  while  some 
poor  wretches,  wounded  and  bruised,  were  left  among  the  prostrate  build- 
ings, every  moment  exposed  to  death  from  the  loose  rocks  around  and 
above  them. 

"  As  soon  as  our  tent  was  pitched,  Mr  C.  and  myself  set  oif  to  visit 
the  wounded.  Creeping  under  a  wretched  covering,  intended  for  a  tent, 
the  iii-st  we  came  to,  we  found  an  emaciated  young  female  lying  on  the 
ground,  covered  with  the  filthiest  garments  I  ever  saw.  After  examin- 
ing several  wounds,  all  in  a  state  of  mortification,  the  poor  old  creature 
that  was  waiting  on  her  lifted  up  the  cover  of  her  feet,  when  a  moment's 
glance  convinced  me  that  she  could  not  possibly  survive  another  day. 
The  foot  had  dropped  olF,  and  the  flesh  also,  leaving  the  leg-bone  altoge- 
ther bare !  Sending  some  laudanum  to  relieve  the  intolerable  agony  of 
her  last  houx-s,  we  went  on  to  other  but  equally  dreadful  scenes.  Not  to 
shock  the  feelings  by  detailing  what  we  saw,  I  will  only  mention  one 
other  case;  and  I  do  it  to  show  what  immense  su0"ering  these  poor  people 
have  endured,  for  the  last  eighteen  days.  Clambering  over  a  heap  of 
ruins,  and  entering  a  low  vault  by  a  hole,  I  found  eight  of  the  wounded 
crowded  together  under  a  vast  pile  of  crumbling  rocks.  Some  with  legs 
broken  in  two  or  three  places,  others  so  horribly  lacerated  and  swollen 
as  scarcely  to  retain  the  shape  of  mortals ;  while  all,  left  without  washing, 
changing  bandages,  or  dressing  their  wounds,  were  in  such  a  deplorable 
state,  as  rendered  it  impossible  for  us  to  remain  with  them  long  enough 
to  do  them  any  good.  Although  protected  by  spirits  of  camphor,  breath- 
ing through  my  handkerchief  dipped  in  it,  and  fortified  with  a  good  share 
of  resolution,  I  was  obliged  to  retreat.  Convinced,  that  while  in  such 
charnel-houses  as  this,  without  air  but  such  as  would  be  fatal  to  the  life 
of  a  healthy  person,  no  medicines  would  afford  relief,  we  returned  to  our 
tent,  resolving  to  erect  a  large  temporary  shed  of  boards,  broken  doors, 
a!id  timber,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  wounded.  The  remainder  of 
our  first  day  was  spent  in  making  preparations  for  erecting  this  little 
hospital. 

"  Jan.  This  has  been  a  very  busy  day,  but  still  our  work 

advanced  slowly.  We  found  the  greatest  difiiculty  to  get  boards  and 
timber ;  and  when  the  carpenters  came,  they  were  without  proper 
tools.  In  time,  however,  we  got  something  in  the  shape  of  saws,  axes, 
nails,  and  mattocks  ;  and  all  of  us  labouring  hard,  before  night  the  result 
began  to  appear.  The  governor  visited  and  greatly  praised  our  work, 
declaring  that  he  had  not  thought  such  a  thing  could  have  been  erected; 
and  that  the  government  had  nut  been  able  to  obtain  half  so  good  a  place 
for  its  own  accommodatio  i.  Some  of  tlie  wounded  were  brought  and 
laid  down  before  us,  long  before  any  part  of  the  slight  building  was  ready 


XLI.] 


EARTHQUAKE  AT  SAFED. 


531 


for  their  reception ;  and  are  now  actually  sheltered  in  it,  although  it  is 
altogether  unfinished.  After  dark,  I  accompanied  the  priest,  to  visit 
the  remainder  of  the  Christian  population  of  Safed.  They  were  never 
numerous,  and  having  lost  about  one  half  of  their  number,  are  now  crowd- 
ed into  one  great  tent.  Several  were  wounded ;  to  these  we  gave  med- 
icine. Some  were  orphans,  to  whom  we  gave  clothing ;  and  the  poor 
people  had  their  necessities  supplied,  as  well  as  our  limited  means  would 
justify.  Among  the  survivors  is  a  worthy  man,  who  has  long  wished  to 
be  connected  with  us,  and  in  whom  we  have  felt  much  interest.  He  ap- 
plied about  a  year  ago  to  have  his  son  admitted  to  our  high  school ;  but 
he  was  then  too  young.  When  I  left  Beirut,  it  was  my  intention  to 
bring  this  lad  with  me  on  my  return,  should  he  be  alive ;  but  alas !  the 
afflicted  father  has  to  mourn  not  only  his  death,  but  that  of  his  mother, 
and  of  all  his  beloved  family  but  one. 

"  The  earth  continues  to  tremble  and  shake.  There  have  been  many 
slight,  and  some  very  violent  shocks,  since  we  arrived.  About  three 
o'clock  to  day,  while  I  was  on  the  roof  of  our  building  nailing  down 
boards,  we  had  a  tremendous  shock.  A  cloud  of  dust  arose  above  the 
falling  ruins,  and  the  people  all  rushed  out  from  them  in  dismay.  Many 
began  to  pray  with  loud  and  lamentable  cries  ;  and  females  beat  their 
bare  breasts  with  all  their  strength,  and  tore  their  garments  in  despair. 
The  workmen  threw  down  their  tools  and  fled.  Soon,  however,  order 
was  restored,  and  we  proceeded  as  usual.  I  did  not  feel  this  shock, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  roof  of  the  shed  was  shaking  all  the  time. 
Once,  however,  the  jerk  was  so  sudden  and  violent,  as  to  affect  my  chest 
and  arms  precisely  like  an  electric  shock. 

"Jan.  20th.  Having  finished  our  work,  collected  the  wounded,  dis- 
tributed medicine  and  clean  bandages  for  dressing  the  wounds,  and  hired 
a  native  physician  to  attend  the  hospital,  we  left  Safed  about  half-past 
one  o'clock  P.  M.  and  after  a  pleasant  ride  of  five  hours  and  a  half,  en- 
camped before  the  ruins  of  Tiberias 

"  The  destruction  of  life  at  Tiberias  has  not  been  so  great,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  population,  as  at  Safed ;  owing  mainly  to  the  fact,  that 
Tiberias  is  built  on  a  level  plain,  and  Safed  on  the  declivity  of  the  moun- 
tain. Probably  about  seven  hundred  perished  here,  out  of  a  population 
of  twenty-five  hundred ;  while  at  Safed,  four  thousand  out  of  five  thou- 
sand Christians  and  Jews  were  kiUed ;  and  not  far  from  one  thousand 
Mussulmans." 


APPENDIX  1. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  LIST  OF  WORKS 
oir 

PALESTINE,  JERUSALEM,  AND  MOUNT  SINAI. 


The  folloAving  List  comprises,  with  slight  exceptions,  only  such  -vrprks  as 
have  been  consulted  in  the  preparation  of  these  volumes.  It  is,  I  believe, 
nearly  if  not  quite  complete,  down  to  the  time  of  Breydenbach  and  Felix 
Fabri  in  A.  D.  1483.  Of  the  works  subsequent  to  that  period,  only  the  more 
important  or  more  popular  are  given.  Yet  the  list  even  of  these,  at  the  time 
of  its  preparation,  was  fuller  than  any  other  extant.  The  Royal  Library  at 
BerUn,  which  I  had  the  privilege  of  using,  is  rich  in  this  department ; 
and  contains  a  large  number  of  works  on  Palestine,  from  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury and  onward,  which  I  have  not  found  quoted  in  any  catalogue.  True, 
most  of  them  only  repeat  each  other,  and  are  of  little  value  ;  as  is  also  the 
case  with  many  of  the  more  modem  books  of  travels.  Yet  an  enumeration 
of  them  all,  would  certainly  belong  to  a  catalogue  which  should  claim  to  be 
complete. — A  full  account  of  some  of  the  earlier  travellers  may  be  seen  in 
Beckhl^lntt's  Literatur  der  dlUm  Heisebeschreibungen,  2  Vols.  Getting.  1808- 
1810. 

The  works  of  Josephus,  the  chief  source  next  to  the  Bible  for  the  history 
and  antiquities  of  Palestine,  are  in  all  cases  cited  after  the  edition  of  Haver- 
camp,  2  Vols.  fol.  Amsterd.  1726.  The  divisions  are  the  same  in  the  edition 
of  Oberthur,  3  Vols.  Svo.  Leipz.  1782-5.  The  portions  of  the  geographical 
works  of  Ptolemy  (fl.  250),  which  relate  to  Palestine,  are  given  in  fuU  by 
Reland,  Paltestina  p.  426  sq.  The  same  is  also  the  case  with  that  part  of  the 
Tabula  Feutingerinna -which  eom^nses  the  Holy  Land;  ibid.  p.  421.  This 
remarkable  Table  owes  its  name  to  Peutinger,  a  scholar  and  statesman  of 
Augsburg,  who  was  long  its  possessor.   It  is  a  rude  chart  or  delineation  of 

Vou  n.— 45* 


534 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


FApp.L 


the  military  roads  of  the  Boman  empire,  with  the  distances  between  the 
towns,  constructed  not  later  than  the  foarth  century,  and  sometimes  referred 
to  the  reign  of  Theodosius  the  Great,  about  A.  D.  380.  Hence  it  occasionally 
also  bears  the  name  of  Talula  Theodosiana.  Mannert  and  others  place  its 
construction  under  the  reign  of  Alexander  Severus,  between  A.  D.  222  and 
235.  The  present  copy,  the  only  one  known  to  exist,  appears  to  have  been 
made  in  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  century.  It  is  a  long  narrow  chart,  wound 
on  two  rollers,  one  at  each  end ;  and  is  preserved  with  great  care  in  the  Impe- 
rial Library  at  Vienna.  Scheyb  first  published  it  fully  in  foe  simile,  fol. 
Vienna  1753 ;  and  Mannert  again,  fol.  Lips.  1829. 

The  first  of  the  following  Lists  includes  only  works  by  authors  who  had 
themselves  travelled  or  resided  in  Palestine,  etc.  The  second  and  third  com- 
prise geographical  descriptions  by  other  writers.  The  year  prefixed  to  a  work 
is  the  actual  date  of  the  journey  or  residence  in  Palestine.  Where  this  is  inde- 
finite, c.  for  circa  is  prefixed.  A  star  (*)  is  likewise  put  before  the  more  impor- 
tant works. 

I.  Itinekaeies,  Jouenals,  Travels,  etc. 

B7  actaal  Besidents  and  TraTeUeis. 

*  c.  330—400.  EusEsn  et  HiEROirmi  Onomasticon  Urbium  et  Locorum  S. 
S.  Graeee  et  Lat.  ed.  J.  Bonfrerio,  fol.  Par.  1631,  1639;  also  in  Hieron. 
0pp.  ed.  Martianay  Tom.  II. — Fd.  J.  Clerico,  fol.  Amst.  1707,  appended  to 
Sanson's  Geogr.  Sacra.  Keprinted  in  TJgolini  Thesaur.  Tom.  V. — The  work 
of  Eusebius  was  written  in  Greek,  and  translated  into  Latia  by  Jerome  with 
many  changes  and  additions.   See  Text,  Vol.  I.  Sec.  VII,  p.  254. 

The  three  following  Itineraries  were  published  together  by  P.  "Wesseling, 
with  Notes,  in  1  Vol.  4to,  Amst.  1735. 

I.  Antoxisi  ArGTJSTi  Itinerarium  ;  a  mere  list  of  names  and  distances. 
The  date  is  not  known  ;  but  the  work  is  obviously  later  than  the  Antonines. 
The  portion  relating  to  Palestine  is  given  by  Reland;  Palaest.  p.  416  sq. 

II.  *  333.  Itixebakium  Hierosoltmitamtm  seu  Burdigalense  ;  from 
Bourdeaux  to  Jerusalem.  The  date  is  known  by  the  mention  (under  Constan- 
tinople) of  the  consuls  Zenophilus  and  Dalmatius.  Reland  has  given  the 
names  and  distances  of  the  places  mentioned  in  Palestine ;  but  not  the  de- 
scription of  Jerusalem  and  the  vicinity,  which  is  important ;  Pala;st.  p.  415. 
There  are  earlier  editions  of  this  Itinerary ;  and  the  text  of  Wesseling  is 
reprinted  in  the  Appendix  to  Chateaubriand's  Itineraire. 

Note.  These  two  Itineraries  have  been  republished  under  the  title ;  Itin^ 
era/rium  Antonini  Augusti  et  Rieroaolymitanum  ed.  0.  Farthey  et  M.  Finder, 
Beri.  1848.  Svo. 

m.  II1EUOCLI8  Geammxt.  SyneMcmut,  Grmce^  a  list  of  places  in  Pales- 
tine and  elsewhere.  The  date  is  not  known ;  but  the  tract  is  assigned  by 
"Wesseling  to  the  early  part  of  the  reign  of  Justinian,  c.  530 ;  Prolegom.  p. 
626. 

*  c.  873.  Amuokh  Honaohi  Eelatio  de  Sanctis  Patrihus  harbarorum  »»- 


App.  I.] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


535 


eureione  in  Monte  Sinai  et  Raithu  peremptis,  Gr.  et  Lat.  in  'IHustriam 
Christi  Martyrum  lecti  Triumphi,  ed.  F.  Combefis,'  Lut.  Par.  1660.  8vo.  p. 
88. 

*  c.  400.  St.  NiLi  MoN.  Eremite  Narrationes  quihus  ccedes  Monachorum 
Montis  Sinai  descriMtur,  Gr.  et  Lat.  in  'Sancti  Patris  "Sns  Opera  quaadam 
nondnm  edita,  ed.  Petro  Possino,'  Lut.  Par.  1639.  4.  Lat.  in  Acta  Sancton 
Jan.  Tom.  I.  p.  953.> 

c.  600.  Itinerarium  B.  Antonint  Maetteis  (sen  PtAOENrnn)  ex  Museo 
Menardi,  Juliomagi-Andium  (Angers)  1640.  4.  Printed  from  another  manu- 
script in  the  Acta  Sanctorum,  Maii  T.  IL  p.  x.  Ugolini  Thesaur.  Tom.  VII. — 
The  date  of  this  Itinerary  is  uncertain  ;  but  it  appears  to  be  later  than  the 
time  of  Justinian  (ob.  565)  and  earlier  than  the  Muhammedan  conquests. 

*  e.  697.  Adamnaxus  (ex  Aeoflfo)  de  Locis  Sanctis  Libri  III,  ed.  Gretsero, 
Ingoldst.  1619;  reprinted  in  Gretseri  0pp.  Tom.  IV.  Ratisb.  1734.  Printed 
also  in  Mabillon  Acta  Sanctor.  Ord.  Benedict.  Sjbc.  III.  P.  II.  p.  499.  Eng- 
lish in  Wright's  Early  Travels  in  Palestine,  p.  1  sq. — Arculfus,  a  French 
bishop,  returning  from  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem,  was  cast  away  upon  the 
island  of  lona  on  the  western  coast  of  Scotland ;  where  Adamnanus  was 
then  abbot  of  the  celebrated  monastery.  The  latter  wrote  down  this  ac- 
count of  Palestine  from  the  relation  of  Arculfus ;  and  presented  it  in  A.  D. 
698  to  Alfred,  king  of  Northumberland.  The  tract  of  the  Venerable  Bede 
de  Locis  Saneti%  printed  in  his  works,  is  merely  an  abstract  of  this  work  of 
Adamnanus.    See  Beckmann,  Vol.  II.  p.  508  sq. 

c.  7 65.  St.  Willibaldi  Vita  seu  ITodmporicon,  containing  a  notice  of  his 
pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land ;  printed  in  Oanisii  Thesaur.  Monumentor.  Eccl. 
et  Hist.  ed.  Basnage,  Tom.  II.  P.  I.  p.  99  sq.  Also  in  Mabillon  Acta  Sanctor. 
Ord.  Benedict.  Saec.  III.  P.  II.  p.  365.  The  latter  editor  gives  the  date  A. 
D.  786.  English  in  Wright's  Early  Trav.  in  Pal.  p.  13  sq.  St.  Willibald  was 
born  in  England,  and  became  bishop  of  Eichstadt  in  Germany  A.  D.  742. 
There  exist  two  recensions  of  this  tract,  both  of  which  are  given  by  Mabillon. 
See  Brocardus  below. 

e.  870.  Beenhardi  (Sapientis  Monachi)  Itinerarium  in  Loca  Sancta,  in 
Mabillon  Acta  Sanctor.  Ord.  Benedict.  Ssec.  III.  P.  II.  p.  523.  [472].  Printed 
also  from  a  MS.  in  the  Cotton  Library  in  "  Relations  des  Voyages  de  Guil.  de 
Eubruk,  Bernard  le  Sage,  et  Saawulf,  par  F.  Michel  et  T.  Wright,"  4to.  Paris, 
1839.  p.  201  sq.  English  in  Wright's  Early  Trav.  in  Pal.  p.  23  sq.  Mabillon's 
copy  contains  only  the  very  brief  Itinerary  of  Bernard  and  his  two  companions ; 
that  of  Michel  and  Wright  gives  also  a  more  particular  account  of  the  sacred 
places,  which  is  merely  written  out  from  the  tract  of  Adamnanus,  probably, 
by  a  later  hand.  Bernard  relates,  that  he  received  the  benediction  of  the 
pope  Nicholas  in  the  beginning  of  his  journey ;  doubtless  the  first  of  that  ^ 
name,  who  died  A.  D.  867 ;  for  there  was  no  other  pope  Nicholas  until  A. 

'  There  exists  a  small  tract  ascribed  to  scriptor.  Tom.  I.  p.  665-7.    Ugolini  The- 

EocHERics,  bishop  of  Lyons  in  the  5th  saur.  Tom.  VII.     But  Eucherius  appar- 

century,  entitled :  Epixtola  ad  Faustinum  ently  was  never  in  Palestine ;  and  the  tract 

de  iitu  Jndcece    urbisqve   Hierosohpnita-  is  drawn  from  Josephus,  Jerome,  and  others, 

noc,  printed  in  Labb.  Biblioth.  nov.  Manu-  and  has  little  intrinsic  value. 


536 


BOOKS  ON  palesthte. 


[App.  L 


D.  1059.  This  justifies  the  date  of  A.  D.  870,  which  is  assigned  to  this  Itin- 
erary by  "William  of  Malmsbnry,  de  Regiius  Anglor.  cap.  2.  See  Beckmann, 
n.  p.  518.    The  Cotton  and  Oxford  MSS.  give  the  date  erroneously,  A.  D.  970. 

1096-1125.  FuLCHERn  Cakxote:^sis  Gesta  Peregrinantium  Francorum 
cum  armis  Hierusalem  pergentium  ;  in  Bongars'  "  Gesta  Dei  per  Francos,"  p. 
381.  More  complete  in  Du  Chesne  Scriptores  Francic.  Tom.  lY.  p.  816. 
Paris  1641. — Fulcher  of  Chartres,  a  monk  or  presbyter,  accompanied  Robert 
duke  of  Normandy  to  Palestine,  in  the  first  crusade,  A.  D.  1096.  His  history 
extends  from  A.  D.  1095  to  A.  D.  1124.' 

1102—3.  S^wtjLFi  Eelatio  de  Peregrinatione  ad  HieTosolymam  et  Terrain 
Sanctam  ;  printed  for  the  first  time  in  Michel  and  "Wright's  "  Relations  des 
"Toyages  de  GuO.  de  Rubruk,  etc."  Paris,  1839.  4to.  p.  237  sq.  English  in 
"Wright's  Early  Trav.  in  Pal.  p.  31  sq. 

e.  1125.  DA^•IEL  (Igoumen)  Journey  to  the  Holy  Land.  Daniel  was  a 
Russian  abbot  ("Hyoiz/ifi/or)  who  visited  Palestine  in  the  beginning  of  the 
twelfth  century.  His  journal  is  one  of  the  earliest  documents  of  the  old 
Slavonic  language,  and  was  first  printed  in  "  Puteshestwia  Rnsskich  ludei  w 
tchuja  zemli,"  or  "  Travels  of  the  Russians  in  foreign  Lands,"  St.  Petersburg, 
1837.  8. 

*  c.  1150.  el-Edeisi  Geographia  Universalis,  containing  an  account  of 
Palestine  about  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century.  Extracts  in  Arabic,  Rome 
1392.  4to.  Madrid  1799.  8vo.  French,  Geographic  d'EoEisi,  par  P.  A.  Jau- 
hert,  Tom.  I.  Paris  1836.  4to.  The  part  which  treats  of  Syria,  is  printed  in 
Arabic  and  Latin  in  Rosenmuller's  Analecta  Arabica,  P.  H.  Lips.  1828.' 

*  1160-73.  Benjamin  Ttoelexsis  Itinerarium,  Travels  of  Benjamin  of 
Tudela,  a  Spanish  Jew.  Often  printed  e.  g.  Hebraice  cum  Vers,  et  notis 
Const.  VEmpereur,  Lugd.  Bat.  1633.  8.  French,  Voyages  de  RahM  Benjamin, 
etc.  par  J.  P.  Baratier,  2  Tom.  Amst.  1734.  8 ;  also  in  another  version  in 
Bergeron's  Voyages,  Tom.  I.  la  Haye  1735.  4.  Eng.  Travels  of  Ealii  Ben- 
jamin, Lond.  1783.  12mo.  Hebrew  and  English,  by  A.  Asher,  with  Xotes,  2 
vols.  Berlin,  1840.  This  last  is  the  best  edition  of  all,  and  is  the  one  con- 
stantly referred  to  in  the  text.  Also  in  "Wright's  Early  Trav.  in  Pal.  p.  63 
sq.  Rabbi  Benjamin  has  often  been  reproached  as  being  full  of  inaccuracies 
and  fables,  and  as  never  having  visited  the  countries  he  describes.  But  the 
former  faults  are  common  to  the  writers  of  that  age ;  and  I  have  found  his 
account  of  Palestine,  so  far  as  it  goes,  to  be  that  of  an  eyewitness,  and  quite 
as  accurate  and  trustworthy  as  any  of  the  narratives  of  those  days. 

c.  1175—80.    R.  Petaohle  Peregrinatio  etc.  Eeb.  et  Lat.  in  "Wagenseil 
"  Exercitationes  sex  Varii  Argument!,"  Altorf,  1687.  4.  Alt.  et  Norimb.  1719. 
4.    Hebrew  and  French,  Tour  du  Monde  ou  Voyages  du  Jt.  Pethachia,  par 
M.  E.  Carmoly,  Paris  1831.  8.    Rabbi  Petachia  was  a  Jew  of  Ratisbon;  his 
»  Itinerary  is  of  far  less  value  than  the  preceding  work  of  Rabbi  Benjamin. 

1175.    Geeiiai'.di,  Friderici  I.  in  jEgyptam  et  Syriam  ad  Saladinum 

*  The  histories  of  Fnlcher,  WiUiam  of  '  It  is  not  certain  that  Edrisi  had  him- 
Tyre,  and  Jacob  de  "Vitry,  are  inserted  in  self  visited  Syria  ;  but  his  description  is  of 
this  list  on  account  of  the  many  valuable  too  much  importance  not  to  be  meutioued 
topogral)hical  notices  contained  in  them.  here. 


App.  I.] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


537 


legati,  Ithicrariu7n,  A.  D.  1175;  in  the  "Clironica  Slavonica  Helmoldi  et 
Arnoldi  Abbatis  Lubicensis,"  ed.  Bangart,  Lub.  1702.  4.  p.  516  sq.  Gerhard 
travelled  from  Egypt  to  Damascus  by  way  of  Sinai  and  the  east  side  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  passing  through  Bostra.  The  Itinerary  is  inserted  by  Arnold  of 
Lubeck  in  his  Chronicle ;  it  is  brief  and  of  httle  importance. 

*  1182-85.  WiLLEEMTJS  (GriL.)  Tyeensis  Ektoria  Rerum  in  partibtts 
trammarinis  gestarum  etc.  seu  Historia  Belli  Sacri ;  printed  Basel  1549.  ib. 
1560.  ib.  1583.  Also  in  Bongars'  Gesta  Dei  per  Francos,  Hanov.  1611.  fol. 
This  writer,  the  chief  and  most  important  historian  of  the  crusades,  was 
made  archbishop  of  Tyre  in  A.  D.  1174.  He  commenced  his  history  in  A.  D. 
1182,  (see  lib.  1.  3,)  and  brought  it  down  in  twenty- two  books  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  crusades  to  the  raising  of  the  siege  of  Kerak  by  Saladin, 
A.  D.  1184.    This  work  contains  many  valuable  topographical  notices. 

1185.  Joannes  Phooas  de  Locis  Sanctis  etc.  Gr.  et  Lat.  in  the  Symmihta 
of  Leo  AUatins,  Colon.  Agr.  1653.  8.  Venet.  1733.  fol.  The  Latin  version 
is  also  printed  in  the  Acta  Sanctorum,  Maii  Tom.  II.  p.  i.  Phocas  was  a 
Cretan  by  birth,  and  lived  as  a  monk  in  Patmos.  He  makes  no  allusion  to 
the  crusaders.    The  above  date  is  that  assigned  by  L.  Allatius. 

*  c.  1190.  En  quel  estat  la  Citez  de  JTiermalem  et  li  seins  Lieu  estoient 
d  ce  jour. — This  very  curious  and  important  tract  contains  a  topographical 
description  of  the  Holy  City,  as  it  was  when  Saladin  wrested  it  from  the 
Franks  in  October,  1187  ;  see  the  first  paragraph.  The  tract  was  first  pub- 
lished in  the  great  work  Assises  de  Jerusalem,  edited  by  Count  Beugnot, 
Paris  1843,  fol.  Tom.  H.  p.  531  sq.  Reprinted  in  the  App.  to  Schuhz 
Jerusalem,  Berlin  1845,  p.  107.  Williams'  Holy  City,  1849,  Vol.  I.  App.  p. 
134.  Also  in  App.  H,  of  this  volume,  next  after  the  present  list  of  books. 

*  e.  1200.  BoHAEDDiN  Vita  et  Res  gesta  Saladini,  Arab,  et  Lat.  ed.  A. 
Sehultens  ;  cum  Ind.  Geograph.  Lngd.  Bat.  1735.  fol.  and  with  a  new  title- 
page,  ibid.  1755.  Saladin  died  A.  D.  1193.  Bohaeddin  was  his  secretary  and 
companion.  The  Geographical  Index  of  Sehultens  is  valuable  for  the  Arabic 
topography  of  Palestine  and  Syria. 

c.  1200.  Gaffrid  (Jeffeet)  Vinisaxjf  Lter  Hierosolymitanum  Regis 
Anglorum  Richardi  1 ;  in  Historiae  Anglic.  Scriptores  ed.  Gale,  Tom.  II.  p. 
247  sq.    English  in  Bohn's  Chronicles  of  the  Cnisaders,  pp.  65-339. 

1210.  Samuel  Bar  Simson.^  Itineraire  de  Palestine,  in  Carmoly's  Itineraires 
de  la  Tere  Sainte,  Brux.  1847. 

1211.  Willebeandi  ab  Oldenborg  Itinerarium  Terra  Sanctw,  printed 
in  the  Symmihta  of  Leo  Allatius,  Colon.  Agr.  1653.  8.  "Venet.  1733.  foL 
The  author  was  Canon  at  Hildesheim. 

1217.  Thetmari  (Magistri)  Iter  ad  Terram  Sanctam,  ed.  T.  Toller,  1851. 
— Historia  de  dispositione  Terrm  Sanctm,  ed.  G.  M.  Laurent,  Eamb.  1852. 

*  c.  1220.  Jaoobi  de  Viteiaoo  Historia  Hierosolymitana,  Duaci 
(Douay)  1597.  8vo.  Also  in  Bongars'  Gesta  Dei  per  Francos,  Hanov.  1611. 
fol.  and  in  Martini  et  Durand  Thesaur.  nov.  Anecdot.  Tom.  III.  Lut.  Par. 
1717.  The  writer,  a  French  priest,  became  bishop  of  'Akka,  and  composed 
his  history  about  A.  D.  1220,  after  the  first  capture  of  Damietta  in  A.  D- 
1219.   Ho  died  A.  D.  1240.    See  Histoire  Lit.  de  France,  T.  XVIII.  p.  224. 


538 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTIKE. 


[App.  L 


To  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries  belong  also  the  following  Itineraries 
and  Collections,  six  in  number : 

I.  EuGESipprs  de  dktantiis  Locorvm  Terra  Sancta^  Gr.  et  Lat.  in  the 
SymmiTcta  of  Leo  AUatius,  Colon.  Agr.  1653.8.  Yenet.  1733.  fol.  To  this 
tract  Allatius  has  prefixed  the  date  A.  D.  1040 ;  bnt  the  writer  on  the  third 
page  speaks  of  the  fortress  Mons  Eegalis  in  Arabia  Petrasa  as  having  been 
built  up  by  King  Baldwin  I.  of  Jerusalem ;  and  this  took  place  in  A.  D.  1115. 
See  Will.  Tyr.  11.  26. 

IT.  Epipiiaxii  Hagiopolit^  Enarratio  Syria,  Urlis  Sanctce,  etc  Gr.  et 
Lat.  in  the  Symmilcta  of  Leo  Allatius,  as  above.  The  writer  was  a  Syrian 
monk.  The  date  of  the  tract  is  uncertain ;  but  it  seems  to  be  later  than  that 
of  Phocas,  and  earlier  than  the  destruction  of  the  monasteries  on  Mount 
Tabor  just  after  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century. 

111.  JoHAXMS  WiBZBUEGiEXSis  i)e«cri^iio  7<srr«E  &incto,  inPezii  Thesanr. 
Anecdotor.  Tom.  I.  P.  III.  p.  483.  Fabricius  places  this  writer  in  the  early 
part  of  the  12th  century;  Meusel  in  the  13th.    The  tract  has  little  value. 

rV.  *  Gesta  Dei  per  Francos,  etc.  (ed.  J.  Bongars,)  Hanoviae,  1611.  fol. 
This  volume  contains,  besides  the  histories  of  Fulcher,  William  of  Tyre,  and 
Jacob  de  Vitry,  various  tracts  by  cotemporary  authors  on  the  history  of 
the  crusades,  e.  g.  Raimund  de  Agiles,  Albert  Aquensis,  Guibert,  and  others. 

v.*  REixAro  Eitraits  des  Sistoriens  Ardbes  relatifs  aux  Guerres  des 
CroUades,  Paris,  1829.  8. 

YI.  In  Hakluyt's  Yoyages,  Yol.  11.  Part  I,  are  contained  historical  notices 
of  many  English  pilgrims  and  crusaders  to  the  Holy  Land  during  the  same 
centuries ;  but  they  afford  no  geographical  details  of  any  great  value. 

c.  1247.  Jacobi  Paxtaleoxis  Liler  de  Terra  Sancta.  This  writer,  a 
French  priest,  became  Latin  patriarch  of  Jerusalem  in  A.  D.  1252.  The 
tract  here  cited  is  mentioned  by  Adrichomius,  p.  287  ;  but  I  have  fotmd  no 
other  notice  of  it,  and  cannot  learn  that  it  was  ever  printed.  See  le  Quien 
Oriens  Christ.  III.  p.  1257. 

1258.  Jacob  de  Pabis  Description  des  Tombeaux  Sacret ;  in  Carmoly's  Itine- 
raires  de  la  Terre  Sainte,  Brux.  1847. 

*  c.  1283.  Bbocaedi  (Borcardi,  Burchardi)  Locorum  Terra  Sancta  D&- 
acriptio,  Yenet.  1519.  8vo.  Printed  also  in  Sim.  Grynai  Novas  Orbis  Re- 
gionum,  etc.  fol.  Basil.  1532.  ibid.  1555.  Ed.  R.  Reineccio,  Magdeb.  1587.  4, 
along  with  the  Itinerary  of  B.  de  Saligniaco.  Ed.  J.  Clerieo,  appended  to 
Euseb.  et  Hieron.  Onomasticon,  fol.  Anist.  1707,  after  the  edition  of  Gry- 
nfeus,  and  reprinted  in  Ugolini  Thesaur.  Tom.  YI.  A  different  recension  is 
given  by  Canisius  in  Thesaur.  Monumentor.  Eccl.  et  Histor.  ed.  Basnage, 
Tom.  lY.  p.  9.  German  in  Reissbuch  des  heil.  Landes. — This  tract  of  Bro- 
cardus  appears  to  have  been  a  favourite  in  the  convents,  and  was  frequently 
transcribed.  Indeed,  the  monks  would  seem  to  have  often  occupied  themselves 
in  writing  out  this  and  other  like  tracts  in  a  different  form  and  style ;  thus 
giving,  as  it  were,  a  new  recension  of  them.  There  are  many  manuscripts  of 
Brocardus  extant ;  and  even  the  printed  copies  exhibit,  according  to  Beck- 
mann,  not  less  than  four  such  recensions.    I  have  myself  compared  the  edi- 


[App.I. 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


539 


tions  of  Reineccius,  le  Olerc,  and  Canisius ;  and  although  the  facts  and  the 
order  of  them  are  in  general  the  same,  yet  the  language  is  different ;  while 
each  has  many  additions  and  omissions  as  compared  with  the  rest.  Indeed, 
two  difterent  writers  of  this  name  have  sometimes  been  assumed,  in  order 
to  account  for  this  discrepancy ;  though  without  sufficient  ground.  Compare 
the  parallel,  though  less  striking  cases,  of  St.  Willibald  and  St.  Bernard 
above. — In  like  manner  there  is  great  uncertainty  as  to  the  date.  All  editors 
refer  the  tract  to  the  thirteenth  century ;  some  to  the  early  part,  and  some 
to  the  close ;  but  the  weight  of  authority  seems  to  lean  towards  the  latter 
period,  or  about  A.  D.  1280.  Adrichomius  assigns  the  year  1283  ;  p.  287: 
See  Beckmann  1.  c.  Vol.  II.  p.  31  sq.  Brocardus  himself  speaks  of  Mount 
Tabor  as  desolated,  which  took  place  in  A.  D.  1263 ;  cap.  6.  p.  175. — The 
edition  referred  to  in  the  present  work  is  that  of  le  Clerc. 

*  1300-30.  Abulfed^  Tabula  Syria,  Arab,  et  Lat.  ed.  J.  B.  Kohler,  Lips. 
1766.  4.  Also  Descriptio  Arabics,  Ar.  et  Lat.  ed.  J.  Greaves,  in  Hudson's 
Geographise  vet.  Scriptores  Minorcs,  Tom.  III.  Oxon.  1712.  8. — Abulfeda 
was  Emir  of  Hamah  in  Syria,  and  describes  the  country  as  an  eyewitness. 
A  complete  edition  of  his  whole  geographical  work  in  the  original  Arabic, 
was  commenced  in  Paris  in  1837  by  Reinaud  and  Mac  Guckin  de  Slane. 

*  1314-22.  EsTHOEi  B.  Mose  nA-PAEcm,  Ehafthor  va-ferach,  in  Rabbinic. 
Parchi  was  a  Jewish  scholar,  born  in  Provence.  He  visited  Egypt  and  was 
at  Cairo  in  1313 ;  but  soon  went  to  Palestine,  and  settled  down  in  Beisan. 
Here  he  spent  seven  years  in  exploring  the  country ;  two  of  which  were 
devoted  to  Galilee.  His  work  was  completed  in  1322 ;  and  contains,  besides 
various  other  things,  a  list  of  places  visited  by  him  and  many  valuable  to- 
pographical notices.  The  book  was  printed  at  Venice  about  1549 ;  and  is  now 
very  rare.  See  Zunz  in  Asher's  Benj.  of  Tud.  II.  p.  260-263.  Most,  if  not 
all,  of  the  topographical  portions  of  R.  Parchi's  work  were  translated  by 
Zunz,  and  are  given  in  the  same  volume,  pp.  397-448.  This  work  of  Parchi 
is  by  far  the  most  important  Jewish  Itinerary  in  the  Holy  Land ;  and  several 
ancient  places,  supposed  to  have  been  recently  first  identified,  were  already 
recognised  by  him ;  e.  g.  Legio  (LejjOn)  as  the  ancient  Megiddo. 

*  1321.  MAErars  Santjtus  Liber  Secretorum  fidelium  Crucis,  etc.  printed 
in  the  '  Gesta  Dei  per  Francos,'  Tom.  II.  The  author  was  a  noble  Venetian; 
had  travelled  much  in  the  east,  and  apparently  visited  Palestine ;  and  busied 
himself  for  many  years  with  a  plan  for  the  recovery  of  that  country  by  the 
Christians.  The  third  book  contains  a  description  of  the  Holy  Land.  The 
year  A.  D.  1321  was  that  in  which  he  presented  his  work  to  the  pope ;  seep.  1. 

1322-56.  The  Voiage  and  Travaile  of  Sir  John  Maundeville  Kt.  extant 
in  many  manuscripts  and  editions,  in  English,  French,  Italian,  German  and 
Latin ;  latest  edition  Lond.  1839.  8 ;  also  in  Wright's  Early  Trav.  in  Pal.  p.  127 
sq.  German  in  Reissbuch  des  heil.  Landes. — Sir  John  has  been  usually  regarded 
as  a  teller  of  marvellous  stories ;  but  having  followed  his  route  from  Egypt 
to  Jerusalem,  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say,  that  his  stories  are  not  more 
marvellous  than  those  of  most  other  pilgrims  of  those  days ;  while  his  book, 
thus  far,  is  quite  as  correct  as  most  modern  travels  in  the  same  regions,  and 
much  more  amusing. 


540 


BOOKS  OX  PALESTINE. 


[App.  I. 


1324-25.  Trace?*  0/ Ibn  Batuta,  translated  from  the  Arabic  by  Prof. 
Lee,  Lend.  1829.  4. — The  part  on  Palestine  occupies  only  four  pages,  pp. 
19-22. 

133-t.  IsHAK  Chixo,  Les  chemins  de  Jerusalem^  in  Carmoly,  Itin^raires 
etc.  p.  217  sq. 

1336.  GuLiELM  DE  Baldensel  Hodaporicon  ad  Terram  Samtam,  printed 
in  Canisii  Thesaur.  Monumentor.  ed.  Basnage,  Tom.  lY.  p.  331.  Not  without 
merit.    See  BecVmann,  I.  p.  226. 

*  1336-41.  LrDOLPHi  (sen  Petei)  de  Suchem  Libellvs  de  Itineread  Ter- 
xam  Sanctam,  Venet.  sine  anno,  4to.  German,  Rudolf  ton  Suoiiem,  Von 
dem  gelobten  Land  xtnd  Weg  gegen  JTierumlem^  sine  loc.  [Augsb.]  1477.  4to. 
Also  in  Reissbuch  des  heil.  Landes.  Latest  and  best  edition  by  F.  Deycks, 
Stuttg.  1851.  See  the  Preface  by  Deycks. — Ludolph  (German  Rudolf)  or  Peter 
■was  vicar  (Kirchherr)  at  Suchem  in  the  diocese  of  Paderborn.  His  journal  is 
"written  with  great  simplicity,  and  has  something  of  the  marvellous;  but  is 
decidedly  the  best  Itinerary  of  the  fourteenth  century. 

1346.  RtjDOLPH  DE  Frametxsperg,  Itinerarium  in  Palcestinam,  ad  Mon- 
tem  Sinai,  etc.  printed  in  Canisii  Thesaur.  Monumentor.  Eccl.  ed.  Basnage, 
T.  IV.  p.  358. — This  tract  occupies  only  two  folio  pages ;  and  would  not  be 
worth  mentioning,  except  for  the  sake  of  completeness. 

c.  1349.  Stephen  of  Novgorod,  Journey  to  the  Holy  Land  about  A.  D. 
1349.    In  the  Russian  Travels  described  above  under  Daniel,  A,  D.  1125. 

To  the  14th  or  15th  century  belongs  apparently  the  anonymous  tract  de 
Locis  Hlerosolymitanis,  Gr.  et  Lat.  in  the  Symmikta  of  Leo  Allatius,  Colon. 
Agr.  1653.  8.  Venet.  1733.  fol. — The  tract  is  written  almost  in  modern  Greek ; 
and  this  and  the  contents  show  it  to  be  quite  late. 

1384.  Viaggio  di  Lionaedo  di  Nioolo  Feescobaldi  in  Egitto  ed  in  Terra 
Santa,  Roma  1818.  8. 

1384.  Viaggio  al  Monte  Sinai  di  Simone  Sigoli,  Milano  1841.  8.  The 
author  travelled  with  Frescobaldi. 

1420,  SosiM  (Hierodiaconus)  Journey  to  the  Holy  Land;  in  the  Russian 
Travels  cited  above  under  Daniel^  A.  D.  1125. 

1432-33.  Berteandon  de  la  BEOCQriERE,  Travels  to  Palestine,  etc. 
French  in  the  Memoires  de  Flnstitut,  Tom.  V.  English  by  T.  Johnes,  Herford 
1807.  8.   Also  in  Wright's  Eariy  Trav.  in  Pal.  p.  283  sq. 

1438.  Ehah  de  Taerare,  Vamour  de  Sion,  a  Jewish  Itinerary ;  in  Car- 
moly, Itineraires  etc.  p.  324  sq. 

1449.  Steph.  von  Gumpenberg  (und  Andere),  Wahrhaftige  Beschreyh- 
ung  der  Meerfarth  in  das  heil.  Land,  Frankf.  1561.  4.  Also  in  Reissbuch  des 
heil.  Landes. — Of  little  value. 

1466.  Basilitts  (a  merchant  of  Moscow)  Journey  to  the  Holy  Land;  in 
the  Russian  Travels  cited  under  Daniel,  A.  D.  1125. 

1470.  Jelal  ED-DiN,  History  of  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem.  Translated 
from  Arabic  MSS.  by  Rev.  James  Reynolds.  Lond.  1836.  8vo.  A  mass  of 
Muhammedan  legends  with  very  slight  notices  of  facts ;  u  work  very  far  infe- 
rior in  value  to  that  of  Mejr  ed-Din  in  1495. — The  name  is  more  correctly  A'e- 
mal  ed-Dln;  see  von  Hammer  in  the  Wiener  Jahrbiicher,  LXXXI,  p.  22  sq. 


App.L] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


541 


14T6.  Hans  von  Mkegenthal,  Reise  iind  Meerfahrt  Eenn  Albrechta 
Herzog  zu  Sacksen  in  das  heil.  Land  nach  Jerusalem^  Leipz.  1586.  4.  Leyd. 
1602.  4. 

1479-80.  Hans  Tuohee's  Heyssbeschreibung,  Augsb.  1482.  fol.  Nurnb. 
1482.  4.  ib.  1483.  4.  Augsb.  1486.  fol.  Frankf.  1561.  4.  Also  in  Eeissbuch  des 
heil.  Landes. 

1481-83.  Voyage  van  loosmn  Ghistele,  to  Ghend  1557.  4.  ib.  1572.  4. 
loost  van  Ghistele,  a  Flemish  nobleman,  travelled  to  Palestine  in  1481-83, 
accompanied  by  his  chaplain,  Ambrose  Zeebout.  The  latter  wrote  this 
description  of  the  journey  in  the  old  Flemish  dialect. 

*  1483-84.  Beenh.  de  Bbetdenbaoh,  Itinerarium  Hierosolymitanum.  ac 
in  Terram  Sanctam,  Mogunt.  1486.  fol.  Spira3  1490.  fol.  ib.  1502.  fol.  German, 
Die  heiligen  Jteisen  gen  Jhermalem,  etc.  Maynz,  li86.  fol.  Augsb.  1488.  fol. 
Also  in  Eeissbuch  des  heil.  Landes.  Printed  likewise  in  French  and  Dutch. — 
Breydenbach  was  dean  of  the  cathedral  in  Mayence;  and  travelled  to  Jeru- 
salem and  thence  to  Mount  Sinai  with  the  Count  of  Solms  and  several  others. 
This  journal  has  been  highly  esteemed ;  but  is  less  exact  than  that  of  his  co- 
temporary  Felix  Fabri.   See  the  next  article. 

*  1483-84.  Felix  Fabri  (Schmidt)  Eigentliche  Beschreybung  der  Hin- 
und  Wiederfarth  zu  dem  heil.  Land  gen  Jerusalem,  sine  loc.  1556.4.  Also 
in  Eeissbuch  des  heil.  Landes.  Complete  edition :  F.  Fabri  Evagatorium  in 
Terra  Sanctce,  Arabics,  et  uiEgypti  Peregrinationem,  edidit  C.  D.  Hassler, 
Stuttg.  1843.  8.  3  Bde. — Fehx,  a  Dominican  friar  and  preacher  at  TJlra,  first 
visited  the  Holy  Land  in  A.  D.  1480.  In  1483  he  again  went  thither  in  com- 
pany with  Hans  Werli  von  Zimber  and  others.  From  Jerusalem  to  Sinai, 
this  party  and  that  of  Breydenbach  travelled  together.  On  comparing  the 
two  accounts,  I  find  that  of  Fabri  to  be  more  full  and  accurate ;  and  wherev- 
er there  is  a  discrepancy,  (as  at  Hebron, )  the  latter  is  to  be  preferred.  There 
is  not  the  slightest  ground  for  the  supposition  sometimes  made,  that  this 
work  and  that  of  Breydenbach  were  originally  the  same.  Sec  the  preface  to 
the  edition  of  1556. 

Note.  Thus  far  the  list  of  printed  works  is  nearly,  if  not  quite,  complete. 
At  least,  no  work  of  any  importance  is  omitted.  About  this  time  pilgrima- 
ges to  the  Holy  Land,  or  at  least  descriptions  of  them,  seem  to  have  become 
more  frequent.  Nobles  travelled  thither  with  a  suite  of  attendants ;  and  se- 
veral meagre  journals  of  this  kind  and  at  this  period  are  contained  in  the  Eeiss- 
buch. Such  are  the  Itineraries  of  Alexander  Palatine  of  the  Ehine,  and  of 
John  Lewis  Count  of  Nassau,  in  1495 ;  and  that  of  Bogislaus  X,  duke  of  Po- 
merania,  in  1496. — Henceforward  the  list  comprises  only  the  more  important 
or  popular  works. 

*  1495.  Mejr  kd-Din,  History  of  Jerusalem.,  translated  from  the  Arabic 
into  French  by  Von  Hammer  in  Fundgruben  des  Orients,  Vol.  II.  pp.  81, 118, 
375,  etc.  Extracts  in  English  in  Williams'  Holy  City,  1849,  Vol.  I.  App.  p. 
143  sq. — The  author  speaks  of  writing  in  A.  H.  900,  i.  e.  A.  D.  1495;  see  p. 
876.    This  is  the  fullest  Arabic  description  of  the  Holy  City. 

1507-8.  Maetini  a  Baumgauten  in  Braitenbach  Peregrinatio  in  Egyp- 
Vol.  IL— 46 


542 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE, 


[App.  L 


tarn,  Arabiam,  Palwstinam,  et  Syriam,  ITorimb.  1594. 4.  English,  in  Churchill's 
Coll.  of  Voyages,  Lond.  1704. — Brief,  but  evidently  the  remarks  of  an  intel- 
ligent observer. 

1507-8.  Gkoegh  (Prioris  Gemnicensis)  Ephemerk,  sive  Diarium  Pere- 
grinationis  jEgypti,  Montis  Sinai,  Terrce  Sanctw  et  Syriw;  printed  in  Pezii 
Thesaiir.  Anecdot.  T.  II.  iii.  p.  453. 

1507-8.  Ansklmi  Descriptio  Terrcs  Sanctce,  in  Canisii  Thesaur,  Monu- 
mentor.  Eccl.  ed.  Basnage,  T.  IV.  p.  776.  The  author  was  a  Franciscan 
monk,  of  the  Minores  de  Observantia.    The  tract  has  little  value. 

1519.  Ltjdwig  TsomiDi  von  Glarus,  Eeyss  und  Pilgerfarth  zum  lieiligen 
Grab,  St.  Gallen  1606.  4. 

1522.  Barthol.  dk  Saligniaco  Itinerariuvi  Hierosolymitanum  et  Terra; 
Sanctw  Descriptio,  Lugd.  Segus.  1526.  4.  Also  Magdeb.  1587.  4,  appended  to 
Brocardus. — The  author  divides  his  little  work  into  TisiTOe*  instead  of  Sections. 

*  1546—49.  PiEEEK  Belon  du  Mans,  Observations  de  plusievrs  singvlari- 
tez  et  choses  memorables  trouxees  en  Ch-ece,  Asie,  Judee,  Egypte,  Arahie,  etc. 
Paris  1553.  8.  Ibid.  1555.  8.  Augmentez,  Paris  1588.  4.  Latin,  Antv.  1589. 
8.  English,  Lond.  1 693.  8.  Extracts  in  German  in  Paulas'  Sammlung  der  Kei- 
sen,  etc.  Th.  I.  II. — Belon  was  an  intelligent  and  accurate  observer. 

1552-59.  BoNiFAcn  a  Ragusio  Liber  de  perenni  culiu  Terra  Sander, 
Venet.  1573.  8.— Bonifacius  was  a  Franciscan,  and  was  Guardian  of  the  IIolj 
Sepulchre  for  nine  years.  He  also  bears  the  title  '  episcopus  Stagni. '  The 
work  is  often  quoted  by  Quaresmius ;  but  I  have  been  able  to  find  no  other 
trace  of  it.  See  Quaresm.  Elucid.  T.  I.  Praif.  p.  xxxv.  Wadding  Annal. 
Minorum,  A.  D.  1342.  LXXII. 

1565-66.  JoH.  Helffrich,  Bericlit  von  der  Reise  am  Venedig  nach  Hie- 
rusalem,  in  Aegypien,  auf  den  Berg  Sinai,  etc.  Leipz.  1581.  4.  Also  in 
Eeissbuch  des  heil.  Landes. 

1565-67.  Cheistoph.  FiiREK  ab  'E.mn&[i&orf,  Itinerarium  uEgypti,  Ara- 
M(B,  Palestinm,  Syr  ice,  etc.  Norimb.  1620.  4.  German,  Reisebeschreibung  in 
Aegypten,  Arabien,  Palastina,  etc.    Niirnb.  1646.  4. 

*  1573-76.  Leonh.  Rauwolf,  Aigentliche  Besclireibung  der  Reyss  so  er 
ain  die  Morgenldnder,  fdrnehmlich  Syriam,  liiddam,  etc.  selbst  vollbraclit, 
3  Theile,  Augsb.  1581.  4.  Frankf.  1582.  4.  With  a  fourth  or  botanical  part, 
Laugingen  1583.  4.  Also  in  Reissbuch  des  heil.  Landes.  English,  in  Ray's 
Coll.  of  curious  Voyages  and  Travels,  Vol.  I.  Lond.  1693.  8.  ib.  1705.  8.— 
Rauwolf  was  a  physician  and  botanist;  and  his  journal  is  one  of  the  most 
important  in  the  sixteenth  century.  See  Beckmann  1.  c.  Vol.  I.  p.  1. 
VoL  II.  p.  170, 

1576-81.  Salom.  ScnwEiGGER's  Beschrcibung  der  Reiss  aus  Tubingen 
nach  Constanti7iopel  vnd  Jerusalem,  Niirnb.  1608.  4.  ibid.  1C14,  1619,  1639, 
1664.  4.  Also  in  Reissbuch  des  heil.  Lande.s,  Ed.  2. — Schweiggor  was  a  Pro- 
testant theologian  of  Tiibingcn.    His  work  atlbrds  little  information. 

1579-84.  Hans  Jac.  Bkeuning  von  und  zu  Buochonbach,  Orientalische 
Heyss  in  der  Turkey  etc.  benanntlich  in  Griechenland,  Egypten,  Arabien,  Pa- 
lastina, und  Syrien,  Strasb,  1612,  fol.  The  author  has  occasionally  copied 
Bauwolf.   The  book  is  now  very  rare.   See  Beckmann  Vol.  I.  p  269. 


App.  I.]  BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE.  543 

1583-84.  Nic.  CnnisTOPn.  (Principis)  F\,\vziyil  Jerosolymitana  Peregri- 
natio,  primum  a  Th.  Tretero  ex  Polonico  Sermone  in  Latinum  translata, 
Brunsberg  1601.  fol.  Antv.  1614.  fol.  German,  Ilierosolymitanische  Rcyse 
und  Weg/uhrt,  Mainz  1602.  4.    Also  in  Reissbuch  des  hell.  Landes,  Edit.  2. 

*  1586.  Jean  Zuallart  (Giovanni  Zuallardo)  Tl  devotissimo  Vinggio  di 
Giernmltmme,  Roma  1587.  4.  ib.  1595.  8.  ib.  1597.  8.  Afterwards  in 
French  by  the  author,  enlarged,  Tren  devot  Voyage,  de  Jerusalem,  etc.  An- 
vers  1608.  4;  and  with  a  new  title,  ib.  1626.  4.  German  nnder  the  title: 
Joh.  Schwallarfs  Delicice  Hierosolymitance,  oder  Pilgerfart  in  das  heil.  Land, 
Ciiln  1 606.  4 ;  also  in  Reissbnch  des  heil.  Landes,  Edit.  2.  The  Italian  and 
French  editions  differ  considerably.  The  form  of  the  name  (Zuallardo  or  Zual- 
lart) shows  which  is  referred  to. — Zuallart  was  a  Fleming  by  birth ;  and 
made  his  journey  to  Jerusalem  after  having  resided  at  Rome.  His  book  was 
first  printed  several  times  in  Italian  at  Rome ;  but  he  afterwards  returned  to 
his  native  country,  and  published  the  work  anew  in  French  in  an  improved 
form  at  Antwerp.  Both  the  Italian  and  French  editions  have  quite  a  number 
of  engravings  of  objects  in  and  around  Jerusalem,  apparently  from  his  own 
drawings;  which,  though  having  little  merit,  became  very  popular.  In  the 
sixth  book  are  collected  the  prayers,  hymns,  etc.  repeated  and  chanted  by 
the  monks  at  the  various  holy  places. 

*  To  this  period  belongs  the  Eeyssbuch  des  heiligen  Landes,  Frankf.  1584. 
fol.  This  is  a  collection  of  the  Journals  of  various  travellers  in  the  Holy 
Land,  in  the  German  language,  either  original  or  translated,  made  by  Sigis- 
mund  Feyerabend,  a  bookseller  of  Frankfort,  and  lience  sometimes  known  as 
the  Feyerabendscke  Sammlung,  "  Feyerabend's  Collection."  Of  the  authors 
already  enumerated  the  original  Reissbuch  contains  Brocardm,  Maundeville, 
Ludolf  von  Suchem,  Gumpenhcrg,  Tucker,  Breydenhach,  Felix  Fdbri,  Helffric\ 
and  Eawwolf,  besides  nine  others ;  in  all  eighteen. — Another  edition,  with  a 
second  part  containing  the  journals  of  Schweigger,  Radzivil,  and  Zuallart 
(Schwallart),  somewhat  abridged,  appeared  under  the  title :  Bewahrtes  Reisg- 
huch  des  heiligen  L-tndes,  etc.  Frankf.  1609.  fol.  Also  with  only  anew  title- 
page,  Frankf.  1629.    Nurnb.  1659. 

1589.  Dk  Villamont  Voyages  [en  Italic  et  en  Palestine],  Paris  1600.  8. 
ib.  1604.  8.    Arras  1605.  8.    Lyon  1606.  8.    Paris  1614.  8. 

c.  1590.  Pant.  d'Aveyro  Itinerario  da  Terra  Santa  et  todaf  suas  Parti- 
cularidadcs,  Lisboa  1593.  4.    ib.  1600  4. 

1596.  Been.  Amico,  Trattato  delle  pianfe  e  imagine  de''  sncri  edijizi  di 
Terra  Santa,  disegnati  in  Jerusalemme,  Roma  1609.  fol.  Firenze  1620  fol. — 
The  author  was  Prncses  (vicar)  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  in  1596.  The  work 
has  been  chiefly  esteemed  on  account  of  the  plates;  which  however  have  very 
little  merit. 

1596.  Ger.  Daxdini,  Missione  Apostolica  al  Patriarca  e  Maroniti  del 
Monte  Libano,  Cesena  1656.  French:  Voyage  dw Mont  Liban,  traduit  de 
Vltalien  du  R.  P.  Jerome  Dandini,  jjar  R.  S.  P.  (Richard  Simon,)  Paris" 
1675.  18mo. 

*  1598-99.  Jon.  Cotovious  (Kootwyk),  Itinerarium  Hierosohjmitanum 
et  Syriacum,  Antv.  1619.  4. — ^Kootwyk  was  Doctor  of  Laws  at  Utrecht;  and 


544 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


[App.  I 


a  close  and  judicious  observer.  His  work  is  more  complete  and  important 
than  any  other  of  the  sixteenth  or  preceding  centuries.  Yet  he  seems  to 
have  made  considerable  use  of  the  Voyage  of  Zuallart ;  his  engi-avings,  at 
least,  are  all  exact  copies  of  those  contained  in  that  work.  He  is  very  full 
in  respect  to  the  monastic  rites  and  ceremonies ;  and  gives  the  prayers  and 
hymns  repeated  by  the  monks  at  the  various  holy  places ;  but  these  also  seem 
to  have  been  copied  by  him  from  Zuallart's  sixth  book. 

1598-99.  Don  Aquilante  Rochetta  Peregrinatione  di  Terra  Santa,  etc. 
Palermo  1630.  4.    The  plates  are  from  Zuallart. 

1609-27.  "Will.  Lithgow,  Discourse  of  a  Peregrination  from  Scotland  to 
the  most  famous  Kingdoms  in  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  Lond.  1632,  4. 
ibid.  1646.  4.    Dutch,  Amst.  1652.  4.— Negligent  and  of  little  value. 

*  1610-11.  Geoege  Sandys'  Travailes,  containing  a  IlistQry  of  tTie 
Turkish  Empire,  etc.  a  Description  of  the  Holy  Land,  of  Jermalem,  etc.  with 
afty  graven  Maps  and  Figures,  fol.  Lond.  1615,1621;  sixth  ed.  1658,  etc. 
Dutch,  Amst.  1654.4.  ib.  1665.  4.  Germ.  Frankf.  1669.  8.— The  author 
writes  with  quaint  simplicity  and  undoubted  fidelity.  The  engravings,  which 
refer  to  Jerusalem  and  the  vicinity,  are  copied  directly  from  Cotovicus,  tboagh 
ultimately  from  Zuallart. 

1614-26.  PiETEO  DELLA  Valle  Viaggi  descritti  da  lui  medesimo  in  let- 
terefamigliari,  3  Tom.  Roma  1650-53.  French,  Paris  1661.  4.  ibid.  1664.4. 
ibid.  1745.  8.  Amst.  1766.  8.  etc.  Enghsh,  Lond.  1665.  fol.  Dutch,  Amst. 
1664-65.  4.  German,  Genf  1674.  fol. — Easy  and  superficial.  The  author 
was  the  first  to  procure  for  Europe  a  copy  of  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch. 

c.  1615.  Heney  Timbeelake,  A  true  and  strange  Discourse  of  the  Tra- 
vels of  tico  English  Pilgrims  towards  Jerxtsalem,  Gaza,  Grand  Cairo,  ete. 
Lond.  1616.    Also  in  the  Harleian  Miscellany,  Vol.  L  p.  327. 

*  1616-25.  Feancisoi  Quaeesmh  Historiea,  theologica  et  moralis  Terra 
SanctcB  Elucidatio,  2  Tom.  foL  Antv.  1639. — Quaresmius  was  from  Lodi  in 
Italy,  and  resided  in  Jerusalem  as  a  member  of  the  Latin  convent  at  two  dif- 
ferent times.  In  his  address  to  the  reader  on  the  last  leaf  of  the  second 
volume,  he  tells  us  that  the  work  was  commenced  in  A.  D.  1616,  and 
completed  about  1625,  in  Jerusalem;  comp.  Tom.  I.  p.  ix.  He  then 
returned  to  Italy,  and  endeavoured  to  get  his  manuscript  printed;  but  with- 
out success.  •  He  was  now  sent  out  a  second  time  to  Jerusalem,  as  Guai'dian 
or  "  Terrm  Sanctce  Prmsul  et  Commissaries  apostolicus"  and  held  this  oflSoe 
during  the  years  1627-29.  On  his  subsequent  return  to  Europe,  circumstan- 
ces led  him  to  Flanders,  where  the  printing  of  his  work  was  begun  in  1634, 
and  completed  in  1G39.  He  appears  afterwards  to  have  become  Procurator 
General  of  the  order  of  the  Franciscans,  and  their  Provincial  in  the  province 
of  Milan.  See  Morone  Terra  Santa  nuov.  illustr.  T.  II.  p.  380,  383  sq. — The 
work  of  Quaresmius  is  very  indefinite  and  interminably  prolix.  It  has  very 
little  value  in  a  topographical  respect ;  but  is  important  for  the  history  of  the 

'Catholic  establishments  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  as  giving  the  state  of  the  Latin 
tradition  at  the  time  when  it  was  written. 

1627.  F.  Ant.  del  Castello,  El  devoto  Peregrino  y  Viage  de  Tierra 
Santa,  Madrid  1656.  4. — The  plates  are  borrowed  from  Zuallart. 


App.  L] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


545 


1635-36.  Gkoeg  Cheistoff  Neitzschitz,  Siebenjahrige  Weltbeschav.ung^ 
[1630-37,]  kerausgegehm  von  C.  Jciger,  Bautzen  1666.  4.  Niirnb.  1673.  4. 
Magdeb.  1753.  4. — This  work  has  more  of  pretension  than  of  merit. 

1644-47.  Beunaedin  Sitrius,  Le  pieux  Filer  in  ou  Voyage  de  Jenmilem  ; 
Brusselles  1666.  4. — The  author  was  Prwses  (Vicar)  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 

*  1646-47.  Balth.  de  Moxcoirrs,  Journal  des  Voyages,  publie  par  son 
Jilt,  3  Tom.  Lyon  1665.  4.  Paris  1677.  4.  ib.  1695.  12mo.  5  Tom.  The  first 
volume  contains  the  travels  in  Egypt,  Mount  Sinai,  Palestine  and  Syria.  The 
author  was  a  diligent  observer,  especially  in  what  relates  to  the  arts  and 
sciences  among  the  orientals. 

*  1651-52.  J.  DocBDAN,  Le  Voyage  de  la  Terre  Sainte,  Paris  1657.  4. 
1661.  4.  1666.  4.  The  first  edition  bears  only  the  initials  J.  D.  The  second 
has  the  name  in  full.  The  author  was  Canon  of  St.  Denis ;  and  his  work 
exhibits  learning  and  research. 

1651-58.  Mariano  Mob  one  da  Maleo,  Terra  Santa  nuoramente  illustrata, 
2  Parti,  Piacenza  1669.  4. — The  author  was  Vicar  and  acting  Guardian  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  for  seven  years,  and  a  particular  friend  and  disciple  of 
Quaresmius;  see  P.  IT.  p.  381,  383  sq. 

1 655.  Ignatius  von  Rheinfelden,  2^eue  Jerosolymitanische  Filgerfarth, 
oder  hurze  Beschreibung  des  gelobten  heiligen  Landes,  Constanz  1664.  4. 
Wiirzb.  1667.  4. — The  author  was  a  Capucin  friar. 

1655-59.  Jean  de  Thevenot,  Relation  d'un  Voyage  fait  au  Letant, . .  et 
des  Singularitez  particulieres  de  VArchipel,  Constantinople,  Terre  Sainte,  etc. 
Rouen  et  Paris  1665.  4.  English,  Lond.  1687. — Also,  Suite  du  Voyage  du  Le- 
tant, Paris  1674. 4.  Voyage  de  Vlndostan,  Paris  1684.  4.  All  reprinted  under 
the  title :  Voyages  tant  en  Europe,  qu'en  Asie  et  A frique,  5  Tomes,  Paris  1689. 8. 
Amst.  1705.  12mo.  ib.  1712.  12.  ib.  1727.  8.  etc.  German,  Eeisen  in  Eu- 
ropa,  Asia,  und  AfriTca,  Frankf.  1693.  4.  English,  Travels  in  the  Levant  etc. 
Lond.  1687.  fol. — Thevenot  has  long  had  to  sufi'er  the  imputation  of  not  hav- 
ing himself  visited  the  countries  he  describes ;  but  of  having  compiled  his 
work  from  the  accounts  of  other  travellers,  both  oral  and  written,  and  especially 
those  of  d'Arvieux.  So  Moreri  Diet.  Historique  Tom.  X.  p.  138.  Paris  1759. 
This  however  is  now  said  to  be  an  error,  which  arose  from  confounding  him 
with  Nii:olns  Melch.  de  Thevenot,  who  about  the  same  time  published  a  col- 
lection of  Travels  by  various  authors  under  the  title :  Relation  de  divers 
Voyages  curieux  etc,  2  Tom.  en  4  Part.  fol.  Paris  1664.  ib.  1672.  ib.  1696. 
See  the  Biographie  Universelle,  art.  Thevenot  Jean  et  Melchisedelc.  Rosen- 
muller  Bibl.  Geogr.  I.  i.  p.  75-77.  Meusel  Biblioth.  Histor.  II.  i.  p.  257.  X.  ii. 
p.  171. — D'Arvieux  himself  bears  testimony  to  the  fact  of  Thevenot's  having 
been  in  Palestine,  and  relates  his  having  been  captured  by  a  Maltese  corsair 
and  brought  into  Haifa;  he  speaks  too  of  having  afterwards  aided  Thevenot 
in  his  further  journeys,  and  of  his  death  in  the  east.  See  d'Arvieux  M6- 
moires,  Paris  1735,  Tom.  I.  p.  284.  Tom.  III.  p.  849.  Comp.  Thevenot's 
Voyages,  Amst.  1727.  Tom.  II.  p.  660  sq. 

*  1658-65.  Laue.  d'Aevieux,  Voyage  dans  la  Falestine,  vers  le  Grand 
Emir,  Chef  des  Arabes  du  desert  connu  sous  le  nom  de  Bedouin,  etc.  fait  par 
ordre  du  Roi  Louis  XIV,    Avec  la  description  de  F Arabic  par  Abulfeda,  tra- 

YoL,  II.— 46* 


546 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


[App.L 


duite  en  Franpais  par  M.  de  JRoque,  Paris  1717.  8.  Amst.  1718.  8.  German 
by  Rosenmiiller,  Die  Sitten  der  Beduinen-Araber,  Leipz.  1789.  8.  Dutch, 
Utrecht  1780.  8.  English,  Lond.  1718.  8.  ib.  1723.  8.— D'Arvieux  resided  85 
a  member  of  the  French  factory  at  Sidon  from  1658  to  1665;  and  died  as 
consul  at  Aleppo  A.  D.  1702.  His  account  of  the  Bedawin  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best.  His  travels  in  general,  including  the  above  journey,  are  found  in 
the  following  work  :  Memoires  du  Chev.  d'Artikux,  contenant  ses  Voyages  a 
Constantinople^  dans  VAsie,  la  Syrie^  la  Palestine,  etc.  recueillis  de  ses  origi- 
nnvx,  par  Labat,  Paris  1735.  8.  6  Tomes.  German,  des  Eerrn  von  Arcieux 
hinterlassene  merkwurdige  Nachrichten  u.  s.  w.  Kopenh.  n.  Leipz.  1753.  8. 
6  Bde. 

1666-69.  Feanz  Feed,  von  Teoilo,  Orientalische  JReiseieschreibung,  etc. 
nach  Jerusalem,  in  Eyypten,  und  avf  den  Berg  Sinai,  Dresden  1676.  4. 
Leipz.  u.  Frankf,  I7l7.  8.  Dresden  u.  Leipzig  1733.  8. — The  author  was  a 
SUesian  nobleman,  well-meaning,  hut  credulous. 

1672-83.  CoEN.  DE  Brutn  (lb  Bettn),  Eeyzen  door  dm  Levant,  etc. 
Delft  1699.  fol.  French,  Voyage  au  Lexant,  etc.  Paris  1714.  fol.  Paris  et 
Eouen  1725.  4.  2  Tom. — The  author  was  a  Flemish  artist;  and  the  numerous 
engravings  from  his  drawings  constitute  the  chief  merit  of  his  work ;  although 
this  is  not  great.  He  professes  to  have  borrowed  freely  from  Delia  Valle, 
Thevenot,  Dapper,  and  others. 

*  1674.  Mich.  Nau,  Voyage  nouveau  de  la  Terre  Sainte,  Paris  1679.  12. 
Apparently  with  only  a  new  title-page,  Paris  1702,  1744,  1757. — For  the 
use  of  this  volume  I  was  indebted  to  the  Library  of  the  University  of 
Gcittingen. 

1684.  Heine.  Mteike's  Jteise  von  Constantinopel  nach  Jerusalem  und. 
dem  Lande  Kanaan ;  mit  An.mer'kungen  von  J.  H,  Reitz,  Osnabr.  1714.  8. 
Itzstein  1719.  8.  ib.  1789.  8.  Dutch,  Rotterd.  1725.— The  author  was  chap- 
lain of  the  Dutch  embassy  at  Constantinople. 

1688.  De  la  Roque,  Voyage  de  Syrie  et  du  Mont  Liban,  2  Tom.  Paris 
1722.  12.    Amst.  1723.  12. 

*  1697.  Henet  Matindeell,  Journey  from  Aleppo  to  Jerusalem  at  Easter 
1697.  Oxford  1703.  8.  ib.  1707,  and  often.  Also  in  "Wright's  Early  Trav.  In 
Pal.  p.  383  sq.  French,  Utrecht  1705.  12.  Paris  1706.  12.  German,  Hamb. 
1706.  8.  ib.  1737.  8;  also  in  Panlus'  Sammlung  Th.  L  Dutch,  by  Miinter- 
dam,  1705.  8;  also  in  Halma's  '  Woordenboek  van  het  H.  Land,'  Franeck. 
1717.  4. — Maundrell  was  chaplain  of  the  English  factory  at  Aleppo.  His 
book  is  the  brief  report  of  a  shrewd  and  keen  observer ;  and  still  remains  per- 
haps the  best  work  on  those  parts  of  the  country  through  which  he  travelled. 
His  visit  to  Jerusalem  was  a  hasty  one;  and  he  there  saw  little  more  than 
the  usual  routine  of  sacred  places  pointed  out  by  monks. 

1697-98.  A.  MoEisoN,  Relation  hintorique  d^un  Voyage  au  Mont  de  Sinai 
et  a,  Jerusalem,  Toul  1704.  4.  German,  Reisebeschreihung,  etc.  Hamb.  1704.4. 
— The  author  styles  himself  '  Chanoino  de  Bar-le-Duc'  His  work  is  full; 
but  not  to  be  compared  in  other  respects  with  that  of  hSs  cotemporary, 
Maundrell. 

*  1700-23.    Van  Egmond  en  Hetman,  Reizen  door  een  gedeelte  van  Ew- 


App.  I.] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINTB. 


ropa. . . .  Syria,  Paldstina,  Aegypfen,  den  Berg  Sinai,  etc.  2  Deelen,  Leyd. 
1757-8.  4.  English,  Travels,  etc.  by  Van  Egmond  and  Heyman,  2  vols.  Lond. 
1759.  8. — John  Ileyman  was  Professor  of  Oriental  Languages  in  the  univer- 
sity of  Leyden,  and  travelled  in  the  east  from  1700  to  1709.  /.  E.  van  Eg- 
mojid  van  der  Xymhurg  was  Dutch  ambassador  at  Naples,  and  travelled  in 
1720-28.  Many  years  afterwards,  the  journals  of  both  were  reduced  to  the 
form  of  letters  by  J.  W.  Heyman,  physician  in  Leyden ;  but  in  such  a  way 
that  the  observations  of  the  two  travellers  are  not  distinguished.  This  work 
ranks  among  the  best  on  Palestine. 

1722.  A  Journal  from  Grand  Cairo  to  Mount  Sinai  and  bach  again. 
Translated  from  a  Manuscript  written  by  the  [Franciscan]  Prefetto  of  Egypt, 

Rob.  Clayton,  Bishop  of  Clogher,  Lond.  1753.  4.  ib.  1753.  8.  Eeprinted 
in  Pinkerton's  Coll.  of  Voyages  and  Travels,  Vol.  X.  Also  as  an  Appendix 
to  Manndrell's  Journey,  Lond.  1810.  German,  Tagereise  etc.  ubersetzt  von 
Cassel,  Hannov.  1754.  8. 

*  1722.  Thomas  Shaw's  Travels,  or  Observations  relating  to  several  parts 
of  Barbary  and  the  Levant,  Lond.  1738.  fol.  ib.  1757.  4.  Edinb.  1808.  8. 
Also  in  Pinkerton's  Coll.  of  Voyages  and  Travels,  Vol.  XV.  French,  Voyor 
ges,  etc.  2  Tom.  La  Haye  1743.  4.  German,  Reisen  u.  s.  w.  Leipz.  1765.  4. 
— Dr  Shaw  was  chaplain  of  the  English  factory  at  Algiers  from  1720  to 
1732  ;  and  travelled  in  Egypt  and  Palestine  in  A.  D.  1722.  He  afterwards 
became  Professor  of  Greek  at  Oxford;  and  died  in  1752.  His  observations 
are  judicious  and  valuable. 

1737-38.  Jonas  Koetens  Reise  nach  dem  gelobten  Lande,  Aegypten,  Sy- 
rien,  und  Mesopotamisn,  Altona  1741.  8.  With  three  Supplements',  Halle 
1746.  8.  With  four  Suppl.  Halle  1751.  8. — Korte  was  a  bookseller  at  Altona. 
His  work  shows  him  to  have  been  without  learning  and  somewhat  credulous. 
What  he  saw,  he  describes  with  honest  simplicity ;  but  he  also  relates  much 
on  hearsay,  without  distrusting  the  accuracy  of  his  informers. 

*  1737—40.  RiOHAED  Pococke's  Description  of  the  East  and  some  other 
Countries,  2  Vols,  in  3  Parts,  fol.  Lond.  1743-48.  ibid.  1770.  4.  German  by 
Windheim,  Erlangen  1754.  4.  3  Bde.  Revised  by  Breger,  ibid.  1771.  Dutch 
by  Cramer,  Utrecht,  1780.  French,  without  the  maps  and  plates,  Paris, 
1772.  12.  6  Tom. — Pococke  was  in  Palestine  in  1738;  and  died  in  1765,  as 
bishop  of  Meath.  He  was  a  classical  scholar,  but  not  a  good  biblical  one ; 
and  had  but  a  slight  knowledge  of  the  Arabic.  He  is  not  always  a  strictly 
faithful  reporter;  and  the  judgment  of  Michaelis  is  correct,  that  Pococke  the 
eyewitness  is  to  be  carefully  distinguished  from  Pococke  the  transcriber 
of  other  travellers  or  of  ancient  authors.  He  not  nnfrequently  describes  in 
such  a  manner,  as  to  leave  the  impression  that  he  is  telling  what  he  himself 
saw ;  while  a  closer  inspection  shows  that  he  has  only  drawn  from  other 
books.  Yet  his  work  is  one  of  the  most  important  on  Palestine.  See  Mi- 
chaelis Oriental.  Biblioth.  Th.  VIH.  8.  111.  Rosenmiiller's  Bibl.  Geogr.  I.  i. 
p.  85.  The  plans  and  views  which  accompany  this  work  were  obviously  made 
only  from  recollection,  and  are  wretched.  The  plans  of  Sinai  and  Jerusalem, 
for  instance,  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  the  slightest  resemblance  to  their  ori- 
ginals ;  and  only  serve  to  mislead  the  reader.  So  too  the  professed  copies  of 
the  Sinaitic  Inscriptions. 


548 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


[App.L 


*  1749-53.  Frws.  HASBSLCimsT,  Iter  Paliestinum:  elkr  Eesa  til  Heliga 
landet,  etc.  Stockholm,  1757.  8.  German,  Jteisen  nach  Paldstina  von  1746  lis 
1752,  herausgegehen  von  Linnceus,  Rostock,  1762.  English,  Voyages  and  Tra- 
vels in  the  Levant.,  etc.  Lond.  1766.  8.  French,  Paris  1769. — The  author 
was  a  pupil  of  Linnceus,  to  whom  most  of  his  letters  are  addressed.  He  was 
sent  out  to  make  collections  in  Natural  History,  and  died  on  his  way  back  at 
Smyrna.  From  his  reports  and  papers,  Linnaeus  added  an  Appendix  on  the 
Natural  History  of  Palestine ;  which  is  still  perhaps  the  most  complete  scien- 
tific treatise  extant  on  the  subject. 

1754-55.  Stephan  Sohtjlz,  Leitungen  des  Euchsten  auf  den,  Reisen  durch 
Buropa,  Asia  und  Africa.,  etc.  Halle,  1771-75.  8.  5  Bde.  The  Journey  in  Pa- 
lestine is  found  in  Vol.  V. — Schulz  travelled  as  a  missionary  to  the  Jews ; 
and  afterwards  became  pastor  at  Halle.  His  journal  is  prolix  and  trivial 
in  the  extreme.  An  abstract  (much  improved)  is  given  in  Paulus'  Sammlung, 
Th.  VI,  VII. 

1760-68.  Giov.  Maeiti,  Viaggi  per  V  Isola  di  Cipro  e  per  la  Soria  e  Pa- 
lestine, etc.  Luca  e  Firenze  17C9-71.  8.  5  Tom.  French,  Neuwied  1791.  8. 
Tom.  I,  II.  In  German,  abridged,  Altenb.  1777.  8. — The  author  was  a  Flo- 
rentine ecclesiastic,  an  Abate. 

*  1761-67.  Caesten  Nikbuhh,  Beschreibung  von  Arabien,  Oopenh. 
1772.  4.  French,  Description  de  VArabie,  Copenh.  1773.  4.  Amst.  1774.  4. 
Paris  1779.  4. — A  larger  work  is:  Eeisebeschreibung  nuch  Arahien  und  andem 
iimliegenden  Landern,  Bd.  I.  II.  Copenh.  1774-8,  4.  Bd.  III.  Hamb.  1837. 
French,  Tom.  I.  II.  Paris,  1776-80.  4.  Amst.  1776-80.  4.  Berne,  1770.  8. 
English  by  Heron,  abridged,  Travels  through  Arabia,  etc.  Lond.  1792.  4. 
2  Vols. — Niebuhr  is  the  prince  of  oriental  travellers ;  exact,  judicious,  and 
persevering.  His  visit  to  Jerusalem  and  the  Holy  Land  was  brief  and  hur- 
ried ;  so  that  he  saw  little  more  than  what  the  monks  chose  to  show  him. 
It  is  contained  in  the  third  volume,  published  nearly  sixty  years  after  the 
other  two.    His  plan  of  Jerusalem  is  very  imperfect. 

1783-85.  C.  F.  VoLNKT,  Voyage  en  Syrie  et  en  Egypte,  etc.  Paris,  1787. 
8.  2  Vol.  4th  Ed.  ibid.  1807.  English,  Travels,  etc.  2  Vols.  Lond.  1787.  8. 
German,  3  Bde.  Jena  1788-90.  The  work  is  a  series  of  essays,  lively  and 
imaginative,  yet  containing  much  valuable  information. 

'1792-98.  W.  G.  Beowne,  Travels  in  Africa,  Egypt,  and  Syria,  etc. 
Lond.  1799.  4.   German,  Leipz.  u.  Gera  1800.  8. 

1800-2.  Edw.  Dan.  Clarke,  Travels  in  various  co^mtries  of  Europe,  Asia, 
and  Africa,  Lond.  1811,  etc.  4to.  5  Vols.  4th  Ed.  Lond.  1816-18.  8vo. 
11  Vols. — Dr  Clarke  was  only  seventeen  days  in  Palestine,  having  landed  at 
'Akka,  June  29th,  1801,  and  embarked  again  at  Yafa,  July  15th.  His  work 
exhibits  diligent  research  in  books ;  the  notes  being  often  worth  more  than 
the  text ;  but  there  is  a  great  lack  of  sound  judgment.  Some  of  the  author's 
extravagant  hypotheses  and  rash  assertions  have  been  elsewhere  alluded  to. 
See  Vol.  I,  Notes  XXVI  and  XXVIII,  at  the  end. 

1802.  Lt.  Col.  Squiee,  Travels  through  part  of  the  ancient  Ca;le-Syria ; 
in  R.  Walpole's  Travels  in  various  Countries  of  the  East,  Lond.  1820,  pp.  289- 
852. — Air  W.  Hamilton  and  Lt.  Col.  Leake  were  Col.  Squire's  companions 
during  this  joum>3y. 


App.  L] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


549 


1803-7.  Ali  Bey,  Travels  in  Morocco,  Egypt,  Arabia,  Syria,  etc.  Lond. 
1816. 4.  2  Vols. — The  author  was  a  Spaniard  named  Domingo  Badia  y  Lehlich, 
■who  travelled  as  a  Muhammedan.  He  was  in  Palestine  in  1807.  See  Vol.  II. 
pp.  140,  259. 

*  1803-10.  Ulrich  Jacob  Seetzex,  Briefe,  etc.  in  Zach's  'Monatliche 
C  orrespondenz,'  scattered  through  many  volumes.  The  most  important  let- 
ters are  in  Vol.  XVII,  XVIII,  XXVL  XXVII.  A  few  less  important  ex- 
tracts are  also  contained  in  the  Fundgruben  des  Orients,  Vol.  I.  pp.  48,  112. 
II.  pp.  275,  474.  in.  p.  99.  Some  portions  of  these  letters  were  translated 
into  English  under  the  title:  ".4  Brief  Account  of  the  countries  adjoining  the 
Lille  of  Tiheriis,  the  Jordan,  and  Bead  Sea,''''  Lond.  1813.  4. — Seetzen  was 
judicious,  enterprising,  and  indefatigable.  He  died  by  poison  in  Arabia  in 
1811.  "What  we  have  hitherto  had  from  him  are  only  occasional  and  hasty 
letters.  His  journals  have  quite  recently  been  published  for  the  first  time : 
Eeisen  diirch  Syrien,  Palastina,  etc.  3  Bde,  Berlin,  1854-55.  The  third  vo- 
lume did  not  come  to  hand  in  season  to  refer  to  it  in  this  work.  These  volumes 
of  Travels  comprise  the  daily  jotting  of  Seetzen  in  his  journal,  often  in  pencil ; 
but  were  never  arranged  nor  written  out  by  hiiu.  For  his  well  considered  and 
final  judgments,  therefore,  we  must  still  look  to  his  letters,  in  the  collections 
above  specified.  These  volumes  cover  all  his  journeys,  until  his  arrival  in 
Egypt.  Letters  describing  his  researches  in  Egypt,  and  his  subsequent  jour- 
ney in  the  peninsula  of  Mount  Sinai,  are  found  in  Zach  1.  c.  Vol.  XXVI, 

XX  vn. 

1806-7.  F.  A.  DE  Chateatjbeiand,  Itineraire  de  Paris  a  Jerusalem,  etc. 
Paris,  1811.  8.  3  Tomes;  and  often.    English,  Travels,  etc.  Lond.  1811.  8. 

2  Vols.  German,  Leipz.  1812.  8.  3  Bde. — Eloquent  and  superficial.  The  re- 
ferences to  authorities  are  for  the  most  part  worthless.  See  above,  Vol. 
L  Note  XXVIII,  at  the  end. 

*  1809-16.  John  Lewis  Bueckhaedt,  Travds  in  Syria  and  the  Holy  Land, 
Lond.  1822.  4.  German,  Reken  in  Syrie?i,  etc.  mit  Anmerlcungen  von  W.  Ge- 
senius,  Weimar,  1823-4.  8.  2  Bde. — This  work  contains  all  the  journeys  of 
Btirckhardt  in  Syria,  Palestine,  and  Mount  Sinai.  His  other  travels  do  not 
belong  here.  As  an  oriental  traveller,  Burckhardt  stands  in  the  very  highest 
rank ;  accurate,  judicious,  circumspect,  persevering.  He  accomplished  very 
much;  yet  all  this  was  only  preparatory  to  the  great  object  he  had  in 
view,  viz.  U>  penetrate  into  the  interior  of  Africa.  He  died  suddenly  in 
1817,  at  Cairo. 

1811.  J.  Fazakeelet,  Journey  from  Cairo  to  Mount  Sinai,  and  return 
to  Cairo ;  in  R.  Walpole's  Travels  in  various  Countries  of  the  East,  Lond. 
1820.  p.  362. — This  journey  was  made  in  company  with  Mr.  Galley 
Knight. 

1815.  "William  Tukitee,  Journal  of  a  Tour  in  the  Letant,  Lond.  1820.  8. 

3  Vols.    The  account  of  Palestine  is  in  Vol.  II. 

1815-16.  Orro  Fr.  vox  Riohtee,  WaUfahrten  im  Morgenlande,  heraus- 
gegeben  ton  J.  P.  G.  Ewers,  Berlin  1822.  8. — The  narrative  is  brief;  but 
marks  a  careful  observer.    The  author  died  at  Smyrna  in  1816. 

1816.  J.  S.  BroKHTGHAM,  Travels  in  Palestine,  Lond.  1821.  4.   ib.  1822. 


550 


BOOKS  OX  PALESTINE. 


[Aw.  I. 


8.  2  Vols. — Travels  among  the  Arab  Tribes,  etc.  Lond.  1825.  4.  ib.  Ed.  2.  8vo. 
2  Vols. — Both  together  in  German,  Eeisen,  etc.  'Weimar  1827.  8.  2  Bde. 

1816-  18.  EoB.  EiCHAEDSOjr,  M.  D.  Travels  along  the  Mediterranean  and 
parts  adjacent,  during  the  years  1816,  17,  18.  Lond.  1822.  8.  2  Vols.— Well 
written,  hut  often  inaccurate. 

1817.  T.  R.  JoLLiFFE,  Letters  from  Palestine,  etc.  2  Vols.  Lond.  1819.  8. 
3d  Edit.  Lond.  1822.  8. — German  by  Bergk,  Seise  in  Paldstina  u.  s.  w. 
Leipz,  1821. 

1817-  18.  Le  Comte  de  Foebin,  Voyage  dans  le  Levant  en  1817  et  1818. 
'Paris  1819.  fol.  With  splendid  plates.  Also  without  plates,  Paris  1819.  8. 
The  work  has  more  value  for  the  arts  than  for  science. 

*  1817-18.  Ikbt  axd  Maxgles,  Travels  in  Egypt  and  Nubia,  Syria  and 
Asia  Minor,  during  the  years  1817  andlSlS.  Printed  for  private  distribution. 
Lond.  1822.  8.  Reprinted  Lond.  1847.  12mo.  The  references  are  made  to 
both  editions. — Well  written  and  full  of  accurate  information. 

*  1818.  Th.  Legh,  Excursion  from  Jerusalem  to  Wady  Musa,  in  Mac- 
michael's  "Journey  from  Moscow  to  Constantinople  in  the  years  1817-18." 
Lond.  1819.  4.  Chap.  IV.  p.  185.  Reprinted  in  the  (American)  Biblical  Repo- 
sitory, Oct.  1833.  Vol.  m.  p.  613. 

1818.  F.  W.  Siebeb,  Beise  von  Kairo  nach  Jerusalem,  mit  Kupfem, 
Prag  1823.  8. — Sieber's  Plan  of  Jerusalem  was  the  basis  of  Berggren's.  and 
thus  of  Catherwood's. 

1820—21.  J.  M.  A.  ScHOLZ,  ReUe  in  die  Gegend  zwiscJien  Alexaiidria  und 
Percetonium, . . .  Egypten,  Paldstina,  und  Syrien,  Leipz.  u.  Soran  1822.  8. — 
The  author  was  CathoUc  Professor  of  Theology  at  Bonn.  His  work  contdna 
good  information  relative  to  the  Catholic  establishments  in  Palestine. 

1820-  21.  F.  Hen^tkeb,  Notts  during  a  visit  to  Egypt,  .. .  Mount  Sinai, 
and  Jerusalem,  Lond.  1823.  8.    Hasty  and  superficial. 

1821.  John  Caene,  Letters  from  the  East,  2  Vols.  8vo.  Lond.  3d.  Edit. 
1830.    Also,  Recollections  of  Travels  in  the  East,  2  Vols.  8vo.  Lond.  1830. 

1821-  22.  J.  Beeggeen,  Rewr  i  Europa  och  Oesterlanderrte,  3  Delen, 
Stockholm  1826-28.  8.  German,  Reisen  in  Europa  und  im  Morgenlande,  cms 
dem  Schtcedischen,  3  Bde.  Leipz.  u.  Darmst.  1828—34.  8. 

1823.  Rev.  Wm.  Jowett,  Christian  Researches  in  Syria  and  the  Holy 
Land,  Lond.  1825.  8.    Boston  1826.  12. 

*  1826-31.  Ed.  ROppell,  Reisen  in  Nuhien,  Kordofan,  und  dem  Petrti  ischcn 
Ardbien,  Frankf.  1829.  8.  Also,  Reise  in  Ahyssinien,  2  Bde.  Frankf.  1838- 
40.  8.  The  latter  work  includes  another  excursion  to  the  peninsula  of  Sinai 
in  1831,  undertaken  in  order  to  determine  more  accurately  the  elevation  of 
the  mountains.    See  ibid.  Vol.  L  p.  103. 

*  1828.  Leox  de  Laboede,  Voyage  de  V Arabic  Petree,  ■pax  laborie  el 
Linant,  Paris  1830-34.  fol.  English,  Journey  through  Arabia  Petrcea,  etc. 
Lond.  1836.  8.  ib.  1838.  8. — The  chief  value  of  the  French  original  consists 
in  its  splendid  plates;  of  which  the  text  is  for  the  most  part  explanatory. 
The  English  work  is  a  smaller  compilation,  containing  only  a  portion  of  the 
plates  on  a  reduced  scale. 

1829.  A.  Prokesch  (Ritter  von  Osten),  Reise  im  heilige  Land  imJahre 
1829    Wien  1831.  8. 


App.  I.] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTIXB, 


551 


1830-31.  MiCHAUD  KT  PoujorLAT,  Correspandenee  d?  Orient  en  1830-31. 
7  Tom.  Paris  1834.  8. 

1832-33.  Ed.  Hooo,  M.  D.  Visit  to  Alexandria,  Damatcus,  and  Jeru- 
salem, during  the  tuceessful  campaign  of  Ibrahim  Foiha,  2  Vols.  Lond. 
1835.  12. 

1833.    Rkt.  Spksce  Habdy,  Notices  of  the  Holy  Land,  etc.  Lond.  1635.  8. 
1833.    Rev.  Veee  Moxbo,  A  Summer  Eamble  in  Syria.  2  Vols.  Lond. 
1835.  8. 

*  1834.  (MjLKMOvr)  Duo  de  Raguse,  Voyage  en  Hongrie  . . .  en  Syrie, 
en  Palestine,  et  en  EgypU.  5  Tom.  Paris  1837.  8.  Bruxelles  1837-39.  12.— 
Valuable  chiefly  in  a  political  and  military  respect. 

1836.  J.  L.  Stkphkxs,  Incidents  of  Travel  in  Egypt,  Arabia,  and  the 
Holy  Land,  by  an  American.  2  Vols.  12mo.  New  York  1837.  London  1837. 
Several  editions. 

1836.  Rev.  C.  B.  Elliott,  Travels  in  the  three  great  Empires  of 
Austria,  Russia,  an-I  Turlcey,  2  Vols.  London  1838.  8. — The  Journey  in 
Syria  and  Palestine  is  described  in  the  second  volume. 

1836-38.  Joseph  Rcsseggkb,  Reisen  in  Europa,  Asien,  und  Afriia. 
Stuttg.  1841-49.  8.  4  Vols.  The  author  travelled  mainly  as  a  geologist. 
His  notices  of  Palestine  are  contained  in  the  first  and  fourth  volomes. 

1837.  Lord  Llsdsat's  Letters  on  Egypt,  Edom,  and  the  Holy  Land.  2 
Vols.  Lond.  1838.  12.    Several  editions. 

1837.  Joseph  Salzbachee,  Erinnerungen  aus  meiner  Pilgerreise  nach 
Pom  und  Jerusalem  im  Jahre  1837.  2  Bde.  Wien  1S39.  8. — The  author  is 
Domcapitular  "  or  Canon  of  St.  Stephen's  Cathedral  Vienna.  His  wor£ 
contains  the  latest  information  as  to  the  Catholic  establishments  in  Palestine. 

1837.  G.  H.  vox  ScHTBEBT,  Reise  nach  dem  Morgenlande,  3  Bde. 
Erlaugen  1838—40.  8. — One  main  object  of  this  journey  ■was  Natural  History. 
The  author  is  Professor  in  the  University  at  Munich. 

*  1838.  John  Bowbixg,  Report  on  the  Commercial  Statistics  of  Syria. 
Presented  to  both  Houses  of  Parliament.  Lond.  1840.  fol.  Dr  Bowring 
travelled  in  Egypt  and  Syria  in  1838,  as  the  accredited  agent  of  the  British 
Government,  for  the  purpose  of  coUecting  information  on  the  trade  and  com- 
merce of  those  countries.  The  Report  contains  a  large  and  valuable  body 
of  facts. 

1842—43.  Rev.  Samtel  "Vroi,coTT,  Xotices  of  Jerusalem  ;  an  Excursion  to 
Hebron  arid  Sebbeh  or  Masada  ;  and  Journey  from  Jerusalem  northwards  to 
Beirut,  etc.    In  Biblioth.  Sacra,  1843,  pp.  17-87. 

1842—43.  Ret.  George  Williams,  The  Holy  City,  Lond.  1845.  8.  Second 
edition,  Lond.  1 849.  8.  2  Vols. — ilr  TVilliams  stands  forth  as  the  champion 
of  all  ecclesiastical  and  other  tradition. 

*  1842-47.  Eesst  Gustav  Schtltz,  Jerusalem,  eine  Vorlesung.  Berlin 
1845. — Mittheilungen  uber  eine  Reise  durch  Samarien  und  Galilaa  [in  1847]. 
In  Zeitschr.  der  morgenl.  Ges.  1849,  HI.  46  sq. — Schultz  was  Prussian  con- 
sul at  Jerusalem,  with  some  interruptions,  from  1842  till  1851  ;  in  which 
latter  ye.ir  he  died.  He  was  not  always  an  exact  observer,  and  his  judgments 
were  sometimes  hastily  formed ;  but  his  bearing  was  ever  kind  and  gentle- 
manly. 


« 


552  BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE.  ^ 

1842-  52.  Col.  Chuechill,  Mount  Lebanon,  a  ten  years'  Eesidenceyfrom 
1842  to  1853,  etc.  3  Vols.  Lond.  1853.  Svo.  This  work  has  many  off  hand 
stories  and  statements,  which  are  not  to  be  relied  upon.  The  map  of  Le- 
banon professes  to  have  been  taken  from  the  surveys  of  the  English  engineers ; 
but  it  is  full  of  mistakes. 

*  1842-03.  W.  H.  Baetlktt,  Walks  about  the  City  amd  Entirons  of 
Jerusalem  \in  1842],  Lond.  1844;  also  in  a  second  edition  enlarged. — Th^ 
Kile  Boat^  or  Glimpses  of  the  Land  of  Egypt  \in  1845],  Lond.  1849. — Forty 
Days  in  the  Desert,  in  the  Track  of  the  Isrctelites  [in,  1845],  Lond.  no  date. — 
Jerusalem  Revisited  \in  1853],  Lond.  1855. — Mr  Bartlett  was  an  artist;  and 
the  main  purpose  of  his  journeys  was  to  obtain  artistic  illustrations  of  the 
places  visited.  In  this  respect  his  works  are  of  high  value.  His  descrip- 
tions also  are  written  with  taste  and  good  sense. 

1843.  Rev.  Eli  Smith,  A  Visit  to  Antipatris  \in  April  1843].  Also  : 
Account  of  an  ancient  temple  on  Mount  Lebanon  [Deir  el-Kul'ah].  In  Biblio- 
theca  Sacra,  1843,  pp.  478  sq.  557. 

*  1843.  Rev.  John  Wilson,  D.  D.  Lands  of  the  Bible  visited  and  described, 
Edinb.  1847.  8.  2  Vols. 

1843-  45.  Rev.  "Wm.  M.  Thomson,  The  Sources  of  the  Jordan,  etc.  as 
visited  in  1843 ;  in  Biblioth.  Sacra,  1846,  pp.  184  sq. — Tour  from  Beirut 
through  Northern  Syria  to  Aleppo,  and  back,  in  1847 ;  in  Biblioth.  Sacra, 
1849,  pp.  1,  243,  447,  663. 

1845.    W.  Keafft,  Die  Topogrnphie  Jerusalems,  Bonn  1846. 

*  1845-6.  TiTTJS  ToBLEE,  M.  D.  visited  Jerusalem  at  this  time,  and  has 
published  the  following  six  works  relating  to  the  Holy  Olty  and  its  environs  : 
1.  Bethlehem,  St.  Gallen  1849.— 2.  Golgotha,  St.  Gallen  1851.— 3.  Die  Siloah- 
quelle  und  der  Oelherg,  St.  Gallen  1852. — 4.  Denlbldtter  aus  Jerusalem,  St. 
Gallen  1853. — 5.  Topographie  von  Jerusalem  und  seinen  Umgebungen,  2  Bde. 
Berlin  1853-54. — 6.  Beitrag  zur  medicinischen  Topographie  von  Jerusalem, 
Berlin  1855. 

1847.  H.  Gadow,  Ein  Ausflug  von  Jerusalem  iiber  Jericho  an  den  Jor- 
dan, das  todte  Meer,  und  nach  Mar  Saba ;  in  Zeitschr.  der  morgenl.  Ges.  1848, 
n.  pp.  52  sq. — Mittheilungen  iiber  die  gegenwdrtigen  Terrainverhaltnisse  in 
und  um  Jerusalem  ;  ibid.  1849.  III.  p.  35  sq. 

*  1848.  W.  F.  Lynch,  Commander,  Official  Report  of  the  United  States' 
Expedition  to  explore  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  River  Jordan  ;  published  at  the 
National  Observatory,  Washington  1852.  4.  Appended  is  the  extensive  and 
valuable  geological  report  of  Dr  H.  J.  Andehson,  Geological  Reconnaissance 
of  part  of  the  Holy  Land. — This  official  work  was  preceded  by  a  more  popu- 
lar one  :  Narrative  of  the  United  States'  Expedition  to  the  River  Jordan  and 
the  Dead  Sea,  Phila.  1849.  8. 

1849-50.  II.  A.  De  Foeest,  M.  D.  Notes  of  a  Tour  in  Mount  Lebanon 
and  to  the  eastern  side  of  Lake  Huleh  ;  in  the  Jonrn.  of  the  Amer.  Orient. 
Soc.  Vol.  II.  p.  237  sq. — Notes  on  Ruins  in  the  Bukd'a  and  in  the  BelCid 
Ba'alhek ;  ibid.  Vol.  III.  p.  351  sq. 

1849-51.  A.  VON  Kremeb,  Mittel-Syrien  und  Damascus,  Wien  1853. 
8vo. — Also,  Topographie  von  Damascus,  2  Th.  Wien  1854-55.  4to. — Of  little 
value. 


App.  I.] 


BOOKS  OX  PALESTINE. 


553 


c.  1850.  Tlie  true  Site  of  Cahwry  ;  in  the  Museum  of  Classical  Literature, 
1853.  Yol.  n.  p.  811-476. 

1850-  51.  F.  Dk  SitxcT,  Voyage  autour  de  la  Mer  Morte  et  dans  les 
Terres  Bibliques^  2  Vols.  Paris  1853.  8.  Also  English :  Xarrative  of  a  Jour- 
ney round  the  Dead  Sea  and  in.  the  Bible  Lands,  2  Vols.  Lond.  1853. — The 
English  title,  at  least,  is  a  misnomer  ;  the  author  travelled  only  around  the 
south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  My  references  to  this  work  are  all  to  the  Eng- 
lish edition. 

1851-  52.  C.  W.  M.  Van  dk  Veldk,  Narrative  of  a  Journey  through 
Syria  and  Palestine,  2  Vols.  Edinb.  and  Lond.  1854.  8. 

1852-  54.  Rev.  J.  "L.  Yo^tes^  Exeursion  to  the  Summit  of  Herman;  in 
Biblioth.  Sacra,  1854,  p.  41  sq. — Excursion  to  the  Lakes  east  of  Damascus, 
ibid.  p.  342  sq. — Excursion  from  Damascus  to  Yabrud  etc.  ibid.  p.  433  sq. 
— Notes  of  a  Tour  from  Damascus  to  Ba'albeh  and  Hums,  ibid.  p.  649  sq. 
From  these  papers  much  information  has  been  extracted  relative  to  the  en- 
virons of  Damascus;  as  also  much  was  received  orally  from  the  author  during 
my  visit  to  the  city.  To  him  I  was  also  indebted,  in  1852,  for  a  copy  of  his 
map  of  the  course  of  the  Barada  from  its  source  in  Anti-Lebanon. — The 
substance  of  the  above  papers,  as  also  an  account  of  his  residence  in  Damascus, 
a  journey  into  Hauran,  and  other  excursions,  has  been  since  published  by 
Mr  Porter  under  the  title  :  Fixe  years  in  Damascus,  2  Vols.  Lond.  1855. 
This  work  reached  me  too  late  to  be  of  service  in  preparing  my  own  account 
of  that  city. 

1853.  Arthub  Penbhtx  Sta>'let,  Sinai  and  Palestine  in  connection  with 
their  History,  Lond.  1856. 


II.   WOBKS  ON  THE  GEOGRAPHY  OF  PALESTINE,  ETC.* 
By  writers  who  bad  not  tbemselves  visited  that  country. 

1.  PALESTINE. 

1590.  Chbist.  Adeichomius,  Theatrum  Terrce  Sanctce,  cum  Taiulis  geo- 
graph.  Colon.  Agr.  1590.  fol.  ibid.  1593,  1600,  1613, 1628,  1682.— The  author 
was  a  Dutch  ecclesiastic,  a  native  of  Delft,  and  died  at  Cologne  in  1585.  He 
follows  chiefly  Brocardus  ;  but  gives  at  the  end  of  the  volume  a  list  of  many 
other  authors  consulted. 

1646.  Sam.  Bochabti  Geographia  Sacra,  seu  Phaleg  et  Canaan,  Cadomi 
(Caen)  1646.  fol.  Franckf.  1674.  4.  Lugd.  Bat.  1692.  foL  ibid.  ed.  Villeman- 
dy,  1707.  fol. 

1665.  'Sic.  Saksox,  Geographia  Sacra  ex  V.  et  N.  Test,  desumta  et  in 
Tdbulis  quatuor  eoncinnata.  Paris  1665.  Cum  Notis  Clerici,  Lugd.  Bat.  1704, 
fol. — Sanson,  a  celebrated  French  geographer,  died  A.  D.  1667. 

'  The  date  here  prefixed  refers  to  the  time  of  first  publication. 

Vol.  n.— 47 


554 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


[App.  L 


1677.  Olf.  Dappke's  NauJceurige  Beschrijving  van  gantsch  Syrie,  en 
Palestyn  of  Heileige  Lant,  etc.  Eotterd.  1677  fol.  Amst.  1681.  fol.  German, 
Asia,  oder  Beschreilung  des  gantzen  Syrien  vnd  Palestins  oder  gelobten 
Landes,  Amst.  1681.  fol.  Niimb.  1689.  fol.  A  great  mass  of  materials  throwH 
together  without  judgment. 

*  1701.  Chkistoph.  Celulrits,  Notitia  OrbU  Antiqui  sen  Geographia 
Plenior,  2  Tom.  4  to.  Lips.  1701-5.  Auxit  J.  C.  Schwarz,  ib,  1731-32.  With 
new  title,  ib.  1772-73.  Syria  and  Palestine  are  contained  in  the  second  volume. 

1708.  Ed.  Wells,  An  Historical  Geography  of  the  New  Test.  2  Vols. 
Lond.  1708.  8.  ib.  1712.  8;  several  times  reprinted.  Also,  An  Historical 
Geography  of  the  Old  Test.  3  Vols.  Lond.  1712. *8.  etc.  Both  works  in  Germ, 
by  Panzer,  Niirnb.  1765.  8.  4  Theile. 

*  1714.  Hade.  Eeland,  Palcestina  ex  monumentis  teferibus  illmtrata, 
Traj.  Bat.  1714.  4.  Norimb.  1716.  4.  Reprinted  in  tJgolini  Thesaur.  Antiq. 
Sacr.  T.  VI. — This  yet  remains  the  standard  classic  work  on  Palestine,  as  far 
down  as  to  the  era  of  the  crusades.  A  new  edition,  including  the  results  of 
modern  researches,  would  be  still  more  valuable. 

1758-68.  Will.  Alb.  Bachie>-e  Heilige  Geographic,  etc.  6  Deelen. 
Utrecht  1758-68.  8.  German  by  G.  A.  Maas,  Historische  und  Geographische 
Beschreibung  von  Paldstina,  etc.  II  Th.  in  7  Bde.    Cleve  u.  Leipz.  1766—75.  8. 

*  1785.  Ant.  Feiede.  BiiscHiNG's  Erdheschreihung.  Th.  V,  Paldstina. 
Araiien,  etc.  Altona  1785.  8.  With  a  new  title-page  as  Th.  XI.  Abth. 
I.  Hamb.  1792. — One  of  the  best  treatises  on  the  modern  geography  of  Pa- 
lestine. 

1790.  YsBEAKD  VAN  Hamelsveld,  Aardrijhunde  des  Bijhels  etc.  Amst. 
1790.  8.  6  Deelen.  German  by  Jiinisch,  Biblische  Geographie^  Hamb.  1793- 
96.  8.  3  Bde. — The  translation  was  never  completed. 

1799.  CoxEAD  Manneet,  Geographic  der  Griechen  und  Piimer.  Th.  VT. 
Abth.  1,  Arabien,  Paldstina,  Syrien,  Niirnb.  1799.  8.    Edit.  2.  Leipz.  1831. 

1817.    C.  F.  Kloden  Landeshunde  ton  Paldstina,  Berlin  1817.  8. 

*  1818.  Gael  Eittee  Die  ErdJcunde  etc.  Th.  H,  WestrAsim.  Berlin 
1818.  8.  For  the  second  edition  see  below,  1848-^5. 

*  1820.  G.  B.  WdsEE,  BiUisches  Realwdrterlnch,  Leipz.  1820.  8.  Re- 
written, much  enlarged,  and  improved,  3d  edition,  Leipz.  1847-8.  2  Bde. — 
The  geographical  articles  are  written  with  great  care. 

1826.  E.  F.  Karl  Rosexmuller,  Biblische  Geographic,  3  Bde.  Leipz. 
1823-28.  8.  The  second  volume  is  occupied  with  Palestine. — This  work  ap- 
pears to  have  been  compiled  hastily  and  without  extensive  research. 

*  1835.  Gael  von  Eatjmee,  Paldstina,  Leipz.  1835.  8.  Third  edition, 
enlarged  and  much  improved,  Leipz.  1850. — The  work  is  compiled  with  great 
diligence,  and  forms  an  excellent  Manual. 

1841.  J.  KiTTO,  Palestine,  its  Physical  and  Bible  History,  2  Yoiis.'Loni. 
1841. 

1841.  S.  MuNK,  Palestine  :  Description  Geographique,  Hist&rique,  et 
Archeologique,  Paris  1841.  This  work  was  published  before  the  author  had 
access  to  the  Biblical  Researches  ;  and,  being  stereotyped,  all  later  editions 
remain  without  change. 


App.  I.] 


BOOKS  ON  PALESTINE. 


555 


*  1848-55.  Carl  Ritteb,  Vergleichende  Erdhunde  der  Sinai- Ralbinsel, 
vm  Paldstina  und  Syrien,  4  Bde.  Berlin  1848-55.  These  volumes  constitute 
a  part  of  the  second  edition  of  the  author's  great  work :  Die  Erdkunde,  etc. 
viz.  Th.  XIV,  XV.  i-ii,  XVI,  XVII.  i-ii.— This  is  a  vast  storehouse  of  all  that 
relates  to  the  geography  of  Palestine  and  Syria. 

2.  JEEU8ALEAL 

*  1747.  J.  B.  D'Anvillk,  Dissertation  sur  VEtendne  de  Tancienne  Jerw- 
salem  et  de  son  Temple,  Faris  174:7.  8.  Reprinted  in  the  Appendix  to  Cha- 
teaubriand's Itineraire. 

1789.    J.  F.  Plessikg,  Ueher  Golgotha  vnd  Christi  Grab,  Halle  1789. 
1833.    Justus  Olshausen,  Zur  Topographic  des  alien  Jerusalem,  Kiel 
1833.  8. 

1838.  F.  G.  Ceomk,  Jerusalem,  in  Ersch  und  Gruber's  Encyclopadie, 
Sect.  II.  Th.  15.  p.  273 — 321.  This  is  the  most  complete  and  valuable  essay 
on  the  ancient  and  modern  topography  of  the  Holy  City. 

1847.  James  Feeguson,  An  Essay  on  the  ancient  Topography  of  Jerma- 
lem,  Lond.  1847. 

1852.  Fallmeratee,  Denkschrift  iiier  Golgotha  und  das  ffeilig-Grab,  in 
"  Abhandlungen  der  K.  Bayer.  Akademie  der  Wiss."  HI.  CI.  vi^Bd.  HI. 
Abth.    Published  also  separately,  Munich  1852.  4to. 


APPENDIX  II. 


LA  CITEZ  DE  JHERUSALEM. 

The  following  curious  and  important  tract,  describing  the  streets  and 
religious  establishments  of  Jerusalem,  at  the  time  the  city  was  captured  from 
the  Christians  by  Saladin  in  A.  D.  1187,  was  first  published  as  a  note  by 
Count  Beugnot,  in  his  splendid  edition  of  the  Assises  de  Jinisalem,  Tome  II. 
p.  531  sq.  Paris  1843.  (This  work  is  also  issued  as  part  of  the  great  collec- 
tion :  Se^eil  des  Eistoriens  des  Croisades  ;  Lois,  Tome  I,  11.)  The  manuscript 
is  in  the  Bibliotheque  Imperiale,  Fonds  de  Sorbonne,  No.  387,  fol.  304-308. 
Nothing  further  respecting  it  has  been  made  known.  The  first  paragraph 
shows,  that  the  description  refers  to  the  time  of  Saladin's  conquest ;  and  the 
tract  was  written  probably  not  long  after  that  event. — I  have  subjoined  a 
few  slight  notes,  by  way  of  explanation. 

I.  Unquel  estat  la  cites  de  Jhemsalem  et  li  seim  lieu  estoient  d  cejour. 

"  Pource  que  li  plus  des  bons  Cresliens  parolent  et  houent  parler  volen- 
tiers  de  la  seinte  cite  de  Jherusalem,  et  des  seins  lieus  oh  Jhesu  Cris  fu  mora 
et  vis,  nous  dirons  comment  elle  aroit  an  jour  que  Salhadins  et  li  Sarrazin  la 
conquisent  sur  les  Crestiens.  Aucunes  gens  porent  estre  qui  le  vodrent  ouir ; 
oil  a  qui  il  desplaisoit,  porent  trespasser  ce  lieu  .... 

"  II  ot  en  la  cite  de  Jherusalem  iiii.  maistres  portes  en  crois,  I'une  endroit 
I'autre,  entre  les  pourternes.  Or  les  vous  nommeray  coument  elles  serient. 
La  porte  David  estoit  vers  soleil  couchant  et  estoit  ii  la  droiture  des  portes 
Obres, '  qui  estoit  vers  soleil  levant  de  derrieres  le  temple  Domini.  Cele 
porte  tenoit  a  la  porte  David-.  Quant  on  estoit  devant  cele  porte,  si  tournoit 
on  a  main  destre,  en  une  rue  par  devant  la  tour  David.  Si  poit  on  aler  au 
mont  de  Syon  par  une  posterne  qui  la  estoit  en  cele  rue  ^  mein  senestre. 
Ainsi  comme  on  ilsoit  hors  de  la  posterne,  un  moustier  monseigneur  S.  Jaque 
de  Galice,'  qui  frere  estoit  monseigneur  S.  Jehan  evangeliste ;  la  dfeoit  on 
que  S.  Jaques  ot  la  teste  copee  et  pource  fist  on  le  moustier  la.  La  grant  rue 
qui  aloit  de  la  tour  David  droit  aux  portes  Ores.  La  grant  apeloit  on  la  rue 
David*  jnsqu'au  change,  A  mein  senestre.   De  la  tour  David  avcit  une  grant 

'  This  gate,  written  further  on  Ores  and       "  Here  ■we  have  the  great  ArmeniaD 

Oires,  would  seem  to  be  the  Golden  gate.  convent  with  its  church  of  St.  James. 

'■'  For  '  la  ^or<e  David,' it  should  doubt-       *  This  '  street  of  David,'  is  the  street 

less  read  'la  tour  David,'  as  iu  the  next  leading  down  from  the  Yafa  gate  as  far  as 

sentence.  to  the  angle  at  the  bazars. 


app.  n.1 


LA  CITEZ  DE  JHERrSALEM. 


657 


place  oil  on  vendoit  le  ble.  Et  qnant  on  avoit  nn  pen  aval6  cele  rne,  qni  %yoit 
non  la  rne  David,  si  tronvoit  on  nne  rue  a  mein  senestre  qni  avoit  non  la  rue 
au  Patriarche,^  ponrcequeli  patriarches  manoit  an  chief  de  cele  me.  Li 
patriarchea  avoit  nne  porte  de  la  oh.  on  entroit  en  la  maison  de  I'Ospital. 
Apres  si  avoit  nne  porte  par  ofi  on  entroit  ou  monstier  den  Sepucre,  mais 
n'estoit  mie  la  mistre.  Quant  on  venoif  an  change  la  oil  la  rue  David  failloit, 
ei  tronvoit  on  nne  rue  qui  avoit  non  la  rue  de  Mont  Sy<m.  Et  a  Tissue  du 
change  tronvoit  on  nne  rne  couverte  i  vote  qni  avoit  non  la  rue  des  Herbes  ; 
la  vendoit  on  tontes  les  herbes,  et  tons  les  fmis  de  la  vile,  et  les  espices.  An 
chief  de  cele  rue  avoit  1.  lien  oil  on  vendoit  le  poisson.  Et  avoit  nne  grant 
place  a  mein  senestre,  la  oil  en  vendoit  les  fromages  et  les  ponies  et  les  oes. 
A  mein  destre  de  eel  marchie  estoient  li  lie  as  orfevres  surieis.  Et  si  j  ven- 
doit on  les  paumes  que  li  pomier  aportent  d'ontremer.  A  mein  destre  de  eel 
marchie  estoient  les  eschepes  des  orfevres  latins.  An  chief  des  eschopes  avoit 
une  abaie  de  nonnains,  que  on  apeloit  Seinte  Marie  la  Grant.  Apres  cele 
abaie  de  nonnains  tronvoit  on  nne  abaie  de  moignes  noirs,  que  on  apeloit 
Seinte  Marie  la  Latine.  Apres  tronvoit  on  la  meison  de  TOspital  a  mein 
destre. 

*  n.  De  ce  meisme. 

"  De  la  droiture  de  I'Ospital  estoit  la  mestre  porte  du  sepucre,  Devant 
cele  porte  dn  sepncre  avoit  une  moult  bele  place  pavee  de  marbre.  A 
mein  destre  de  oel  Sepnlcre  avoit  1.  monstier  que  Ton  apeUe  S.  Jaque  des 
Jacopins.  A  mein  destre,  devant  de  cele  porte  dn  Sepnlcre,  avoit  1. 
degre  par  oil  en  montoit  ou  mont  de  Calvaire.  La  sns,  en  son  le  mont,  avoit 
nne  moult  belle  chapelle.  Et  si  avoit  1.  autre  hnis  en  cele  chapelle,  par  oil  en 
entroit  on  monstier  du  sepuchre,  et  y  avaloit  on  par  nns  autres  degrez  qui 
la  estoient.  Tout  ainsi  c'on  entroit  on  monstier  dn  Sepnlcre,  desouz  le 
mont  de  Calvaire,  si  estoit  Golgatas;  a  mein  destre  estoit  li  clochiers 
dn  sepnlcre,  et  si  avoit  nne  chapelle  que  en  apeloit  Seinte  Trinite.  Cele 
chapelle  si  estoit  mont  grans,  car  on  y  esponsoit  tontes  les  fames  de  la 
dXk.  Et  la  estoit  li  fons  oii  en  baptizoit  tonz  les  enfans  de  la  cite.  Et  cele 
chapelle  si  estoit  tenant  an  sepucre,  si  comme  U  y  avoit  nne  porte  de  dont  on 
entroit  on  monstier ;  a  I'endroitnre  de  cele  porte  estoit  li  monumens.  En  eel 
endroit,  li  oil  li  monumens,  estoit  li  moustiers  tons  roons,  et  si  estoit  ouvres 
par  desnre,  sanz  counverture.  Et  dedans  cest  le  monument  estoit  la  pierre 
don  sepnlcre,  et  li  monumens  couvers  a  voute  an  chavech  de  eel  monument, 
ansi  com  an  chief  de  I'autel  par  dehors,  que  Ton  apeloit  Chavec  ;  la  chantoit 
en  chascnn  jour  an  point  du  jour.  H  avoit  moult  bele  place  tout  entour  le 
monument  et  tonte  pavee,  si  com  en  aloit  a  pourcession  tout  entour  le  monu- 
ment. Apres,  vers  orient,  estoit  li  cuenrs  dn  sepucre,  li  oil  li  chanoines 
chantoient ;  si  estoit  Ions.  Entre  le  cuer,  la  oil  li  chanoine ^stoient  et  le  mo- 
nument, avoit  1.  ante]  li  oiili  Grieu  chantoient.  M^s  1.  autre  clos  avoit  entre 
i:  y  avoit  1.  par  oil  on  aloit  de  I'nn  i  I'autre.  Et  en  milieu  du  cuer  an  cha- 
noines, avoit  1.  letrin  de  marbre,  que  en  apeloit  le  compas;  lassus  list  en  Te 

'  The  '  street  of  the  Patriarch '  is  that   kiah  and  above  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
rnnning  north  jnst  below  the  pool  of  Heze-  Sepulchre. 
Vol.  II.— 47* 


0 


558  LA  CITEZ  DE  JEERUSALEM.  [App.  H 

pistfe.  A  main  destre  du  mestre  autel  de  ce  cuer  estoit  mons  de  Calvarie. 
Si  que.  quant  on  chantoit  messe  de  la  Resurrexion,  li  diacres,  quant  il  chantoit 
I'Evnrigile,  si  se  tournoit  vers  le  mont  de  Calvaire  quant  il  disoit  Crucifixum  ; 
apres  si  se  tournoit  vers  le  monument  quant  il  disoit  resurrexit^  non  est  hie,  ei 
monstroit  au  doit :  Ecce  locus  ubi  posuerunt  eum  ;  et  puis  si  se  retournoit  an 
livre  si  pardisoit  son  Evangile.  Au  cheves  don  cuer  aroit  une  porte,  par  1^ 
ou  li  chanoine  entroient  en  leur  offecines,  a  inein  destre.  Entre  cele  porte  et 
mont  de  Calvaire  avoit  1.  mout  parfont  fosse,  od  en  avaloit  a  degrez.  Li 
avoit  une  place  que  en  apeloit  Sainte  Helaine.  La  trouva  sainte  Helainne  la 
crois  et  les  clous  et  le  martel  et  la  courone.  En  cele  fosse,  ou  tens  qn^ 
Jhesu  Cris  fu  en  terre,  getoit  on  les  cors  de  larrons  qui  estoient  crucifiez, 
qnand  on  les  despendoit.  Et  quant  on  leur  coupoit  ou  poing  ou  teste,  ou  en 
en  faisoit  aucune  justice,  on  le  faisoit  ou  mont  de  Calvarie ;  que  on  y  faisoit 
les  justices  et  ce  que  les  lois  aportoient,  et  que  on  gistoit  les  membres  que  on 
jugoit  a  pardre  aus  malfaiteurs.  Tout  ainsi  que  li  chanoine  issoient  dou 
sepulcre,  a  mein  senestre  estoit  leur  dortoirs,  et  a  mein  destre  li  refrotois  et 
tenoit  au  mont  de  Calvarie.  Entre  ces  n.  offices  estoit  leur  clistres  et  leur 
preaus.  En  un  lien  dn  peel  avoit  une  grant  ouverture,  dont  on  veoit  en  ^ 
chambre  Elaine  qui  dessous  estoit,  car  autrement  n'i  veoit  on  goute. 

III.  De  ce  meisme. 

"  Le  changes  estoit  tenans  a  la  rue  des  Rerbes,  que  on  apeloit  Mal-quis-mat. 
En  cele  rue  cuisoit  on  la  viande  au  pelerins,  que  en  vendoit,  et  si  lavoit  on  lea 
chiez.  Et  si  aloit  on  de  la  rue  au  sepulcre.  Tout  avant  de  cele  rue  de  Mal- 
quimat,  avoit  une  rue  que  en  apeloit  la  rue  Comerte^  la  ofx  en  vendoit  la  dra- 
perie ;  et  estoit  toute  ii  voute  par  desure. '  Et  par  cele  rae  aloit  on  au  sepul- 
cre. Cele  rue  dont  aloit  du  change  aus  portes  Oires,  avoit  a  non  la  inie  du 
Temple  ;  pour  ce  I'apeloit  on  la  porte  du  Temple,  que  en  venoit  aingois  au 
Temple  que  aux  portes  Oires.  A  mein  senestre,  si  com  on  avaloit  cele  me  b, 
aler  au  Temple,  la  estoit  la  Boucherie,  la  oh.  en  vendoit  la  char  de  la  boucherie 
i  ceux  de  la  vile.  A  mein  destre  avoit  une  autre  rue  par  la  oCi  on  aloit  k 
I'Ospital.  Cele  rue  avoit  non  aus  Alemans.  A  mein  senestre,  sur  le  pont,* 
avoit  1.  moustier  de  S.  Gile.  An  chief  de  cele  rue  trouvoit  on  unes  portes 
que  en  apeloit  portes  Precieuses ;  que  Jhesu  Cris  par  ces  portes  entroit  en  la 
cit6  de  Jherusalem,  quant  il  ala  par  terre.  Ces  portes  si  estoient  en  un  mur 
qui  estoit  entre  la  cite  et  le  mur  des  portes  Oires. 

IV.  De  ce  meisme. 

"  Entre  le  mur  de  la  cite  et  le  mur  des  portes  Oires  si  etoit  li  Temples.  Et 
si  y  avoit  une  grant  place  qui  plus  estoit  d'line  traictie  de  lone  et  le  giet  d'nne 
pierre  de  le,  ain  que  en  veigne  au  Temple.  Cele  place  si  estoit  pavee,  dont  on 
apeloit  cele  place  te  Pavement.  A  mein  destre,  si  come  en  issoit  de  ces  portes, 
estoit  li  Temples  Salemon,  lA  od  li  frere  du  temple  manoient.  A  la  droiture 
des  portes  Precieusses  et  des  portes  Oires  estoit  li  moustiers  du  Temple  Domini. 
£t  si  estoit  en  haut,  si  come  il  monta  aus  degrez  bans.    Et  quant  on  montoit 

•  These  three  streets  are  the  three  par-  '  Of  this  pont  nothing  further  is  known, 
allel  streets  of  tho  bazar. 


App.  II.] 


JjA  citez  de  jherusalem. 


559 


ces  degrez,  si  trouvoit  on  moult  large,  et  cis  pavement  aaloit  tout  entonr  le 
monstier  dn  Temple.  Li  moustiers  dou  Temple  estoit  tons  rons.  Et  a  mein 
senestre  dn  baut  pavement  du  Temple,  estoit  Tolfecine  de  I'abbe  et  des  cha- 
noines.  Et  de  cele  part  avoit  uns  degrez  par  oil  en  montoit  an  Temple,  du 
bas  pavement  en  haut.  Devers  soleil  levant,  tenant  au  mostier  du  Temple, 
avoit  nne  chapelle  de  monseigneur  S.  Jaque  I'apostre,  le  menor ;  pource  estoit 
ilec  qnant  cele  chapele  que  il  y  fu  martiriez,  quant  li  Juis  le  giterent  de  sur  le 
Temple  aval.  Dedans  cele  chapelle  estoit  li  lieus  ofi  Jhesu  Oris  delivra  la 
pecharresse  qui  on  menoit  martirer,  pource  qu'ele  avoit  este  prise  en  avoultere. 
Au  chief  de  ce  pavement,  par  devers  soleil  levant,  ravaloit  en  uns  degrez  k 
aler  aus  portez  Oires.  Quant  on  les  avoit  avalez,  si  trouvoit  I'on  nne  place 
grant,  ains  que  en  venist  au  portes ;  la  seoit  li  autres  que  Salemons  fist.  Par 
ces  portes  ne  passoit  nus,  ains  estoient  murees,  et  se  n'i  passoit  nulz  que  ii 
foiz  en  I'an,  que  on  les  desmuroit ;  et  aloit  on  i  pourcession  le  .jour  de  Pasques 
Flories,  pource  que  Jhesu  Oris  y  passa  i  eel  jour,  et  fa  recueillis  a  pourcessions ; 
et  le  jour  de  la  feste  Seinte  Crois  en  stenbrre,  pour  ce  que  par  ces  portes  fu 
raportee  la  crois  en  Jherusalem,  quant  li  emperieres  de  Rome  Eracles  le  con- 
qnesta  en  Perse  et  par  cele  porte  la  remist  en  la  cit6  et  [a]  la  en  a  pourcession 
encontre  lui.  Par  ce  que  on  n'issoit  mie  hors  de  la  vile  par  ces  portez,  yl  y 
avoit  nne  posterne  par  encoste,  que  en  apeloit  la  porte  de  Josaphat. '  Par  cele 
posterne  issoient  ceulz  de  la  cite  hors  de  cele  part.  Et  cele  posterne  estoit 
mein  senestre  des  portez  Oires,  par  devers  midi.  Y  avoloit  on  du  haut  pa- 
vement du  Temple  bas,  de  dont  on  aloit  au  Temple  Salmon.  A  mein  se- 
nestre, si  com  on  aloit  du  haut  pavement  eii  bas,  la  avoit  1.  moustier  que  on 
apeloit  le  Biers.  La  estoit  li  bers  dont  Dies  fu  berchies  en  s'enfance,  si  que 
en  disoit.  Ou  moustier  dou  Temple  avoit  iiu.  portes  en  crois ;  la  premiere 
estoit  devers  souleil  couchant ;  par  celi  entroient  cil  de  la  cite  ou  Temple ;  et 
par  celi,  devers  soleil  levant,  entroit  on  en  la  chapelle,  et  si  s'enrissoit  on 
ileques  aus  portes  oires.  Par  la  porte  devers  midi  entroit  on  ou  temple  Sa- 
lemon,     Et  par  la  porte  devers  Aqnillon  entroit  on  en  I'abaVee. 

V.  De  ce  meisme. 

"  Or  vous  ai  devise  du  Temple  et  dou  Sepulcre,  coment  il  seent,  et  de  I'Os- 
pital,  et  des  rues  qui  estoient  des  porte  de  David  de  ci  as  portez  Oires,  I'une 
endroit  I'autre.  Cele  devers  Aquilon  avoit  non  la  porte  Seinte  Estiene.  ^  Par 
cele  porte  entroient  tout  li  pelerin  et  tout  cil  qui  par  devers  Acre  venoit  en 
Jherusalem,  et  par  toute  la  terre  du  flun  jusqu'a  la  mer  d'Escalone.  Dehors 
cele  porte,  ainsi  com  on  y  entroit,  i  mein  destre  avoit  un  moustier  de  mon- 
seigneur Saint  Estienes  qui  fu  lapides.  Devant  ce  monstier,  h  mein  senestre, 
avoit  un  grant  manson  que  en  apelloit  I'Asnerie ;  la  souloient  gesir  li  asne  et 
li  soinmier  de  I'Ospital,  pource  avoit  non  I'Asnerie.  Ce  moustier  de  S.  Esti- 
ene abatirent  li  Crestien  de  Jherusalem  devant  ce  qu'il  fussent  assegio,  pour  ce 
que  li  moustiers  estoit  pres  des  mnrs.  L'Asnerie  ne  fu  pas  abatue,  ains  ot 
puis  grant  mestier  aus  pelerins  qui  par  treuage  venoient  en  Jherusalem,  quant 

'  The  present  gate  of  St.  Stephen,  on       '  Now  the  gate  of  Damascus, 
the  east  side  of  the  city. 


560 


LA  CITEZ  DE  JHERUSALEM. 


[App.  n. 


elle  estoit  as  Sarrasins,  et  qne  les  sarrasins  n'es  laissoient  mie  hebergier  de- 
dens  la  cite ;  pour  ce  lor  [fn]  la  maison  de  I'Asnerie  gran  mestier.  A  mein 
destre  de  la  porte  de  Jterusalem,  tenant  au  murs,  devant  a  la  maladrerie, 
avoit  une  posterne  que  on  apeloit  la  posterne  S.  Ladre.  Quant  li  sarrasins 
orrent  conquise  la  cite  sur  les  Crestiens,  par  la  metoient  11  ens  les  Crestiens 
pour  aler  couvertement  au  Sepulcre.  Car  li  sarrasins  ne  Touloient  mie  que 
li  Crestien  reissent  la  couvine  de  la  cite ;  pour  ce  les  metoie  on  ens  par  la 
porte  le  Patriarche,  qui  estoit  en  la  rue  dou  moustier  dn  Sepulcre,  ne  on  ne 
les  metoit  mie  ens  par  la  mestre  porte.  Mais  sachiez  bien  de  voir  que  li  Cres- 
tien pelerin  qui  vonloient  aler  an  sepucre  et  as  autres  seins  liens,  que  li  sarra- 
sins en  avoient  d'enlz  granz  treus  et  grans  leviers  et  grans  services.  Li  sarra- 
sins les  prisoient  bien  chascun  an  xx"  besans.  Mais  en  escomenia  apres  tons 
les  Crestiens  qui  logier  en  donoient,  par  quois  il  ne  valoit  mie  tant.  Quant 
on  entroit  en  la  cite  par  la  porte  de  S.  Estiene,  si  trouvoit  on  n.  rues,  I'une  k 
destre  et  I'autre  a  senestre  qui  aloit  a  la  porte  de  mont  Syon  qui  estoit  en- 
droit  midi.  Et  la  porte  en  mont  si  estoit  4  droiture,  aloit  k  une  posterne  que 
on  apele  la  Tanerie  et  aloit  droit  par  dessous  le  pont.  Cele  rue  qui  aloit  a  la 
porte  du  Mont  Syon,  avoit  a  non  la  rue  Sainte  Estiene.^  Desci  que  en  venoit 
as  changes  des  Suriens  avoit  a  mein  destre  qui  en  apeloit  la  rue  dou  Sepucre  ;  ' 
la  estoit  la  porte  de  la  ileson  dou  Sepucre :  par  la  entroient  ceus  du  Sepucre 
en  leur  meisons  et  en  leur  manoirs.  Quant  en  venoit  devant  ce  change,  si 
tournoit  en  a  mein  destre  une  rue  couverte  a  voute,  par  oil  en  aloit  au  mous- 
tier dou  Sepucre.  En  cele  rue  vendoit  li  Surien  leur  draperie  et  si  faisoit  on 
les  chandeles  de  clre.  Devant  ce  change  vendoit  on  le  poison.  A  ces  chan- 
ges tenoient  les  ra.  rues  qui  tenoient  aux  autres  chanches  des  Latins.  Dont 
Tune  de  ces  m.  rues  avoit  non  rue  Couverte.  La  vendoient  li  Latin  leur 
draperie  ;  et  I'autre  rue  des  Herbes,  et  la  tierce  Masquismat.  Par  la  rue  des 
Herbes  aloit  on  en  la  rue  du  Mont  Syon,  dont  on  aloit  £l  la  porte  du  Mont 
Syon,  et  tres  copoit  on  la  rue  David.  Par  la  rue  Couverte  aloit  on  en  une  rue 
par  le  change  des  Latins ;  cele  rue  apeloit  on  la  rue  de  I'Arc  Judas,  pour  ce 
que  en  disoit  que  Judas  s'i  pendi:  si  y  avoit  1.  arc  de  pierre.  A  senestre  de 
cele  rue  avoit  1.  moustier  de  S.  Martin.  Et  pres  de  cele  porte  avoit  1.  mou- 
stier de  S.  Pierre.  La  disoit  on  que  ce  fu  que  Jhesu  Cris  fist  la  boue  que  il 
mist  cs  eux  de  celuy  qui  n'avoit  onques  veu.  Hors  de  la  porte  de  Mont  Syon 
si  trovoit  on  in.  voies.  Une  voie  a  mein  destre  qui  aloit  a  I'abaYe  et  au 
moustier  de  Mont  Sion.  Et  entre  TabaYe  et  les  murs  de  la  cit6  avoit  1.  grant 
atre  et  1.  moustier,  en  milieu  de  la  voie;  a  mein  senestre  si  aloit  selonc  les 
murs  de  la  cite  droit  au  portes  Oires  et  d'ilec  avaloit  on  ou  val  de  Josaphat, 
et  si  en  aloit  en  la  fontaine  de  SSyloe.  Et  de  cele  porte  h  mein  destre  sur 
cele  voie,  avoit  1.  moustier  de  S.  Pierre  en  Galiceinte.  En  tel  moustier  avoit 
une  parfonde,  lii  oh  en  disoit  que  S.  Pierres  se  musa,  quant  il  ot  Jhesu  Cris 
renoi6  et  il  oi  le  coc  chanter,  et  li  ploura  il.  La  voie,  a  la  droiture  de  cele 
porte,  par  devers  midi,  si  aloit  par  desur  le  mont,  de  si  que  en  passalareie  si 
avaloit  on  le  mont  et  aloit  en  par  cele  porte  en  Bethleem. 

'  This  is  tbe  street  leading  from  the  pre-  Cliurch  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre;  forming  the 

gent  Damascus  gate  to  the  bazars.  western  portion  of  the  present  Via  dolo- 

'  Apparently  the  street  leading  up  from  rosn. 
the  preceding  one,  on  the  north  of  the 


App.  h] 


LA  CITEZ  DE  JHERUSALEM. 


561 


YI.  Dc  ce  niemne. 

"  Quant  on  aroit  aval6  le  mont,  si  trouvoit  en  1.  lai  en  la  val6e,  qu'eu 
apeloit  lai  Germain, '  que  Germains  le  fist  faire  pour  recueillir  les  iaues  qui 
descendoient  des  montaignes  quant  il  plovoit ;  et  la.  abuvroit  on  les  chevaus 
de  la  cite.  D'autre  part  la  valee,  a  mein  senestre,  pres  d'iluec,  avoit  1.  Car- 
nier  que  en  apeloit  Chauderaar.  La  getoit  on  les  pelerins  qui  monroient  i 
rOspital  de  Jherusalem.  Cele  [valee]  ou  li  charniers  estoit  fu  achete  des  de- 
niers  dont  Judas  vendi  la  cher  Jhesu  Crist,  si  come  I'Evangile  temoigne. 
Dehors  la  porte  avoit  1.  lai  par  devers  soleil  couchant,  que  on  apeloit  le  loy 
du  Fatriarche,'  li  oii  on  recueilloit  les  iaues  d'iluec  entour  pour  abeurer  lea 
chevos.  Pres  de  cele  lai  avoit  un  charnicr  que  en  apeloit  le  Charnier  du  Lyon. 
II  avint  si  com  en  disoit,  a  1.  jour  qui  passez  estoit,  qu'il  avoit  entre  Cres- 
tiens  et  Sarrasins  une  bataille  entre  celle  cbarnier  et  Jherusalem,  oii  il  avoit 
mout  de  Crestiens  ocis,  et  que  li  Sarrasins  de  la  bataille  les  devoient  tons  faire 
lendemain  ordoir  pour  la  puor.  Tant  que  il  avint  que  uns  lyons  vint  par  nuit, 
les  porta  touz  en  cele  fosse,  si  con  en  disoit ;  pour  ce  I'apeloit  on  le  Charnier 
du  Lyon.  Et  dessus  ce  charnier  avoit  1.  moustier  ou  en  cliantoit  chascun 
jour  pres  d'ileques.  A  une  lieue  avoit  une  abeiede  nonnains,^  la  oil  en  disoit 
que  une  des  pieces  de  la  vraie  croie  fu  cueillue  .  .  . 

Vn.  De  ce  meisme. 

"  Or  reveing  i  la  porte  S.  Estienne,  k  la  rue  qui  aloit  ti  mein  senestre,  qui 
aloit  k  la  posterne  de  la  Tanerie.  Quant  on  avoit  ale  une  grant  piece  de  ceste 
rue  a  mein  senestre,  que  on  apeloit  la  me  de  Josaphat ;  *  quant  en  avoit  1. 
pon  ale  avant,  si  trovoit  en  1.  quarrefour  d'une  voie,  dont  la  voie  qui  venoit 
devers  senestre  au  Temple  et  aloit  au  Sepucre.  Au  chief  de  cele  voie  avoit 
une  porte  par  devers  le  Temple,  que  on  apeloit  partes  Douleremes.^  A  main 
destre,  sur  le  carfor  de  cele  voie,  fu  li  ruisiaus  dont  I'Evangile  temoigne ;  dont 
il  disoit  que  nostre  sires  le  passa  quant  il  fu  menez  crucifier.  En  eel  endroit 
avoit  un  moustier  de  S.  Jehan  I'evangelistre,  et  si  y  avoit  un  grant  manoir. 
Cil  manoirs  et  li  moustiers  estoit  de  nonnains  de  Bethanie ;  la  manoient  eles 
quant  il  estoit  guerre  de  Sarrasins.  Or  reveing  u  la  rue  de  Josaphat.  Entre 
la  rue  de  Josaphat  et  les  murs  de  la  cite,  a  main  senestre,  avoit  rues,  ainsicom 
a  une  vile.  Ld  manoient  li  plus  de  ceulx  de  Jherusalem,  et  ces  rues  apeloit 
on  la  Merie.  En  tel  merie  avoit  un  moustier  de  sainte  Marie  Madelaine ;  et 
pres  du  moustier  avoit  une  posterne.  En  ne  povoit  mie  issir  de  hors  au  chans, 
mais  entre  n.  murs  en  aloit  on.  A  main  destre  de  cele  rue  de  Josaphat  avoit 
un  moustier  que  en  apeloit  U  Repom  ;  "  li  disoit  on  que  Jhesu  Cris  se  repousa 
quant  on  le  mena  crucifier.    Et  la  estoit  la  prison  oil  il  fu  mis  la  nuit  que  il 


'  '  Le  lai  Gfermain '  appears  to  be  the 
Birket  Sultan.    So  Schultz  p.  119. 

'  Now  the  Birket  Mamilla,  west  of  the 
city. 

'  Now  the  convent  of  the  Cross,  Deir  el- 
Musullabeh. 

This  was  the  street  leading  on  the 
north  of  the  Haram  to  the  former  gate  of 
Jehoshaphat,  now  St.  Stephen's. 


'  These  '  portes  doulereuses  '  correspond 
to  the  present  Ecce  Homo.  The  name 
seems  to  contain  the  germ  of  the  later 
'  Via  dolorosa ;'  which  was  then  obviously 
unknown. 

"  This  name,  '  le  Repons '  should  read 
'  le  Repous  ;*  as  appears  from  the  next 
clause. 


562 


LA  CITEZ  DE  JHERUSALEM. 


[App.  n. 


fil  pris  en  Gessemani.  Un  peu  avant  en  cele  rne  avoit  este  la  mauon  Filate. 
A  main  senestre,  devant  cele  maison,  avoit  une  porte  par  oh  en  aloit  an  Tem- 
ple. Pres  de  la  porte  de  Josaphat,  a  mein  senestre,  avoit  nne  abaVe  de  non- 
nains,  si  avoit  a  non  Sainte  Anne.  Devant  cele  abeVe  avoit  une  fontaine  que 
en  apeloit  la  Fontaine  dessons  la  pecine.  Cele  fontaine  ne  qnert  point,  ains 
estoit  desure.  En  cele  fontaine,  au  temps  de  Jhesu  Crist,  descendoit  li  anges 
et  mouvoit  li  aue,  et  li  premiers  malades  qui  y  descendoit  apres  estoit  garis  de 
s'enfermete.  Cele  fontaine  avoit  v.  porches  oii  li  malades  gisoient,  si  con  on 
dit.  De  la  porte  de  Josaphat  si  avaloit  on  en  val  de  Josaphat.  Si  avoit  nne 
aceYe  de  noirs  moigne.  En  cele  abeie  avoit  nn  moustier  de  madame  Sainte 
Marie.  En  eel  moustier  estoit  li  sepucres  ob.  ele  fa  enfouie.  Li  Sarrasins 
quant  il  orent  prise  la  cite  abatirent  cele  abeYe  et  en  porterent  les  pierres  k  la 
cite  fermer,  mais  le  moustier  n'abatirent  il  mie.  Devant  ce  moustier,  au  pie 
dou  mont  d'Olivet,  avoit  1.  moustier  en  une  roche  que  on  apelloit  Gessemani: 
la  fa  Jhesu  Cris  pris ;  d'autre  part  la  voie,  si  con  I'en  monte  au  mont  d'Olivet, 
tant  con  on  giteroit  une  pierre,  avoit  1.  moustier  que  on  apeloit  S.  Sauvenr; 
la  Jhesu  Cris  aourer  la  unit  qu'il  fu  pris;  et  la  li  sueurs  de  son  cors  aussi  com 
sans.  Ou  val  de  Josaphat  avoit  hermites  et  veveles.  Et  s'estoit  tout  contre- 
val,  car  je  ne  sai  mie  nommer  jusqu'a  de  Sjloe.  Et  sur  le  mont  d'Olivet  avoit 
une  abeYe  de  blancs  moignes.  Pres  de  cele  abeYe,  h.  main  destre,  avoit  une 
Toie  qui  aloit  en  Betanie,  toute  la  costiere  de  la  montaigne.  Seur  le  tour  de 
cele  voie  avoit  1.  moustier  qui  avoit  a  non  Sainte  Patenostre ;  la  disoit  on 
que  Jhesu  Cris  fist  la  patenostre  et  I'enseigna  a  ses  apoutres.  Pres  d'iluec  fu 
li  figuiers  que  Diex  mandist  quant  il  aloit  en  Jherusalem,  entre  le  moustier 
qui  avoit  non  Belfage.  La  vint  Jhesus  Cris  le  jour  de  Pasques  Flories,  et  le 
jor  envoia  il  en  Jherusalem  n,  disciples  pour  une  asnesse  et  d'iluec  ala  en  Jhe- 
rusalem sur  I'asnesse. — Or  vous  ai  dit  et  nom6  les  abeYs  et  les  moustiers  de 
Jherusalem,  par  dehors  Jherusalem  et  par  dedens  et  les  rues  des  Latins ;  mais 
je  ne  vous  ai  mie  nomme  les  abeYes  et  les  moustiers  des  Suriens,  ne  des  Gre» 
jois,  ne  des  Jacobins,  ne  des  Boanins,  ne  des  Nestorins,  ne  des  Hermites,  ne 
des  autres  manieres  des  gens  qui  n'estoient  mie  obeissant  a  Rome,  dont  il  y 
avoit  moustiers  et  abeYes  en  la  cit4 :  pour  ce  ne  vous  veil  mie  parler  de  toutes 
oes  gens  que  je  ici  nomme,  qui  n'estoient  mie  obeissant  a  Ronmie,  si  con  en  di- 
BoiL" 


ITINE 


RARY. 


I.  FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ.   (SEC.  II.) 

WITH  CAMEI^. 

General  rate  of  Travel,  2  G.  M.  the  Hour. 


Monday,  March  \2th. 

From  Cairo,  Bab  en-Nusr. — General 
Course  East. 

1.  KaidBeg,  30 

2.  Wady  Liblabeh,  35 

3.  W.  en-Nehedein,  1  30 

Total  2  35 


TSiesday,  March  \Zth. 

From  W.  en-Nehedein. —  General 
Course  East. 

1.  Jurf  el-Mnkawa,  1  15 

2.  W.  Abu  Hailezon,  35 

3.  W.  Ansury,  2  20 

4.  W.  el-'Ankebiyeh  er-Reiyaneh,  1  25 

5.  W.  el-'Ankebiyeh  el-'Ateshaneh,  1 

6.  W.  el-'Eshrah,  30 

7.  W.  el-Furn,  30 

8.  el-Mawalih,  2  35 

Total  10  10 

Thermom.  F.  10  a.  m.  59° 
7  p.  m.  57° 
Wind  N.  N.  E.  cold.  Clear. 


Wedivesday,  March  lAth. 

From  el-Mawahh. — General  Course 
East. 

1.  W.  Jendal,  2  40 

2.  W.  Athileh,  1 

3.  W.  Hufeiry,  2  55 

4.  Rejum  esh-Shawaghirlyeh,  1  15 

5.  Wi  SeU  Abu  Zeid,  1  55 

Total  9  45 


Thekmom.  F.  Sunrise,  47° 
10  a.  m.  59° 
2  p.  m.  65° 
Sunset,  62° 
Cloudy  ;  then  clear.    Wind  N.  E.  cold. 


Thursday,  March  \&th. 

From  W.  Seil  Abu  Zeid, 

1.  W.  Emshash,  E.  by  S. 

2.  el-Muntula',  E.  by  S. 

3.  'Ajrud, 

4.  Bir  Suweis, 


2  05 
1  05 

E.  S.  E.       2  25 
S.  E.       8  10 


5.  Suweis  (Suez), 


S.  E. 


Total  9  45 


Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  44° 

10  a.  m.  62° 

2  p.  m.  71° 

Sunset,  66° 

Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  N.  E. 

Whole  distance  from  Cairo  to  Snez,  32J 
hours. 


Other  Routes  fbom  the  Valley  op 
THE  Nile  to  Suez. 
1.  Rasel-Wady.       2.  Abu  Za'beL 
Suk  et-TelL  el-MuntiSla'. 
Rejfim  el  Khail,  'Ajrud, 
Suez.  etc. 


3.  Cairo. 

Birket  el-Haj. 
Dar  el-Hiimra. 
W.  Hufeiry, 
etc. 


Cairo. 

el-Besatin. 

Gandali. 

W.  SeU  Abu  Zeid, 
etc. 


5.  Cairo.  6.  Tibbin. 

el-Besatin.  W.  Tawarik, 

Gandali.  etc. 
W.  Tawarik. 
'Odheib. 
Suez. 


564 


ITINERARY. 


n.   FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 

(SEC.  m.) 


WITH  CAMELS. 


Friday,  March  16th. 
From  Suez. 

1.  Mounds  of  ancient 

Canal,  N.  i  E. 

2.  Point  at  N.  E.  cor- 

ner of  Bay,  E.  S.  E. 

3.  Point  opposite  Suez,  S.  by  E. 

4.  EncampmenJ,  S.  by  E. 


1  35 

25 
1  35 
35 


Total  4  10 
From  Suez  direct  about  1  30 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,        48°)    .  n 

,  „        '  >■  at  Suez. 

10  a.  m.  65°) 

2  p.  m.  75° 

Sunset,  70° 
Clear  and  pleasant.    Wind  N. 


Saturday,  March  I'Jth. 

From  Encampment. — General  Course 
from  S.  by  E.  to  S.  S.  E. 

1.  'Ayun  Musa,  2  10 

2.  W.  er-Keiyaneh,  1  05 

3.  W.  el-Kurdbiyeh,  2 

4.  W.  el-Abtha,  1  30 

5.  W.  Siidr,  middle,  3  05 

Total  9  50 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  52° 
10  a.  m.  68° 
2  p.  m.  74° 
Sunset,  69° 

Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  N.  E. 


Sunday,  March  ISth. 
Remained  encamped  in  Wady  Sudr. 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise, 
10  a.  m. 
2  p.  m. 
Sunset, 
Clear.    Wind  E.  N.  E. 


52° 
68° 
71° 
66° 


Monday,  March  19iA. 


From  W.  SOdr, 

1.  Wady  Wardan, 

2.  W.  el-'Amarah, 

3.  'Ain  Ilawariih, 

4.  Nukeia'  el-Ful, 


S.  by  E. 
S.  S.  E. 
S.  S.  E. 
S.  S.  E. 


3  15 
3  30 
2 

30 


5.  W.  Gburiindel, 

6.  Encampment  in  do. 


S.  S.  E. 
S.  W. 


H.  M. 
1 

30 


Total  10  45 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  49° 
10  a.  m.  67° 
2  p.  m.  72° 
Sunset,  68° 

Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  N.  W. 


Tuesday,  March  20<A. 
From  W.  Gburiindel, 

1.  Wady  Useit,  S.  E.       2  15 

2.  W.  Thai,  S.  E.  by  S.       2  20 

3.  W.  Shubeikeh,  S.  1 

4.  W.  et-Taiyibeh,  head,        S.  30 

5.  Sarbut  el-Jemel,  (S. 

E.  cor.)  E.  S.  E.       3  10 

6.  Encampment  in  W. 

Humr.  E.  by  N.       1  45 

Total  II 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  59° 
10  a.  m.  76° 
2  p.  m.  79° 
Sunset,  76° 
Clear  and  warm.    Wind  N.  W. 

light ;  at  evening  strong. 


Wednesday,  March  21«<. 
From  Encampment, 

1.  Head  of  W.  Humr,  jf^-^'  \       2  40 

2.  Top  of  ascent,      S.  E.  by  E.  20 

3.  Debbet  er-Ramleh,    E.  S.  E.  1  26 

4.  Point  in  the  plain,     E.  S.  E.  30 

5.  Wady  Siiwuk  ;  foot  of 

Surabit  el  IChadim,  S.       2  15 

6.  W.el-Khumileh,(Encamp.)S.E.  1 

Total  8  10 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  64° 
10  a.  m.  72° 
2  p.  m.  76° 
Sunset,  68° 

Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  N.  E. 
8tron<r. 


Thursday,  March  22<i 
From  Encampment, 

1.  Anglo  of  W.  Klifimileh,  S.  E.       1  30 

2.  W.  Seih,  open  place,      S.  E.  1 


ITINERARY. 


565 


3.  HeadofW.el-Burk,  {l^^glg  ?5  2  « 

4.  W.  'Akir,  S.  S.  E.  25 
6.  W.  Kineh,  mouth,  S.  E.  by  S.  35 

6.  el-Lebweh,  pass  or 

plain,  S.  E.  by  S.  2 

7.  W.  Berah,  Encamp- 

ment, S.  E.  by  S.  1 

Totals  15 

Thkkmom.  F.  Sunrise,  54** 
10  a.  m.  68"^ 
2  p.  m.  694° 

Clear  and  pleasant  Wind  N.  E. 


Friday,  March  23d. 
From  Encampment, 

1.  Wady  el-Akbdar,  S.  S.  E.  ^  E.  1  20 

2.  W.  esh-Sheikh,         S.  S.  E.  1 

3.  el-'Orf;  S.  E.  by  S.  2 

4.  W.  Solaf,  S.  S.  E.  1  30 

5.  Niikb  Hawy,  bottom,     S.  E.  1 

6.  Nukb  Hawy,  top,      S.  by  E.  1 

7.  Convent,  S.  E.  by  S.  2 


Total  9  60 


Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise, 
10  a.  m. 
2  p.  m. 
Clear  and  pleasant. 


48° 
72° 
73° 
Wind  N.  W. 


Whole  distance  from  Suez  to  the  Convent, 
63  honrs. 


Saturday  and  Sunday,  March  2ith  and 
25th, 
At  the  Convent. 
March  24th. 
Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  66° 
10  a.  m.  63° 
2  p.  m.  65° 

March  25th. 
Sunrise,  57° 
10  a.  m.  65° 
2  p.  m.  67° 
Snnset,  65° 
Both  days  clear.    Wind  N.  W. 


Monday,  March  26th. 
Ther.  F.  Sunrise,     66°  at  Convent 
lOi  a.  m.     60°  Top  of  Sinai. 
2  p.  m.     65°  Horeb,  Basin. 
Sunset,     65°  el-Arba'in. 
Clear.    Wind  N.  W.    At  1  p.  m.  a 
slight  shower  on  Sinai  and  Horeb. 
Vol.  II.-48 


Tuesday,  March  27th. 
Thek.  F.  Sunrise,    47°  at  el-Arba'in. 
in         i  shade,  )  top  of  St, 

lU  a.  m.  ^  ^go     g^^^     ^  Catharine 

Clear.    Wind  N.  W.  cold  and  piercing. 


Wednesday,  March  28<A. 
At  the  Convent 
Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  47° 
10  a.  m.  64° 
2  p.  m.  62° 
Snnset,  68° 
Clear.    Wind  N.  W. 


m.  FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  'AKA- 
BAH.    (SEC.  IV.) 

WrrH  CAMELS. 

Thursday,  March  29<A. 

From  the  Convent,  h.  u. 

1.  Wady  esh-Sheikh,N.N.W.  i  W.  25 

2.  W.  es-Seba'iyeh, 

mouth,  E.  N.  E.  60 

3.  Tomb  of  Sheikh  SaUh,  N.  N.  E.       1  15 

4.  Encampment  in  W. 

es-Suwehiyeh,  N.  E.  by  N.  40 


Total  3  10 


Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise, 
10  a.  m. 
2  p.  m. 

Sunset, 
Clear  and  pleasant. 


49° 
65° 
66°  ' 
60° 
Wind  N.  W. 


At 
Convent 


Friday,  March  30iA. 
From  Encampment, 

1.  Top  of  Pass,  (water-shed), 

N.  E.  by  E. 

2.  Wady  el-'Orfan,       E.  by  S. 

3.  Jebel  Fera',  (entrance)  E. 

4.  Wady  Sal,  plain,       gen.  E. 

5.  'Ojrat  el-Furas,  (ridge)  N.  E. 

6.  Encampment  in  branch 

of  W.  Murrah,  N.  E. 


45 
30 
1  20 
6  30 
1 

30 


Total  9  35 

Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  38° 
10  a.  m.  72° 
2  p.  m.  76° 
Clear.    Sun  very  oppressive  in  Wady 
Sal    Wind  in  the  morning  N.  E.,  after- 
wards S.  W. 

*  The  Thermometer  rose  at  first  in  the  snn  to 
52°  Farenh.  but  sunk  to  48"  on  being  esiwsed  to 
the  wind. 


566 


ITINERARY, 


Saturday,  March  31s<. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  Wady  Murrali, 

2.  el-Burka',  E 

3.  Ridhan  esh-Shuk^'a, 

(end) 

4.  W.  el-Ajeibeh,  E, 
6.  'Ain  el-Hudhera, 

(opposite) 

6.  Wady  Gbuzaleh, 

head,  gen.  E.  N.  E. 

7.  Wady  er-Ruweilubi- 

yeh,  Encamp.      gen.  N.  E. 


N.  E. 
N.  E. 

N.  E. 
N.  E. 


E.  M. 

25 
40 


E.  by  N.       I  40 
1  15 


Total  7  35 


Thermom.  F.  Smirise, 
10  a.  m. 
2  p.  m. 

Sunset, 


58° 
80° 
77° 
73° 


Clear  and  sultiy.    Wind  S.  S.  E. 


Sunday,  April  \«t. 
Remained  encamped. 
Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  62° 
10  a.  m.  84° 
Clear  and  cloudy  alternately.    Wind  S. 
W. 


Monday,  April  2d. 
From  Encampment,  . 

1.  Wady  running  N.E.  N.E.  by  E. 

2.  Wady  running  S.  E.      N.  E. 

3.  Wady  es-Sumghy,         S.  E. 

4.  A  side  Wady,  N.  N.  E. 

5.  Head  of  Wady  es-Sa'deh,  S.  E. 

6.  en-Nuweibi'a,  fount- 

ain, gen.  E.  N.  E. 

7.  el-Wasit, 

8.  Nuweibi'a  of  the  Terabin, 

9.  Encampment, 


55 
50 
45 
40 
40 

55 
15 
45 
45 


Total  9  30 

General  Course  along  the  coast,  N.  N.  E. 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  63° 
10  a.  m.  69° 
2  p.  m.  76° 
Sunset,  74° 
Clear  and  cloudy  alternately. 
Wind  N.  E.  strong. 


Tuesday,  April  Zd. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  Murbut  Ka'ud  el-Wusileh, 

2.  Ris  el-Burka', 

3.  Abu  Suweirah, 

4.  Wady  el-Mubusb, 


1  45 

2  45 
1  30 
3 


5.  End  of  et-Tih, 

6.  Wady  el-Mnkubbeleh, 

7.  Wady  el-Huweimirat, 

Encamped. 


a  w. 
1 

80 

1 


Total  11  30 
General  Cotirse  of  the  coast,  N.  N.  E. 


Thermom.  F. 


Clear  and 
strong. 


Sunrise, 
10  a.  m. 

2  p.  m. 

Sunset, 
fine.  Wind 


64° 
68° 
79° 
76° 
N.  E. 


Wednesday,  April  ith. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  Wady  el-Huweimirat, 

(northern,) 

2.  Wady  Merakh,  month, 

3.  W.  el-Kiireiyeh,  or  el-Kfirey, 

4.  W.  el-Mezaiik. 

5.  W.  Taba',  (fountain) 

6.  Ras  el-Mnsry,  (point) 

7.  N.  W.  comer  of  Gulf, 

8.  Castle  of 'Akabah,        S.  E. 


65 
45 
30 
45 
45 

20 


Total  9 

General  Coarse  of  the  western 
coast  N.  E. 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  62° 
10  a.  m.  76° 
Sunset,  74° 
Clear  and  pleasant   Wind  N.  E. 
strong. 

TMiole  distance  from   the  Convent 
'Akabah,  SOJ-  hoars. 


to 


rv.  FROM  'AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 
(SEC.  V.) 


WITH  CAMELS. 


Thursday,  April  6th. 

From  the  Castle  of  'Akabah, 

1.  Foot  of  W.  Mountain,  N.  W. 

2.  Encampment,        W.  N.  W. 


1  25 
1  20 


Total  2  46 


Thermom.  F.  10  a.  m.  70° 
2  p.  m.  74° 
Sunset,  60° 
Clear.    Wind  N.  E.  strong. 


ITINERARY. 


567 


Friday,  April  6th, 

From  Encampment,  h.  m. 

1.  Wady  el-Masry,  TiV.  N.  W.  45 

2.  GateofPa^s,  N.  W,  15 

3.  Ras  en-Nilkb,  "W.  N.  W.       1  30 

4.  Mnlarik  et-Turk, 

(fork,)                W.  N.  "W.  55 

5.  el-Hnmeirawat,           N.  W.  1  35 

6.  Wadv  el-Khumileh,  N.  N.  W.  1  10 

7.  W.  ei-'Adhbeh.  En- 

camp. N.  N.  W.       2  50 

Total  9 

Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  56° 
10  a.  m.  56° 
2  p.  m.  62° 
Sunset,  56° 
Clear  and  cold.    Wind  N.  and  strong. 


Baiurday,  April  1th. 
From  Encampment, 

1.  Top  of  low  ridge,  N.  N.  "W.  45 

2.  W.  el-Ghaidheraii,  N.  by  W.  2  35 

3.  Ghudhir,  (Pool),  N.  by  W.  1  45 

4.  Wady  el-Jerafeh,  N.  by  W.  1  30 

5.  W.  el-Ghnbey,  N.  by  W.  1  30 

6.  W.  Butlihat,  N.  by  W.  30 

7.  W.  Ghudhaghidk 

Encamp.  N.  by  W.  I  15 

Total  9  50 

Thermox.  F.  Sunrise,  39° 
10  a.m.  61° 
2  p.  m.  56° 
Sunset,  53° 
Clear  and  cloudy  alternately. — 
"Wind  S.  W.,  at  evening  N.  W.  A 
smart  shower  at  2^  o'clock,  and 
other  showers  round  about. 


Sunday,  April  8th. 

Remained  encamped. 

Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  35° 
10  a.  m.  60° 
2  p.  m.  63° 
Sunset,  59° 
Clear.    Wind  W.  strong.  The 
coldest  morning. 


Monday,  April  9th, 

From  Encampment, 

1.  W.  el-Haikibeh,      N.  by  W. 

2.  W.  el-Kureiyeh,      N.  by  W. 


B.  It 

3.  W.  Abn  Tin,  N.  N.  "W.       2  40 

4.  W.  el-Khilraizeb,     N.  N.  W.  40 

5.  W.  'Araif  en-Nakah,  N.  N.  W.  1 

6.  Ridge  W.  of  Jebel 

•Araif,  N.  N.  W.  30 

7.  Plain  of  W,  el-Mayein,  ^ 

N.  side.    Encamp.         N.       1  30 

Total  10  45 

Theemom.  F.  Sunrise,  38° 
10  a.  m.  65° 
2  p.  m.  72° 
Sunset,  68° 
Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  N.  W. 


2  15 
2  10 


50 


Tuesday,  April  10th. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  Wady  el-Lussan,      N.  by  W. 

2.  W.  el-Muzeiri'ah, 

(bed),  N.  by  W.  40 

3.  W.  el-Jerur,  N.  by  W.  1  45 

4.  Gap  in  a  ridge,  N.  by  W.  1  30 

5.  W.  el-Jaifeh,  N.  N.  E.  1  20 

6.  W.  el-Kusaimeh, 

(weUs,)  N.  N.  E.       2  30 

7.  W.  el-'Ain,  (bed,)     N.  N.  E.       1  10 

8.  Encampment,  N.  N.  E.  25 

Total  10  10 

Theemosc  F.  Sunrise,  64° 
10  a.  m.  71° 
2  p.  m.  73° 
Hazy.    Wind  S.  E.  till  9  a.  m. 
then  N.  W, 


Wednesday,  April  llth. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  Wady  es-Seram, 

head,        ^      N.  E.  by  N.       1  30 

2.  Wady  es-Seram, 

plain,              N.  E.  by  N.  45 

3.  'Abdeh,  or  el-'Anjeh,        N.  1  30 

4.  Junction  of  road,  N.  E.  by  E.  1  30 

5.  W.  el-Abyad,  and 

Sheikh  el-Amry,  N.E.  by  X.  45 

6.  W.  en-NehJyeh,   N.  E.  by  N.       1  30 

7.  W.  er-Rnhaibeh,  N.  E.  by  N.       1  15 

Total  8  45 

N.  B.  For  other  Routes  from  the 
Convent  of  Mount  Sinai  to  Ruhai- 
beh  and  Gaza,  see  Note  XXIV,  at 
the  end  of  VoL  I 


568 


ITIKERART. 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  66° 
12  m.  88° 
2  p.  m.  76° 
Sunset,  66° 
Wind  N.  E.  About  11  a.  m.  S.— 
A  violent  Simoom  till  5  p.  m.  with 
thick  haze  ;  then  N.  W. 


Thursday,  April  12<A. 
From  Ruliaibeh, 

1.  W.  el-Kum,  el-Khu- 

lasah,  gen.  N.  E.       2  50 

2.  W.  el-Khiiza'v,         N.  N.  E.       1  30 

3.  W.  el-Murtubeh,       N.  N.  E.       1  10 

4.  Bir  es-Seba*,  Beer- 

sheba,  N.  N.  E.       2  50 

5.  Encampment,  N.  E.  1 


Total  9  20 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  60° 
10  a.  m.  72° 
2  p.  m.  73° 
Sunset,  66° 
Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  S.  W. 
then  N.  W. 


Friday,  April  IZth. 


From  Encampment, 

1.  Entrance  of  Moun- 

tains, N.  E.  by  E. 

2.  edh-Dhoheriyeh,  N.  E.  by  E. 


Whole  distance  from  'Akabah  to  Jemsalem, 
80  hours. 


V.  FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHEL, 
ETC.    (SEC.  IX.) 

WITH  HOBSES. 

General  rate  of  Travel,  2.4  G.  M.  or  3  Rom. 
M.  the  Hour. 


Friday,  May  it/u 

From  Jemsalem,  N.  E.  comer, 

1.  Ridge  N.  of  Mount 

of  Olives,  N.  25°  E. 

2.  'Anata,  (Anathoth)       N.  E. 

3.  el-Hizmeh,  N.  20°  E. 

4.  Jeba',  (Geba)  N. 

5.  Mukhmas,  (Michmash)  N.  E. 

c  r>  •  r.     •      (  N.  bv  W.  30 

6.  DeirDuwan,  ^  ^ 

7.  et-Taiyibeh,  N.  N.  E. 


25 
60 
40 
40 
60 

1  05 

1  60 


Total  6  20 


Thermom. 


F.  Sunrise, 
10  a.  m. 
2  p.  m. 


50° 
68° 
66° 


Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  S.  W. 


Saturday,  May  5th. 

From  Taiyibeh, 
3  20  I  1.  Beitin,  (Bethel)       W.  S.  W.  2 
2  50  2.  el-Bireh,  (Beeroth)  S.  48°  W.  45 

 1 3.  Ram-Allah,  W.  20 

Total  6  10  [  4.  el-Jib,  (Gibeon)  S.by  W.  J  W.       1  15 

5.  Neby  Samwil, 
(Mizpeh)  S.  21°  W.  30 

6.  Jemsalem,  Damasc. 
Gate,  •  S.  35°  E.       1  60 


Saturday,  Aprill-Ufi, 

From  edh-Dhohenveh, 

1.  el-Khulil,  Hebron,  N.  E.  by  E. 

2.  Ramet  el-Khiilil, 

3.  ed-Dirweh, 

4.  Kufin, 

5.  el-Burak,  (Solomon's  Pools) 

6.  Rachel's  Tomb, 

7.  Mar  Elyas,  (Convent) 

8.  el-Kuds,  Jemsalem,  (Gate) 


Total  13  15 
General  Course  from  Hebron  to 
Jemsalem,  between  N.  E.  by  N.  and 
N.  N.  E. 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  42° 
10  a.m.  61° 
Clear  and  cold.    Wind  N.  E.  strong. 


Total  6  40 


Vn.  FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  'AIN 
JIDY,  THE  DEAD  SEA,  JORDAN, 
ETC.    (SEC.  X.) 

WTTH  HORSES. 


Tuesday,  May  8th. 

From  Jerasalemi,  Yafa  Gate, 

1.  Mar  Ely4s,  S.  25°  W.  1 

2.  Rachel's  Tomb,    S.  W.  by  S.  30 

3.  Beit  Lahm,  Beth- 

lehem, S.  5°  E.  25 

4.  el-Burak,  Solomon's 

Pools,  S.  W.  ?       1  05 


ITINERARY. 


569 


6.  el-Fnreidls,  (Frank  a  j*. 

Mountain,)  Base,  E.  S.  E.  ?  1  50 
6.  Tents  of  the  Ta'ami- 

rah,                   W.  S.  W.  40 

Total  5  30 


Wedtiesday,  May  9tA. 
From  Encampment, 

1.  Teku'a,  (Tekoa)       S  5°  E.  25 

2.  Bir  ez-Za'feraneh,  S.  35=  W.       1  40 

)  S.  70=  W.  1  15 

3.  Beni  Xa'im,  >  S.  30       2  45 

S.  50=  E.  1 

4.  Zif,  W.  side  of  TeU,  S.  W.  \  S.       1  15 

5.  KtmnnL  (Carmel)      S.  i  W.       1  15 

6.  Ma'in,  ^Maon)  S.  j  W.  25 


Total  7  45 


Theemom.  F.  Sunrise,  50° 
2  p.  m.  67° 
Clear  and  cooL    Wind  W. 


Thurtday,  May  lOth, 
From  Carmel, 

1.  Bir  Selhub,               E.  i  S.  4  10 

2.  Wady  el-Ghar,  bottom,  E.  i  S.  40 

3.  Nukb  'Ain  Jidy,  (Pass)R  |  S.  1  50 

4.  'Ain  Jidy,  (En-gedi)  E.  S.  E.  45 

Encamp. 

5.  Shore  of  Dead  Sea,    E  S.  E.  25 

Total  7  50 

Thebmoji.  F.  Snnrise,  51= 
2  p.  m.  82= 
Sunset,  80= 

Clear  and  pleasant,  'VTind  East ;  at 
evening  W. 


Friday,  May  Wth. 

From  Head  of  the  Pass, 

1.  Wady  Sudeir, 

2.  Wady  Hnsasah, 

3.  W;idy  Derejeh,  (Khureitun) 

4.  Wady  et-Ta'amirah, 

5.  Cliff  over  'Ain  Terabeh, 


50 
2  30 
50 
35 
1  05 


Total  5  50 
General  Course  all  day  about 
K  N.  E.  parallel  to  the  shore. 

Theemom.  F.  Sunrise,  68° 
2  p.  m.  85° 
Sunset,  78° 
Clear  and  warm.    Wind  East; 

in  the  afternoon  North. 

Vol.  II.— 48.* 


Saturday,  May  \1th. 
From  Encampment, 

1.  Wady  Ras  el-Ghu-  h.  m. 

weir,             gen.  N.  N.  E.  1  05 

2.  Wady  er-Rahib, 

or  en-Nar,      gen.  N.  N.  E.  2  25 

3.  Ras  el-Feshkhah,  N.  E.  by  E.  15 

4.  'Ain  el-Feshkhah,  N.  E.  by  E.  40 

5.  'Ain  Jehair,         N.  E.  by  E.  2  10 

6.  el-Helu,  (Ford  of 

Jordan)        about  E.  N.  E.  I  10 

7.  'Ain  Hajla,  (Beth 

Hoglah)            N.  W.  I N.  65 

8.  Kusr  Hajla,        S.  W.  by  W.  20 

9.  Eriha,  (Jericho)    N.  38=  W.  1  15 


Total  10  15 


Theemom.  F.  Sunrise,  70° 
10  a.  m.  84° 

Sunset,  78= 
Clear  and  hot.    Wind  East ;  in 
the  afternoon  S. 


Sunday,  May  \Zth. 

Remained  at  Jericho. 

Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  70° 
10  a.  m.  86° 
2  p.  m.  91= 

Sunset,  76= 
Clear  and  hot    Wind  South ;  ia 
the  afternoon  W. 


Monday,  May  14<A. 

From  Jericho, 
L  'Ain  es-Snltan,  di- 
rect, N.  35=  W.  35 

2.  Ridge  above  Sugar 

Mills,                N.  60=  W.  15 

3.  'Ain  Duk,      about  N.  N.  W.  50 

4.  Top  of  Pass,                   W.  45 

5.  High  ridge,         S.  W.  by  S.  40 

6.  Arab  cemetery,   S.  W.  by  W.  1 

7.  Deir  Duwan,  |  ^  N^w  1  20    ^  *^ 

8.  Beitin,  (Bethel)  abt  N,  W.  by  W.  1 


Total  8  10 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  64= 
Sunset,  58° 
Clear  and  pleasant    Wind  W. 


Tuesday,  May  loth. 

From  Beitin, 

1.  el-Bireh,  (Fotm- 

tain)  S.  W.  i  W.  1 


670 


ITINERARY. 


2.  'At&ra,  ruins,  S.  i  E. 

3.  er-Rani,  (Ramah)  S.  by  E.  \  E. 

4.  Tuleil  el-Ful,         S.  10°  W. 

5.  Sha'fat,  (opposite)      S.  ^  W. 

6.  Scopus,  brow,  S.  -J  W. 

7.  Jerusalem,  Damascns 

Gate,  S.  i  W. 


B.  H. 

40 
45 
60 
15 
20 

25 


Total  4  15 


Thesmom.  F.  Sunrise,  48° 
2  p.  m.  76° 
Sunset,  71° 
Clear  and  ■warm.    Wind  W. 


Vm.  FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  GAZA 
AND  HEBRON.    (SEC.  XL) 

WITH  snji.ES. 

Thursday,  May  Vlth. 

From  Jerusalem,  h.  m. 

1.  Mar  Elyas,            S.  25°  W.  1 

2.  Rachel's  Tomb,    S.  W.  by  S.  35 

3.  Beit  Jala,              W.  by  S.  30 

4.  Height  N.W.  of  Beit 

Jala,  about  N.  W.  15 

5.  High  point  W.  of 

W.  Bittlr  abt.  W.  by  N.  40 

6.  Beit  Atab,  N.  63°  W.  2  30 

7.  Ruined  Khan,  S.  17°  W.  1 

8.  Beit  Nettif,  S.  85°  W.  1  30 


Total  8 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  68° 

10  a.  m.  76° 

Sunset,  63° 

Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  W. 


Friday,  May  18</t. 

From  Beit  Nettif, 

1.  Ridge  W.   of  (      S.W.  20 
Wady  es-Sumt,  \  W.  by  N.  55 

2.  WeU  in  valley,        W.  by  N. 

3.  Deir  Dubbin,  Caverns, 

4.  Kndna, 

5.  Beit  Jibrin'  (Eleutheropolis) 

6.  Dhikrin,  N.  N.  W. 

7.  TeU  es-Safieh,      N.  10°  W. 


1  15 

30 
35 
50 
1  05 
1  25 
1  05 


Total  6  45 


X  From  the  Well  (No.  2)  to  Belt  Jibrin,  the 
whole  distance  is  to  be  reckoned  about  two  boors 
on  a  Btrai^lit  course. 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  62° 

2  p.  m.  78° 

Sunset,  68° 

Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  W. 


Saturday,  May  l^th. 

From  Tell  es-Safieh, 

1.  Summeil,  S.  50°  W. 

2.  Kuratiyeh,  S.  80°  W. 

q    ^^nr^ir  S  S-  55°  W.  90 

3.  Buren-,  ^  s.  48°  W.  45 

4.  Beit  Hiinun,  S.  80°  W. 
S.80°W.  55 

S.  W.  30 


5.  Ghuzzeh  (Gaza),  | 


20 
20 

15 

05 
25 


Total  8  25 


Thermom.  F,  Sunrise, 
10  a.  m. 
2  p.  va. 
Sim  set, 
Clear,  pleasant,  warm. 
W.    At  evening  N.  W. 


63° 
82° 
80° 
73° 
Wind  S. 


Sunday,  May  iOth. 

Remained  at  Gaza. 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  71° 
10  a.  m.  75° 
Sunset,  70° 
Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  N.  W. 
Afternoon  S.  W. 


Monday,  May  2\st. 


From  Gaza, 

1.  Hfij, 

2.  Bureir, 


(  N.E. 

\  ^• 
(  E.  by  N. 


30 
80 
45 

N.  20°  E.       1  20 


2  35 


Total  3  65 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  64° 
10  a.  m.  75° 
Sunset,  64° 
Wind  S.  W.   Afternoon  N.  W. 


Tuesday,  May  22d, 
From  Bureir, 

1.  Um  Lakis,  E.  i  S. 

2.  Tell  el-Hasy,  S.  55°  E. 

3.  'AjUn,"  N.  i  W. 


45 
05 
30 


s  Tlie  direct  distance  from  Um  Lilkis  to  'AJIJn 
is  45  or  50  minutes. 


ITINERARY. 


571 


4.  es-Sukkariyeh,  |  ^"  25 

5.  el-Kubelbeh,      abt.  E.  by  N. 

6.  Beit  JibriD,  N.  E. 

(     S.  S.  E.  30 

7.  ed-Dawainich,  •?  S.  20°  E.  45 

(  S.  20°  W.  30 


H.  M. 

55 


1  45 


Total  7  40 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  54° 
10  a.  m.  80° 
2  p.  m.  78° 
Sunset,  68° 
Clear  and  sultry.    Wind  S.  W. 


Wednesday,  May  23rf. 
Return  and  reckon  from  Beit  Jibrin, 

1.  Idhna  (Jedna),  |  ^  s^KiE.90  ^' 

2.  TefiRih  (Beth  Tap- 

puah),  gen.  E.  S.  E.  2 

3.  el-KhulU  (Hebron)  |  g-g|o  g  ^  45 1 

Total  6 

Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  64° 
10  a.  m.  86° 
2  p.  m.  86° 
Sunset,  65° 
Morning  clear,  Wind  S.  W.  Af- 
ter 11  o'clock,  violent  Sirocco  and 
haze.    EvenLug,  Wind  N.  W.  clear. 


Thursday,  May  24<A,  and  Friday,  May 
2oth. 

Remained  at  Hebron. 

May  24tb. 

Thkrmom.  F.  Sunrise,  54° 

10  a.  m.  70° 

2  p.  m.  72° 

Sunset,  66° 

May  25th. 

Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  49° 

10  a.  m.  68° 

2  p.  m.  71° 

Sunset,  59° 

Both  days  clear  and  fine.  Wind 
N.W. 


IX.  FROM  HEBRON  TO  WADY  MUSA 
AND  BACK.    (SEC.  XII.) 

WrTH  CAMELS. 


Saturday,  May  26<A. 

From  Hebron,  h.  m. 

1.  Tell  Zif,         about  S.  by  E.  1  35 

2.  Kurmul  (Carmel),      S.  i  W.  1  25 

3.  Top  of  Mountain,      S.  8°  E.  1 

4.  Encampment,   about  S.  S.  E.  1  05 


Total  5  05 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  43° 
10  a.  m.  69° 
Sunset,  66° 
Clear,  cool,  pleasant.  Wind  N.  W. 


Sunday,  May  21th. 
Remained  encamped. 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise, 
10  a.  m. 
2  p.  m. 
Sunset, 
Clear  and  pleasant. 


54° 
74° 
82° 
67° 
Wmd  N.  W. 


Monday,  May  28<A. 


From  Encampment, 

1.  Rujeim  Selameh, 

2.  ez-Zuweirah  el- 

Foka, 

3.  ez-Zuweirah, 

4.  Wady  en-Nejd, 


about  S. 

gen.  S.  E. 
S.  E. 
S.  E. 


3  20 

1  45 

4  35 
10 


Total  9  50 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  53° 
Sunset,  80° 
Wind  S.  W.  Towards  evening 
N.  E.  from  Dead  Sea. 


Tuesday,  May  l^th. 

From  Wady  en-Nejd, 

1.  Khashm  Usdum',  \     S.  E.  35 

N.  end,  |s.  S.  E.  25 

2.  S.  W.  comer  of 

Dead  Sea,     about  S.  S.  E. 

3.  W.  el-Fikreh,  and 

W.  end  of  cliffs,  gen.S.38°  W. 

4.  'Ain  el-'Arus,     gea  S.  S.  E. 

5.  Mouth  of  Wady 
el-Jeib,        gen.  S.  30°  E. 


1  40 

2  30 
45 

I  15 


572 


ITINERARY. 


6.  Encampment  f  S.  S.  W.  1  60 
in  el-Jeib,  \         S.  1  20 


B.  If. 

3  10 


Total  10  20 


Thermou.  F.  Sunrise,  70° 
2  p.  m.  92° 
Sunset,  88° 
Clear  and  sultiy.    Wind  variable. 


Wednesday,  May  30<A. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  'Ain  el-Buweiri- 

deh,  S.  to  S.  i  W. 

2.  W.  side  of  por-  C    S.S.E.  1  40 

phyry  cliffs,    (S.E.  by  E.  1  30 

3.  Nukb  Nemela,  j  S.  50 

foot,  \    S.  S.  E.  25 

4.  Nukb  Nemela,  top, 

(Encamp.)  gen.  S.  S.  E. 


7  30 
3  10 

1  16 
1  15 


Total  13  10 


Thekmom.  F.  Sunrise,  69° 

10  a.  m.  96° 

12  m.  102° 

2  p.  m.  96° 

Sunset,  76° 

Wind  S.  W.    At  first  pleasant, 
then  a  fierce  Sirocco. 
At  eveninar  N.  W. 


TTiursday,  May  81«<. 


From  Encampment, 

1.  es-Sik  of  Neme- J 

la,  W.  end,  1 

2.  Sutuh  Beida,  J 

mid.  of  plain,  ( 

3.  es-Sik  of  Wady  i 

Musa,  E.  end,  | 

4.  Wady  Musa, 


S.  E.  65 
S.  S.  W.  25 
S.  E.  1  30 
S.  S.  E.  30 
S.  by  W. 
gen.  S. 
abt.  W. 
gen.  W. 


20 


15 


2  50 

50 

2  16 
30 


Total  6  25 


TiiERMOM.  F.  Sunrise,  76° 
Warm  but  pleasant.  Wind  N.  W. 


Friday,  June  \»t. 

From  Wady  Musa,  return, 

1.  Nukb  Nemela,  top,  (see  May  31)  5 

2.  Nukb  Nemela,  foot,  "  40 

3.  W.  side  of  porphyry  cliffs,  "  1 

4.  Encampment  in 

el-'Arabah,  gen.  N.  65°  W.       4  20 


Total  11 


Thekmom.  F.  Sunrise,  67° 
Sunset,  82° 
Clear  and  warm.    Wind  N.  W. 


3  15 


Saturday,  June  2d. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  Wady  el-Jeib  (E. 

side),  abt.  W.  N.  W.       1  45 

2.  'Ain  el-Weibeh,      W.  N.  W.  60 

3.  'Ain  el-Murei-  (N.  N.  W.  IJ 

dhah,  \  N.  N.  E.  2 

4.  Nukb  el-Khurar,  top,  N.N.W.  3 

5.  Nukb  es-Siilah,  foot,  N.N.W.       2  40 

6.  Id.  (Zephath), 

top,  gen.  N.  N.  W.      1  05 

7.  Encampment,  gen.  N.  N.  W.       1  30 

Total  14  05 

Thekmom.  F.  Sunrise,  68° 
10  a.  m.  78° 
Clear  and  warm.    Wind  S.  W. 
strong. 


Sunday,  June  Zd. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  Nukb  el-Muzeikah,  N.  15°  W. 

2.  Kubbet  el-Baul,      N.  N.  W. 


3.  Ar  arah  (Aroer),  j  ^ 

4.  Encampment,  --  — 


2 

1  15 

2  45 
1  05 


N.  E. 

Total  7  05 


Thermom.  F.  Sunrise,  60° 
Sunset,  74° 
Clear  and  pleasant.    Wind  N.  W. 


Monday,  June  4th. 

From  Encampment, 

1.  el-Milh  (Malatha),         N.  E.  1 

2.  Top  of  mountain- 

ridge,  N.  26°  E.       2  06 

3.  Semu'a  (Eshte- 

moa\  abt.  N.  20°  E.  3 

4.  Wady  el-Khvilll, 

bottom,        abt.  N.  20°  K       1  40 

5.  el-Khulil  (He- 

bron) abt  N.  20°  E.      2  15 

Total  10 

TiiKRMOM.  F.  Sunrise,  69° 
Sunset,  67° 
Clear  and  pleasant.    Wind  N.  W. 


ITINERARY. 


573 


Tuetday,  June  5th. 

Remained  at  Hebron. 

Theemom.  F.  Sonrise,  61° 
10  a.  m.  80° 
2  p.  m.  80° 
Sunset,  71° 
Clear  and  warm.    Wind  N.  W. 


X.  FROM  HEBRON  TO  RAMLEH  AlfD 
JERUSALEM.    (SEC.  Xm.) 


WITH  HOBSES. 


Wednetday,  Jwm  6th, 


From  Hebron, 
1.  Dura  (Dora,  Adora, 
Adoraim), 


2.  el-Burj, 


Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise, 
10  a.  m- 
Clear  and  warm.    Wind  S. 


W.  by  S.       2  30 


3  20 


Total  5  50 

740 
88° 


Thurtday,  June  *Jth. 


From  el-Burj, 

1.  Um  esh-  j  N.  E.  by  E. 

Shukaf,  \      N.  N.  E. 

2.  Idhna  (Jedna)  X.  E.  \  N. 

3.  Terkumieh,  ^ 
(Tricomias)  £ 

4.  Beit  Xusib 

(Nezib)  N.  \  E. 

5.  Bire»-S6r,  j^-  ^  '^; 

6.  BeitXettif;  j      by  E.  ^ 


20 
40 

25 
25 
15 


30 
20 
15 
35 


1 

2  15 
1  05 

35 
50 

1  50 


Total  7  36 


Theemom.  F.  Sunrise, 
2  p.  m. 
Sunset, 
Clear  and  very  warm. 


72° 
97° 
88° 
Wind  N.  W. 


Friday,  June  8<A. 

From  Beit  Xettif, 

1.  'Ain  Shems  (Beth- 

shemesh),  N.  12°  W. 

2.  WeU  in  the  Plain,    N.  X.  W. 

3.  'Akir  (Ekron),  abt.  X.W.byW. 

4.  er-Ramleh,  N.  E.  \  N. 


30 
05 
35 
50 


Total  7 


Thebhom.  F.  3|  a.  ra. 

76° 

Sunrise, 

83° 

11  a.  m. 

94° 

12  m. 

105° 

2  p.  m. 

97° 

Sunset, 

90° 

Slight  haze,  very  hot    Wind  N.  W. 


Saturday,  June  9<A. 
From  Ramleh, 

1.  Ludd  (Lydda)       X.  57°  E. 

2.  Daniyal,  S.  3°  E. 

3.  Jimzu  (Gimzo),       S.  85°  E. 

4.  Um  Rush,    abt.  E.  S.  E.  |  S. 

5.  Beit  'tTr  et- 

Tahta,     abt.  E.  S.  E.  4  S. 

6.  Beit  tr  el-Foka,     S.  60°  E. 

7.  el-Jib  (Gibe-  j  S.  65°  E.  1  40 

on),  (  S.  27°  E.  50 

8.  Beit  Hanina, 

9.  Jerusalem, 


45 
40 
30 
10 


1 
1 

2  30 

50 
1  30 


Total  10  55 


Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  76° 
Warm,  bnt  pleasant.    Wind  X.  W. 


XI.  FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  XAZA- 
RETH  AXD  MOUXT  TABOR.  (SEC. 
XIV.) 


WITH  MTTLES. 


Wednetday,  June  IZth. 

From  Jerusalem, 

1.  el-Bireh  (Bee- 

roth),  gen.  X.  4°  E. 

2.  Jifna  (Goph-  j  X.  X.  E.  35 

na),  _         \  X.  1 

3.  'Ain  Sinia,  X.  E. 

4.  Wady  el-Belat,  head,  gen.  N. 


3 

1  35 

25 
1  15 


574 


ITIXEBARY. 


5.  Jiljilia, 

6.  Sinjil, 


Thbbmom.  F.  4  a.  m. 

Sunrise, 
2  p.  m. 
Sunset, 
Clear  and  pleasant. 


gen.  N. 
E. 


H.  IL 

50 
1  05 


Total  8  10 


62° 
56° 

66= 
Wind  N.  W. 


Thursday,  June  \Ath. 


From  Sinjil,  ^ 

1.  Turmus  'Ay a, 

2.  Seilun  (ShUoh), 


,the|^^- 


3.  Lubban, 

village, 

4.  Khan  es-Sa- 

wieh, 
6.  Ridge  S.  of  the 
plain  Mukhna, 

6.  Mouth  of  Nabulns 

valley, 

7.  Nabulas, 


N.  85°  E. 
N.  N.  E. 
W.  by  W. 
W. 
N. 


j  E.  by  N. 
\  N.  N.  E. 


20 
30 
10 
20 
20 


N.  by  W. 

N.  N.  E. 
N.  W. 


30 
30 


40 

45 

2  25 
30 


Total  6  20 
From  Nabulns  to  summit  of  Ge- 
rizim,  S.  W.  20  min.  steep  ascent ; 
S.  E.  20  min.  level 

Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  64° 
2  p.  m.  78° 
Sunset,  73° 
Clear  and  pleasant  WindN.W. 


Friday,  June  l&th. 
From  Nabulus, 

1.  Sebustieh  (Sa-  j  W.  N.  "W.  1 

maria),         (  N.  by  W,  1 

2.  Ridge  N.  of  Se- 

bustieh, N.  by  E. 

3.  Jeba',  E.  N.  E. 

.   c-  ,  (  E.  N.  E.  20 

4.  SanAr,  |  ^  ^ 

6.  Kubatiyeh,  abt.  N.  E. 

6.  Jenin  (Guuea), 


10 


2  10 


05 


50 

25 
30 


Total  8 


Thkkmom.  F.  Sunrise,  62° 
2  p.  m.  82° 
Sunset,  70° 
Clear  and  warm.  Wind  N.  W. 


Saturday,  June  16<A. 
From  Jenin, 

1.  Zer'in  (Jezreel),      N.  15=  E. 

2.  'Ain  Jalud,  abt.  S.  E. 

3.  Solam  (Shnnem),     about  N. 

4.  Foot  of  mountains  of 

Nazareth,  (N.  side 

of  Great  Plain),  abt.  N.9°  W. 

5.  en-Nasirah     (  abt.  N.  9°  W. 
(Nazareth),    (  circuitous. 


R.  x. 

2  15 
30 
1  30 


Total  7  15 


Thermou.  F.  Sunrise,  64° 
2  p.  m.  78° 

Sunset,  72° 
Clear  and  pleasant.  Wind  N.  W. 


Sunday,  June  Vlth. 

Remained  at  Nazareth. 

Theemom.  F.  Sunrise,  64° 
10  a.  m.  88° 
2  p.  m.  88° 
Sunset,  74° 
Clear  and  sultry.    Wind  S. 


Monday,  June  IBtA. 

From  Nazareth, 

1.  Deburieh  (10  min.  N. 

of  vUL)  E.  S.  E.       1  45 

2.  Mount  Tabor,  summit,  E.S.E.  1 


Total  2  45 


Thebmom.  F.  Sunrise,  80° 
10  a.  m.  98° 
2  p.  m.  95° 
Sunset,  74° 
Hazy  and  sultry.    Wind  S.  E. 

Violent  Sirocco. 


xn. 


FROM  MOUNT  TABOR  TO  SA- 
FED.    (SEC.  XV.) 

WITH  MULES. 


Tuesday,  June  19/A. 
From  Tabor, 
1.  Eh&n  et-Tnjja 


(   N.  N.  W.  45 
jjar,  }       abt.  N.  15 
(  abt  N.  E.  55 


1  55 


ITnrEBABT. 


575 


2.  Lateeh,       J  ^"^^^      ^.  j, 

3.  Tell  Eatdn,       abt  X.  N.  E. 

4.  Hattin,       abt.  N.  clrcxutoiu, 

5.  Tftbariyeh  (Ti- 

berias),      abt  S.  E.  bj  E. 


1  20 
1 


Total  6  40 


Thesmoji.  F.  Snnriae,  64° 
Sunset,  80^ 
Clear  aod  waim.    Wind  S,  W. 


Wednaday,  Jviu  i(Hh. 

From  Tabariyeh, 

1.  el-Mej«leI  (Magdala),  abtJf.W. " 

2.  W.  er-RnbudiTeh  and 


Abn  Shdsheh, 
Khaa  Minyeh 

(Capemaam), 
TeU  Ham, 
Moath  Jordan, 


N".  by  W. 

N.  62<'  E. 
X.  K 
N.  E. 


1  10 


50 


Total  4  50 


2t'ott. — Eicnrsion  on  the  Plain  at  the  N. 
end  of  the  Lake  of  Tiberias. 

From  month  of  Jordan, 

1.  el-Mes'adiyeh,        S.  40^  E.  20 

2.  Dukih,                 S.  25='  E.  25 

3.  et-Ten  (Jnliaa),      N.  5°  W.  50 

4.  Encampment,        S.  60'=  W.  40 

The  rate  of  trarel  on  this  ezcnraion  was 
more  rapid  than  osnaL 


Thzsxom.  F.  Snnrise, 
2  p.  m. 


75= 
95=" 

Snnaet,  85= 
Clev  and  Tery  warm.    Wind  S.  W. 


TWaiay,  Jme  21  «t 

Fnm  month  of  Jordan, 

L  Dmbmcus road, abt  W.X.W. 

2.  S«fed,  abt  W.  N.  W. 


2  35 
2  05 


Total  4  40 

STote. — From  Safed  to  Benit  abont  55 
minutes ;  vii  N.  40  -  E.  30  min.,  and  N.  45'^ 
E.  25  min. 

THKBMoif.  F.  Stmrise,  71^ 
10  a.  m.  82'3 
2  p.  m.  82« 
Clear  and  pleasant.    Wind  W. 


XTTT.  FEOM  SAFED  TO  BEHitTT. 
(SEC.  XVL) 

WITH  MTT.FS. 

Friday,  June  22d, 

From  Safed,  Jf- 

1.  el-Jish  (Gis- 

cala),  N.  N.  W.  J-  W.       2  20 

2.  High  Land  N. 

X.  W.  of  W. 
el-llu'adda- 

mJyeh,  N.  by  W.       1  40 

3.  Bint  Jebeil,        abt  N.  ^  W,       1  55 


Total  5  55 


Theemox.  F.  Snnrise,  61° 
10  a,  m.  87" 
Gear  and  pleasant  Warm. 


Saturday,  June  23<i 

From  Bint  Jebeil, 

LHaddAta,  | 

2.  Brow  of  motmtain,  X.  W. 
a.  Kana  (Kanah),  abt  W.  X.  W, 

4.  Kabr  Hairdn,   abt  W.  X.  W. 

5.  Has  el-'Ain,     abt  W.  X.  W. 

6.  Sur  (Tyre^       abt  X.  X.  W. 


cmnutoos. 


25 
2  55 

55 
1  10 

1  10 


Therjcom.  F.  Stmrise, 
Clear  and  pleasant 


Total  8  35 


65° 


Sunday,  June  2'lth. 
Bemained  at  Tyre. 


Monday,  June  25th, 

From  Sir, 

1.  Khan  el-Kasimiyeh, 

2.  'Adlan  (Rnina), 

3.  Khan  el-Khudr  (St  George), 

4.  'Ain  el-Kanterah, 

5.  'Ain  el-Burak, 

6.  Xahr  ez-Zaherany, 

7.  Nahr  Senik, 

8.  Saida  (Sidon), 


45 
45 
15 
25 
45 
20 
15 
35 


Total  8  05 


676 


ITINERABT. 


Thietday,  June  26th. 

From  Saida,  =• 

1.  Bridge  of  Nahr  el-Auwaly 

(Bostrenus),  40 

2.  Neby  Yiinas,  2  20 

3.  Nab:  ed-Damfir  (Tamyras),  1  25 

4.  Khan  el-Musry,  40 

5.  KhanKhulda,  1  15 

6.  Wady  Shuweifat,  50 


7.  Beirut,  grove,  (Encamp  i  h. 
S.  of  gate.) 


Total  9  10 


Thebmom.  F.  Stmriso,  68° 

2  p.  m.  84° 

Sunset,  78= 

Clear  and  pleasant.  Warm. 


INDEX  I. 


ARABIC  NAMES  AND  WORDS, 

CHIEFLY  GEOGKAraiCAL. 

Names  beginning  with  Abu,  Urn,  Beit,  and  Kefr,  are  in  every  case  to  be  songbt 
under  these  words.  In  respect  to  names  beginning  with  'Aiu,  Bir,  Deir,  Bds,  Tell, 
and  the  like,  the  arrangement  is  not  so  uniform  ;  and  some  of  them  will  be  found  under 
the  second  part  of  the  name. 

The  particular  object  of  this  Index  is,  to  represent  the  Arabic  orthography  of  the 
Arabic  names  and  words  occurring  in  the  Text  and  Notes ;  usually  with  the  significa- 
tion, where  one  is  known.  Hence  the  reference  to  pages  is  not  always  full ;  the  more 
important  passages  only  being  cited,  where  a  name  appears  more  than  once.  Yet  it  is 
sufficiently  full,  to  serve  as  a  General  Index  for  all  the  Arabic  words  and  names  of 
places,  mentioned  in  the  body  of  the  work. 

For  the  pronunciation  of  the  several  consonants  and  vowels,  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  specifications  immediately  following  the  Preface  in  Vol.  I. 


A 

A'aneh,  '  aid,'  ii.  3. 

'Ababideh,  Arabs,  i.  111. 

el-'Abbad,  Ar.  i.  571. 

el-'Abbadin,  Ar.  i.  571. 

'Abdeh,  Gr.' 'E/3<$5a,  JEboda,  i.  194. 

'Abeithiran,  i.  41,  148. 

Abu  el-Aswad,  '  the  black,'  iL  474. 

Abu  el-'Auf,  ii.  266,  267,  269. 

Abu  Bnrka',  'veil,'  L  157. 

Abu  Dis,'i.  432. 

Abu  Ghaush,  L  247. 

Abu  Hailezon,  W.  '  of  snails,'  i.  39. 

Abu  Jeradeh,  ii.  177. 

Abu  Kusheibeh,  iL  139. 

Abu  Nasir,  ii.  333,  394. 

Abu  Nujeim,  i.  479,  486. 

Abu  Nuseir,  i.  571. 

Abu  Nuteighineh,  L  602. 

Abu  Madhy  (with  Dad),  I  146. 

Abu  Mas'fid,  i.  104. 

Vot  n.— 49 


Abu  Rashtd,  Ar.  ii.  155. 
Abu  Retemat,  i.  189. 
Abu  Shebban,  ii.  205. 
Abu  Shukheidim,  i.  453. 
Abu  Shiisheh,  ii.  401. 
Abu  Subbah,  i.  573. 

Abu  Suweirah,  dim.  '  picture,'  name  of 

fountains,  i.  50,  63,  65,  146,  157. 
Abu  Teraifeh,  ii.  198. 
Abu  Tin,  '  father  of  clay,'  i.  184. 
Abu  'triejan,  i.  602. 
Abu  Yamin,  i.  571. 
Abu  Za'bel,  i.  44. 
Abu  Zeitun,  ii.  146. 
'Abud,  ii.  229. 
'Abudiyehj  '  service,'  ii.  3. 
el-Abweib,  for  Buweib,  dim.  '  door,'  L  154. 
el-Abyad,  'white,'  L  195.— ii.  447,  473. 
'Adas,  '  lentiles,'  i.  167. 
el-'Adhbeh,  L  177. 
'Adlan,  ii.  474. 
el-'Adwan,  Arabs,  L  648. 


578 


FIRST  INDEX. 


'Adweiriban,  ii.  387. 
el-'Afuleh,  ii.  320,  328,  331. 
'Af urbala,  Lat.  Forbelat,  ii.  328. 
Ahbek,  ii.  16. 
el-Ahmar,  '  red,'  i.  569. 
Ahmed,  i.  218. 
el-Ahsy,  ii.  112,  157. 
el-Ahtha,  i.  63. 

'Aid,'guide  at  Sinai,  i.  101,  105,108,  109; 

Burckhardfs  guide,  i.  157,  160. 
Allah,  Heb.  Elath,  i.  169,  170. 
el-'Ain,  'fountain,'  i.  153.— L  189,  190.— 

i.  444. 

'Ain  Abus,  ii.  273. 
'Ain  'Arik,  i.  446. 

'Ain  el-Burideh,  '  cold  spring,'  ii.  336. 

'Ain  el-Burak,  ii.  476. 

'Ain  Jalud,  ii.  324. 

'Ain  Jalut,  'F.  of  Goliath,'  ii.  324. 

'Ain  Jidy,  Heb.  En-gedi,  '  fountain  of  the 

kid,'  i.  508. 
'Ain  el-Kanterah,  ii.  476. 
'Ain  Karim,"i.  458,  469. 
'Ain  Mabil,  ii.  350. 

'Ain  el-Meiyiteh,  '  dead  fountain,'  ii.  323. 
'Ain  el-Mudauwarah,  'round  spring,'  ii. 
400. 

'Ain  Shems,  Beth-shemesh,  i.  25. — ii.  224. 

'Ain  Sinia,  ii.  264. 

'Ain  et-Tin,  ii.  403. 

'Ain  Warkah,  ii.  507. 

'Ain  ez-Zeitun,  ii.  444. 

el-'Ajarimeh,  Ar.  i.  571. 

el-Ajeibeh,  i.  150. 

'Aiie'h,  ii.  312. 

'Aiiur,  ii.  22. 

'Ajlan,  Ei/lon,  ii.  49. 

'Ajlun,  i.  444,  ii.  438. 

'Ajram,  a  plant,  i.  84,  499. 

el-Ajran,  ii.  441. 

'Ajrud,  i.  45. 

el-'Akabah,  '  the  descent,  steep  declivity,'  i. 

i7i. 

el-Akhdar,  '  the  green,'  i.  85. 

'Akir,  '  barren,'  i.  83. 

'Akir,  Ekron,  Gr.  'AkkA-puv,  Lat.  Accaron, 

ii.  227. 

'Akka,  Heb.  Acco,  ii.  336,  366. 
'Akkar,  ii.  503. 

'Akrabeh,  Gr.  'AKpafi^dv,  Lat.  Acrabi,  ii. 
280. 

el-Akpa,  '  the  farthest,'  mosk,  i.  297. 

el-'Ai,'  Heb.  Elealeh,  i.  651. 

'Aliiwlii,  Arabs,  i.  165. 

'Aleikat,  Sing.  'Aleiky,  Arabs,  i.  134. 

'Alim,  or  Ghalim,  not  Heb.  Elim,  i.  69. 

See  Gliurundel. 
'AUiir  el-Foka,  '  the  upper,'  ii.  14. 
'Aly  es-Sughir,  ii.  450. 
el-'Alya,  '  the  upper,'  i.  447. 
el-'Ainarah,  '  building,'  VVady,  i.  66. 
el-'Amarin,  Arabs,  ii.  48. 
Amatah,  Gr.  'A/to3ouj,  Amalhus,  L  569. 


'Ambek,  for  'Anbek,  L  603. 

el-Amir,  Ar.  i.  571. 

'Amleh,  ii.  27. 

'Ammar  es-Salimeh,  i.  601. 

el-'Ammarin,  Ar.  ii.  155. 

'Amran,  Sing.  'Amrany,  Arabs,  i.  167, 181. 

el-'Amry,  i.  195. 

el-'AmM,  '  the  column,'  i.  262. — ii.  402. 
'Amuria,  ii.  266. 

'Amwas,  Gr.  'Efifiaovs,  'A^juaoCj,  Emmaus, 

Nicopolis,  ii.  30,  232. 
'Anab,  Heb.  Anab,  i.  494. 
'Anabeh,  'Annilbeh,  ii.  232. 
'Anata,  Heb.  Anathoth,  i.  437. 
el-'Anazeh,  Arabs,  ii.  176. 
el-'Ankebiyeh,  i.  37. 

el-'Ankebiyeh  el-'Ateshaneh,  'the  dry,'  i. 
40. 

el-'Ankebiyeh  er-Reivaneh,  'the  wet,'  i. 
39. 

An.fairiyeh,  vulg.  for  Nusairiyeh,  q.  v. 
el-Ansariyeh,  ii.  474. 
Ansury,  Wady,  i.  39. 

el-'Arabah,  '  rapid  river ; '  but  here  from 
Heb.  Arabah,  'plain,  desert,'  i.  162. — 
ii.  186. 

'Arsvd,  Heb.  Arad,  ii.  101,  201. 

'Araif  en-Nakab,  dim.  'crest  of  a  female 

camel,'  i  179,  184. 
el-A'raj,  '  lame,'  ii.  410,  411. 
'Arak,  '  wine-spirit,'  ii.  82. 
'Arak  el-Ghufir,  ii.  267. 
'Arak  el-Menshiyeh,  ii.  34. 
'Arak  es-Suweidan,  ii.  49. 
'Araneh,  ii.  316,  319. 
el-'Ar'ar,  'juniper,'  Heb.  IsilS ,  ii-  124. 
'Ar'arah,  Heb.  Arocr,  ii.  199. 
el-Arba'in,  '  the  forty,'  i.  107.— Vill.  i.  569. 
Ard,  'low  plain,'  Heb.  y^ii  earth,  ii.  369. 
el-'Areijeh,  i.  500. 
el-'Arish,  i.  199,  601,  602,  603. 
'Arkub,  'defile,'  ii.  17. 
Arnutieh,  a  ruin,  ii.  263. 
'An-abeh,  ii.  312. 
'Arnib,  i.  488. 
Arsuf,  ii.  242. 
'Arviljbuneh,  ii.  317. 
el-'Arus,  'the  bride,'  ii.  117. 
el-'Asas,  i.  444. 

el-Ashhab,  '  the  gray,'  M.  i.  167,  174. 
'Ashur,  ii.  455. 
'Asifia,  ii.  340. 

'Askulan,  Heb.  Askelon,  ii.  33. 
'AslVij,  ii.  201. 
Asvvan,  Sycne,  i.  19. 
el-'Apy,  riv.  Orontcs,  ii.  507. 
'Asyin,  Heb.  Ezion,  L  169,  170. 
'Atakah,  i.  43,  48. 

'Atara,  Heb.  Ataroth,  i.  448.— ii.  265  j  also 

i.  57.5. 
'Athal,  i.  70.    Sec  Thai 
el-Athileh,  I  41. 


ARABIC  NAMES  AND  WORDS. 


579 


•Athllt,  il  470. 

el-'Atiyeh,  '  gift,'  i.  602. 

'Attarus,  i.  570. 

'Attir,  Jattir  ?  i.  49-1.    ii.  204. 

el-'Aujeh,  perhaps  for  el-'Auja,  'crooked,' 

i.  191,  600.— i.  668.— Riv.  ii.  243, 

248. 

Aulid  Sa'id,  Ar.  i.  36,  133. 
Aulad  Suleirain,  Arabs,  i.  135. 
'Aulam,  Gr.  OvKaixfia,  Ulamn,  ii.  356. 
Auruslilim,  Heb.  Jerusalem.,  i.  258. 
Auwaly,  riv.  Bostrcnus,  ii.  485,  48G. 
'Awarimeh,  Sing.  'Arimy,  Arabs,  i.  133. 
'Aweibid,  dim.  '  worshipper,'  i.  40,  42. 
'Awerta,  ii.  274. 

el-'Ayun,  'fountains,'  Wady,  ii.  447. 

'Ayun  el-'Abbasy,  u.  409,  418. 

'Ayun  Musa,  '  fountains  of  Moses,'  i.  62. 

el-'Azazeh,  ii.  27,  30. 

el-'Azazimeh,  Sing.  'Azzamy,  Ar.  i.  186. 

el-'Aziriyeh,  Betliany,  reL  adj.  fem.  pr.  n. 

Lazarus,  i.  432. 
'Azmut  (z  for  Dha),  ii.  279. 


B 

Ba'albek,  ii.  394,  497. 
Bab,  '  gate,  door,'  i  262,  and  often. 
Bib  en-Nu;r,  '  gate  of  victory,'  i.  38. 
el-Baharat,  Ar.  L  571. 
el-Bahr,  '  the  sea,'  i.  582. 
Bakhshish,  '  a  present.'  Turkish. 
Ba'lin,  ii.  33. 
el-Balu'a,  '  pond,'  ii.  262. 
Banias,  Gr.  Vlavids,  Paneas,  ii.  436,  437, 
439. 

el-Barid,  '  the  cold,'  ii.  319. 
el-Baruk,  ii.  485. 

Batiliah,  '  a  low  tract  liable  to  be  over- 
flowed by  streams,'  ii.  410,  411. 
Banriu,  ii.  274. 
el-Bawaty,  i.  602. 

el-Beda',  '  novelty,'  i.  599.  . 
Bedawin,  Sing.  Bedawy.    From  collect! 

Bedu,  properly  '  desert.' 
Bedu,  '  a  desert ' ;  collect.  '  desert-men,' 

Bedawin,  ii.  112. 
el-Bedun,  Ar.  ii.  143,  155. 
el-Beida,  '  the  white,'  F.  ii.  115. 
Beirut,  Gr.  BTjpuriJj,  Berytus;  not  Heb. 

Berothah,  ii.  490-497. 
Beisan,  Heb.  Beth-shean,  ii.  320,  328,  354. 
Beit  'AflTa,  ii.  34. 
Beit  'Aiuun,  i.  489. 
Beit  'Alam,  ii.  57. 
Beit  'Amreh,  ii.  206. 
Beit  'Atab,  ii.  13. 
Beit  'Auwa,  ii.  219. 
Beit  Duras,  ii.  34. 

Beit  Dejan,  Heb.  Beth-Dagon,  ii.  232. — 
ii.  280. 

Beit  ed-Din,  comm.  Bteddin,  ii.  485. 


Beit  Dirdis,  ii.  44. 

Beit  Dukkah,  i.  458. 

Beit  Ellu,"ii.  255. 

Beit  'Enan,  ii.  255. 

Beit  Far,  ii.  226. 

Beit  Fejjar,  i.  479. 

Beit  Furik,  ii.  280. 

Beit  Fusl,  ii.  16. 

Beit  Hanina,  ii.  256. 

Beit  Hanvln,  ii.  35. 

Beit  Hebrun,  see  Hebrtin,  ii.  90. 

Beit  Hiinun,  see  Beit  Hanun. 

Beit  Iba,  ii.  303. 

Beit  Iksa,  i.  458,  460. 

Beit  Imrin,  ii.  311. 

Beit  Jala,  i.  218.  ii.  2. 

Beit  el-Jemal,  '  house  of  camels,*  ii.  224. 

Beit  Jibril,  Heb.  Gabriel,  ii.  28. 

Beit  Jibrin,  Gr.  Bairoya^po,  Betogahra,  ii. 

24,  28,  51,  57. 
Beit  Kiid,  ii.  316. 

Beit  Lahm,  '  house  of  flesh ; '  Heb.  Bethle- 
hem, '  house  of  bread,'  L  218,  471. 
Beit  Lid,  ii.  303. 
Beit  Mirsim,  ii.  216,  218. 
Beit  Miry,  ii.  493. 
Beit  el-Miikdis,  Jerusalem,  i.  258. 
Beit  Nebal.i,  Heb.  Nehallat?  ii.  232. 
Beit  Nettif,  ii.  15,  223. 
Beit  Nubah,  ii.  254. 
Beit  Nusib,  Nezih,  ii.  17,  57,  221. 
Beit  er-Rush,  ii.  216. 
Beit  Sahur,  i.  469,  471,  479. 
Beit  Sufafa,  i.  469. 
Beit  Surik,  ii.  255. 
Beit  Ta'mar,  i.  471. 
Beit  tla,  ii  16. 
Beit  tilia,  ii.  457. 
Beit  Ummar,  i.  216.  ii.  55. 
Beit  Clnia,  i.  453,  454. 
Beit  'tr,  Heb.  Beth-horon,  n.  250,  251. 
Beit  TJzin,  iL  303. 
Beita,  ii.  273. 

Beitin,  Heb.  Bethel,  i.  448,  449. 

Belad,  '  district.' 

Belad  Besharah,  ii.  438,  449. 

Belat,  '  a  flat  rock,'  ii.  265,  266,  271.— iL 

274,  275. 
Belbeis,  i.  37. 
Beled,  '  town,  village.' 
el-Belka,  ii.  521. 
Bellan',  a  plant,  i.  209. 
el-Benat,  '  the  daughters,'  i.  88. 
Benat  Ya'kob,  'daughters  of  Jacob,'  iL 

405,  414  sq.  441. 
el-Beneiyat,  Ar.  L  186. 
Beni  Hamideh,  Ar.  \.  371. 
Beni  Hasan,  Ar.  i.  371. 
Beni  Hemad,  ii.  103. 

Beni  Na'im,  Caphar  Barucha,  vill.  i.  489, 

491.— Ar.  ii.  156. 
Beni  Sukhr,  Ar.  i.  571.  ii.  156. 
Beni  Wasel,  Ar.  i.  135. 


580  FIEST 


Benit,  ii.  434,  439. 

Berah,  '  open  desert,'  L  84 

Berei'kut,  Heb.  Berachali?  L  491. 

Berfilya,  ii.  249. 

Berkusieh,  ii.  34. 

el-Besarin,  'the  gardens,'  i.  37. 

Besharah,  '  glad  tidings,'  L  36,  42,  90. 

Bessum,  ii.  369. 

Betras,  see  Butms. 

el-Bevad,  '  whiteness,'  iL  455. 

el-Beyaneh,  i.  182. 

el-Berudh  (vrith  Dad),  ii.  101. 

Biddu,  L  453,  458.  iL  255. 

Bint  JeheU,  ii.  447-449. 

Bir  el-Butr,  '  well  of  detestation,'  i.  41. 

Blr  KMidhia,  iL  21. 

Bir  Nebala,  L  455,  458. 

Bit  es-Seha',  Heb.  Beersheba,  L  204. 

Bir  Selhub,  L  499. 

Bir  es-Samiriyeh,  iL  283. 

Blr  Suweis,  '  well  of  Snez,'  i.  45. 

Bir  ez-Zeit,  '  well  of  oil,'  ii.  2C4. 

el-Bireh,  Heb.  Beer  or  Beeroth,   L  451, 

452.  iL  262. 
el-Birein,  '  tn-o  wells,'  L  192,  195. 
Bu-keh,  Birket, '  pool,  tank,'  L  37,  326-330. 
Bittir,  W.  iL  4. 
el-Biyad,  see  el-Beyad. 
Bizaria,  ii.  303. 
Bteddin,  see  Beit  ed-Dln. 
Budms,  ii.  232. 

Bugkibigh,  'shallow  wells,'  L  87,  111. 
el-Buka'a,  Heb.  nspa,  '  valley,  deep  plain,' 

ii.  437,  498. 
el-Buk'ah,  '  low  plain,'  ii.  387. 
Bukkar,  ii.  55. 

Bulu5,  Gr.  naOAof,  Paul ;  iL  16,  223. 

el-Buradan,  iL  29. 

el-Burak,  'reservoirs,'  L  218,  474. 

el-Bunijiueh,  iL  490. 

el-Bureij,  dim.  '  tower,'  iL  30. 

Bureir,  ii.  35,  45. 

el-Bnrj,  '  castle,'  Gr.  rvpyos,  Germ.  Burg, 

ii.  216,  217.— ii.  249. 
Burj  el-Bur  '.jLneh,  iL  490, 
Burj  Keis,  iL  16. 
Burin,  see  Baurin. 
el-Burk,  '  lightning,'  i.  82. 
Burka,'  i.  442.— ii.  311. 
el-Burk  a,  '  the  veil,'  L  157. 
el-Burkein,  L  602. 
Burkiu,  ii.  317. 

el-Buf  aireh,  dim.  of  Basrah,  Heb.  Bozrah, 

iL  167. 
el-Butahy,  iL  129. 
ButasLeh,  ii.  224. 
ButUhat,  i.  181. 

Butm,  Pistacea  terebinthus,  L  208.  ii.  222. 
Butrus,  Gr.  neVpoi,  Peter,  iL  248,  528. 
el-Buttauf,  ii.  337,  369. 
el-Buweib,  dim.  'door,'  iL  115. 
el-Buweirideh,  dim.  '  the  cold,'  iL  122. 
Bziimmur,  ii.  508. 


TSDEX. 


D 

Dahab,  Heb.  Bi-Zahah,  i.  147.  iL  187. 

ed-Dahariyeh,  '  the  eternal,'  L  263. 
ed-Dalieh,  '  vine,'  ii.  412. 
Dameh,  ii.  369. 

ed-Damur,  Gr.  Tafivpas,  Aa/ioipas,  Tamy- 
ras,  Damouras,  ii.  488,  489. 

Daniyal,  '  Daniel,'  ii.  248,  249. 

Dar  el-Humra,  '  red  court,'  L  41,  699. 

Dar  el-Kamar,  comm.  Deir  el-Kamr,  iL 
436,  439. 

Dar  Kanon,  iL  457. 

ed-Daron,  Gr.  Aapii/i,  Lat.  Daroma,  iL  38. 
ed-Daumeh,  i.  212. 

Daumeh,  Gr.  'ESovfid,  Eduma,  iL  280. 

ed-Dawaimeh,  ii.  55. 

ed-Dawa'irah,  Arabs,  i.  627. 

Debbet  en-Nusb,  L  75. 

Debbet  er-Ramleh,  '  plain  of  sand,'  L  77. 

Debiirieh,  Heb.  Daberath,  Gr.  AafitifxL,  ii. 

350,  363. 
ed-Deir,  '  convent,'  IL  L  94. 
Deir  Abu  Dha'if  (dh  for  Dad),  iL  316. 
Deir  Abu  Mesh'al,  L  453!  iL  250,  255. 
Deir  Abu  Tor,  L  276. 
Deir  el-'Asal,  ii.  216. 
Deir  'Atiyeh,  ii.  507. 
Deir  Bezi'a,  ii.  255. 
Deir  Dubban,  '  C.  of  a  fly,'  iL  23,  67. 
Deir  Duwan,  L  442,  573. 
Deir  Esneid,  ii.  35. 
Deir  Ghuzal,  iL  316. 
Deir  el-Hatab,  ii.  275,  279. 
Deir  el-Hawa,  '  C.  of  the  air,'  ii.  5,  14,  16, 
Deir  Ibn  'Obeid,  L  471, 
Deir  Jerur,  L  445. 
Deir  Kadis,  i.  453.  iL  255. 
Deir  el-Kadis  Modistus,  i.  276. 
Deir  el-Kamr,  see  Dir  el-Kamar. 
Deir  el-KCd'ah,  ii.  493. 
Deir  Ma  in,  ii.  230.  .  ] 

Deir  Mdr  Saba,  i.  382,  531. 
Deir  Samit,  ii.  219,  '  ?- 

Peir  Sheraf,  iL  303.  ,.„ 
Deir  es-Sidd,  L  437,  •  -5-  ^ 

Deir  Tureif;  ii.  232,  £ 
Deir  Yesin,  L  458,  '^-  ] 

ed-Deirdt,  L  499.  :  ?■  i 

Delata,  ii.  440,  445. 
ed-Delhemiyeh,  iL  387. 
Denna,  ii.  356. 

ed-Dera'ah  (d  for  Dhal),  L  519. 

Derb,  'road.' 

Derb  el-Ban,  L  37, 

Derb  el-Haj,  '  pilgrim  road,'  i.  37. 

Derejeh,  'steps,'  L  528. 

Derusich,  ii.  16. 

ed-Deruz,  Druzes;  Sing.  ed-Derazv,  ii.  611. 
edh-Dhafaiy  (dh  for  D.id),  W.  L  72. 
Dhaher  el-'Omar,  iL  393,  394. 
edh-Dhaiyikah  (dh  for  Dad),  '  narrownesa,' 
L  173. 


ARABIC  NAMES  AND  WORDS. 


581 


Dhaneh  (dh  for  Dad),  Gr.  edva,  Thana,  ii. 
168. 

Dhiban,  Heb.  Dibon,  ii.  527. 
Dhikrin,  ii.  29. 

edh-Dhoheriyeh,  abstr.  '  noon,'  L  209,  211, 

494.  ii.  216. 
Dhuheirv',  Arabs,  i.  133. 
edh-D)iu"llam,  ii.  102. 
edh-l)hulul  (dh  for  Dad),  '  error,'  i.  76, 148. 
Dhurah,  D.  esh-Shamy,  '  Syrian  J)hurah,' 

maize.    D.  es-Seify,  '  Summer  t)hn- 

rah,'  millet,  i.  561. 
Dibs,  '  syrup  of  grapes ; '  Heb.  uj^i  honey, 

ii.  81. 

Difleh,  Nerium  Oleander,  ii.  126,  401,  474. 
ed-Dilbeh,  i.  212. 

Dimeshk  esh-Sham,  Damascus;  usually 

called  esh-Sham,  iL  498. 
Dimreh,  ii.  35. 
ed-Dirweh,  i.  217. 

Doghry,  Turkish,  '  straight  ahead,'  ii.  219. 
DOm,  species  of  palm ;  also  the  lote-tree, 

i.  161,  50.5. 
ed-Diihy,  ii.  320,  326,  355. 
Duk,  Gr.  A<i/c,  Dock,  i.  571. 
Dukah,  ii.  411. 
Dukkan,  '  shop,'  ii.  487. 
ed-I)unniyeh,  ii.  494, 

Dura,  Heb.  Adoraim,  Gr.  'ASwpa,  AcDpa, 

Atbra,  Dora,  ii.  213,  214. 
Dnrah,  see  Dhurah. 


E 

el-'Ebry,  Heb.  -(125  Hebrew,  ii.  281. 

'Eddis,  iL  34.     ■  ■•  ■ 

Ehdeib,  ii.  102. 

Ehteim,  Ar.  i.  5J1. 

Elealeh,  see  el-Al. 

Elias,  see  Elyas. 

Eljy,  u.  128. 

Elteit,  L  161,  168. 

Elyas,  or  Elias,  Heb.  Elijah;  Gr.  'HXlas, 

Elias,  L  219. 
el-Em'.az,  ii.  115. 
Emir,  'prince.' 
Emir  Beshir,  ii.  486. 

Emshash,  corrupted  for  Meshash,  'water- 
pits,'  L  43,  45,  180, 184. 
Endor,  Heb.  Eridor,  ii.  356,  360. 
Erha,  i.  576. 
Eriha,  Jericlio,  i  552. 
el-Erta,  i.  177. 
Esdud,  Asfidod,  ii.  33. 
el-'Eshra,  '  W.  of  socialness,'  i.  40. 
el-'Esh-sheh,  ii.  409. 
Eyub,  pr.  n.  Job,  i.  332. 
el-Ezbekiyeh,  i.  28. 

F 

Fahmeb,  '  a  coal,'  ii.  312. 
el-Fa'iya,  W.  iL  104,  196,  197. 
Vol.  II.— 49"* 


Fakhr  ed-Din,    '  glory  of  judgment,'  11. 
343. 

el-Falujv,  iL  34,  49,  67. 

el-Farah,  '  mouse,'  i.  439,  440,  558. 

Faras  el-Jundy,  '  soldier's  horse,'  L  41. 

el-Fari'a,  i.  569.  ii.  279. 

Fedu,  '  redemption,'  i.  182. 

Feifeh,  ii.  112. 

Feiran,  Pharan,  i.  85,  117,  126. 

Fellah,    '  a   cultivator.'    Plur.  Fellahln, 

'  cultivators,'  tillers  of  the  soil. 
Fendeh,  '  a  subdivision,'  L  159. 
Fendekumieh,  Gr.  XliVTaKuula,  Pentaco- 

mia,  ii.  312. 
Fera',  i.  147,  148. 
el-Feranj,  AV.  ii.  69,  220. 
Ferashat  esh-Shih,  i.  602. 
el-Ferush,  '  the  plateaus,'  1.  148. 
el-Feshkhah,  i.  531,  533. 
Fik,  ii.  386,  437. 
el-Fikreh,  W.  li.  116,  178,  180. 
Firdeh,  tax,  1.  42G. 
eWoka,  '  the  upper.' 
el-Fo.?tat,  Old  Cairo,  i.  27. 
el-Fudhly  (dh  for  Dad),  Ar.  L  181. 
Fukin,  ii.  13. 
Fuku'a,  ii.  316,  317. 
el-Fuleh,  '  a  bean,'  iL  328. 
el-Furei'a,  L  94,  146. 
el-Fureidis,   dim.  of  Fardus,  Paradise, 

Frank  Mountain,  i.  478. 
Furkha,  iL  266,  267. 
el-Fum,  'W.  of  the  oven,'  L  40. 
el-Fu.?ail,  Gr.  4>o<ra7)Afy,  Phasaelis,  i.  569. 
Fustak,  '  Pistacia,'  i.  505. 
el-Fut'eis,  L  200. 
el-Fuwar,  L  441,  558. 


G 

Gaza,  see  Ghiizzeh. 

Ghafir,  L  132,  138. 

el-Ghaidherah,  i.  179,  180. 

el-Ghamr,  'aqua  multa,'  F.  ii.  174,  185. 

el-Ghar,  'laurel,'  W.  L  488,  500. 

Gbarbiin,  L  37,  40. 

el-Gharib,  'camel's  hump,'  L  111. — L  208, 

iL  179,  197. 
el-Ghaul,  '  evil  spirit,'  ii.  221. 
el-Ghawarineh,  Sing.  Ghury,  'inhabitants 

of  the  Ghor,'  i.  512,  552.  ii.  112, 113, 

411,  412,  436. 
el-Ghazieh,  ii.  476. 

el-Ghor,  '  a  long  valley  between  two  moun- 
tains,' L  152.  u.  112,  113,  183. 
el-Ghnbey,  L  181. 
el-Ghubsheh,  L  95. 

el-Ghudhaghidli  (dh  for  Dad),  'diminiw 

tions,'  i.  181. 
el-Ghudhih  (dh  for  Dad),  ii.  119. 
Ghudhir,  a  corruption  for  Ghudir,  *  pool, 

stagnum,'  i.  180. 


582  FIEST 

el-Ghndhran  (dh  for  Dad),  Heb.  Ezion  i 

i.  i69,  182. 
Ghudir,  ii.  490 ;  see  Ghudhir. 
el-Ghufr,  'toU,'  i.  427. 
el-Ghujar,  ii.  436. 
el-GhurAb,  '  the  raven,'  i.  322. 
el-Ghurabeh,  ii  266. 
Ghurbeh,  i  87. 
Ghureir,  Burckh.  i.  180,  603. 
Ghurkiid,  i.  676.  533.  ii.  116. 
el-Ghurkudeh,  L  61. 

Ghurundel,  Gr.  Kpiv^-qXa,  Arindela,  i.  68. 

— ii.  117,  168. 
el-Ghuwein,  dim.  Heb.  Anim,  ii.  204. 
el-Ghuweir.  dim.  of  el-Ghor,  iL  121,  154, 

175,  194. 
Ghiizaleh,  '  gazelle,'  i.  152. 
Ghuzu,  'marauding  party,'  ii.  110,  176. 
Ghtizzeh,  Gaza,  i.  198.  iL  37. 
el-Gizeh  (Jim  hard  I,  i.  25. 


H 

el-Habesbv,  '  the  Abyssinian,'  M.  i.  147. 
Habus,  i.  148. 
el-Hadb,  ii.  216. 

Haddata,  Haddathah,  ii.  450,  454. 
Haifa,  Gr.  'H^a,  Ephe,  Syeamiman,  ii. 

336,  340. 
el-Haikibeh,  i.  184. 
HaDezon,  Hailazon,  '  snails,'  i.  39. 
Hairan,  pr.  n.  Hiram,  ii.  456. 
Haiwat,  Sing.  Haiwy,  Arabs.    Adj.  from 

Haiyeh,  '  a  snake,'  having  the  same 

letters  as  Heb.  Hivite,  i.  137, 160,  186. 
el-Haj,  (Heb.  sn.)  'a  pilgrim  caravan,'  i. 

37.  171,  599,  600. 
Hajla,  Heb.  Beth-ffofflah,  i.  544. 
Hajr  el-'AIawj,  '  stone  of  the  'Alawy,'  i. 

162. 

Hajr  er-Rnkkab,  '  stone  of  the  riders,'  i.  66. 

Hair  Usdum,  '  stone  of  Sodom,'  i.  502. 

Hakl,  'field,'  i.  159,  172,  599. 

Halhul,  see  HulhM. 

Hamah,  Heb.  Haniath,  ii.  503,  507. 

el-Hamitu,  '  pigeons,'  ii.  878,  398. 

el-Hamdh  ^dh  for  Dad),  L  601. 

el-Hamma,  ii.  370. 

Hammam,  see  Hi^mmam. 

Hanaweih,  ii.  456. 

Handhal,  Cucumis  colocynthus,  i.  83. 
Hanneh,  Anna,  iL  26. 
el-Haram,  '  the  holy,'  i.  244. 
el-Harainiyi  h,  '  the  robbers,'  ii.  265. 
Haramoii,  Heb.  Hcmion,  iL  327. 
Harb,  i.  134. 
Ilaris,  ii.  454. 

Harun,  Hob.  Aaron,  L  391.  ii.  125. 

el-Hasan:i,  i.  003. 

Hash,  ii.  119,  177. 

^lasbi  iya,  iL  432,  433,  437,  438. 

el-i.Iasy,  ii.  47,  48. 


INDEX. 

Hasya,  ii.  507 
Hatta,  ii.  34. 
Hattin,  iL  378. 

el-Haudeh,  '  circuitous  path,'  ii.  179. 
Handela,  ii.  274. 

Hand  Kibriyan,  '  Cyprian's  trough,'  iL  4. 
Haur&n,  Heb.  Hauran,  Gr.  Kupayiris,  Au- 

ranitis,  ii.  432,  439. 
Hawara.  ii.  273. 

Hawarab,  '  destmction,'  L  66,  67, 
el-Hawazim,  Arabs,  ii.  176. 
el-Haweit,  dim.  '  a  string,'  i.  87,  111. 
Haweitat,  Sing.  Haweitv,  reL  adj.  from 

Haweit,  dim.' '  a  string,'  i.  162,  206. 

207.  ii.  155,  156. 
el-Hebahibeh,  Ar.  ii.  156. 
Hebrun,  Heb.  Hebron,  iL  90. 
Heikal,  pr.  n.  i.  146. 
Heish,  M.  u.  437. 
el-Hejava,  Arabs,  L  183,  530. 
et-Helaj,  'the  lawful,'  L  185,  188,  190. 
el-Helu,  '  sweet.'  L  535. 
Hemadet,  see  Humadet. 
el-Henady,  Arabs,  ii.  47. 
el-Heniiideh,  Arabs,  iL  48. 
el-Henajireh,  Sing.  Hanjery,  Ar.  L  186. 
Hendaj,  ii.  446. 
el-Hendis,  i.  182. 
el-Henna,  i.  505. 
Hesban,  Heb.  H  ghbon,  L  551. 
Hibr.in,  W.  i.  87,  111. 
el-Hijr,  iL  522. 
el-Hismeh,  L  174.  iL  155. 
el-Hizmeh,  L  439. 
Hubeibeh,  plant,  i.  505,  535. 
Hubin,  iL  13. 

el-Hudhera  (dh  for  Dad),  Heb.  Hazeroth,  L 
151. 

Hudhr,  Sing.  Hiidhiy  (dlx  for  Dad),  Arabs 
living  in  towns  and  villages,  L  207. 
ii.  112. 

Hiidhrur  (dh  for  Dad),  i.  445. 
el-Hufelrv.  ii.  121.  174. 
el-Hufir,"i.  194. 
Huj,  ii.  44. 

el-Hileh,  iL  434,  436,  440. 
Huihiil,  Heb.  Halhul,  L  216,  489. 
Humddet  el-'Anaz,  '  pebbly  desert  of  A.' 
L  184. 

Hiimfidet  el-Berbery,  i.  601. 
el-Hum:\dy,  Ar.  i.  fSl. 
el-Hum.im,  see  el-Haraam. 
el-Humeidy.  Ar.  L  181. 
el-Humeir,iwat,  '  red,'  Plur.  L  158,  159. 
el-Humeit,  i.  148. 
el-Humeiyimeh,  ii.  168. 
Humm  im,  •  bath,'  M.  L  70,  71. 
Hummam  I'ar'on,  '  Pharaoh's  bath,'  L  69, 
79. 

Hummam  esh-Shefa,  '  bath  of  healing,'  i. 
343. 

el-Hummar,  Heb.  "lan  ,  asphaltom,  L  617. 
'  ii.  18S,  189. 


ARABIC  NAMES  AST)  WORDS. 


583 


Pnmmu?,  chick-pea,  ii.  447. 

el-Hnmr,  W.  i.  71,  73,  75.— M.  I  95,  111. 

Humra  Fedan,  ii.  121. 

Hnms,  Gr.  'E^eo-o,  Etneua,  ii.  503,  507. 

Hursh  Beirut,  '  grove  of  Beirut,'  iL  490. 

el-Husan,  ii.  13. 

Hu.^an  Abu  Zenneh,  '  horse  of  a  monkey,' 
'   '  L  70. 

el-Hufa5ah,  i.  506,  527,  528. 
Husein,  i.  165.  ii.  315. 
el-Hu.fn,  '  fortress,'  vill.  iL  432,  438. 
Hn.=n  el-Ghurab,  '  fortress  of  the  raven,'  L 
■  211. 

Hnsn  es-.Snfiry,  iL  493. 
Hassan,  ii.  101. 
Hnwara,  see  Hawarah. 
el-Haweimirat,  i.  158,  159. 


Ibn  Ghtiniim,  Ar.  L  571. 
Ibn  Ma'an,  ii.  378,  398. 
Ibn  'Omar,  LL  27,  215. 
Ibn  Shedid,  see  Shedid. 
Ibn  Siikr,  i.  74,  82. 

Idhna,  Gr.  'leSj-o,  Jedna,  iL  54, 57,  69,  219. 

Ijnisnia,  ii.  308. 

tthrimm,  L  184,  185. 

Iksal,   Heb.    Chidoth,   ChemUoth,  Gr. 

soAtiSd,  Xaloth,  iL  332. 
Imam,  i.  483. 

Irbid,  Heb.  Arbel,  Gr.  'Ap^Xa,  Arbela,  ii 

378,  398,  399. 
el-'tsawiveh,  reL  adj.  fem.  from  'Isa,  Jesus, 

L  437. 

•Isa  el-Jerrahy,  L  240. 

Iskanderiyeh,  Alexandria,  L  13-17. 

Isma'iL  )  ,  ,  ,  ••  - 
T„„„,,.„  r  Isnmael,  u.  o. 

Isma'ihyeh,  Sing.  Isma'Uy,  ii.  512. 

Israil,  Israel,  L  330. 

el-Ithm,  'crime,'  W.  L  162,  167,  174. 


Ja  deh,  hyssop  ?  L  106,  109. 
el-Jaifeh,  '  the  concave,'  L  189. 
Jaihah,  i.  441. 
el-Jallat,  Ar.  ii.  156. 
Jalnd,  comp.  'Ain  Jalad,  iL  267. — iL  323. 
Jalut,  Goliath,  ii.  324. 
el-Jami"a,  '  place  of  assembly,'  mosk,  L  244, 
301. 

Jamns.  buffalo,  ii.  412. 

el-Janieh,  L  453.  iL  255. 

Janlan,  Heb.  Golan,  Gr.  VavKuytris,  Gau- 

loniiis,  ii  413,  416,  432,  437,  439. 
el-Janzeh,  '  walnut,'  L  104. 
el-Jawabireh,  Ar.  iL  156. 
el-Jazv,  ii.  156. 

Jeba'.'Heb.  Geba,  L  440,  577.— iL  312. 


Jeb'ah,  Heb.  Gibeah,  ii.  6,  13,  16. 

Jebal,  '  mountains ;  *  Heb.  Gebal,  Gr.  Te- 

/SoXijW),  Gebalene,  iL  154. 
el-Jebarat,  Arabs,  i.  186.  iL  44. 
Jebatha,  Lat.  Gabatha,  ii.  344. 
Jebeil,  Heb.  Gebal,  Gr.  Bt5/3Xoj,  ByUos,  iL 

506. 

Jebeil  Hasan,  dim.  '  M.  of  Hasan,'  L  599. 

Jebel,  'mount,  mountain.' 

Jebellyeh,  '  mountaineers,'  L  135,  598. 

Jedireh,  i.  455. 

Jedur,  Heb.  Gedor,  iL  13. 

Jehair,  i.  535. 

el-Jehalin,  el-Jehal3yeh,  Sing.  Jehaly,  Ar- 
abs, L  186,  499.  iL  98. 
Jehar,  W.  L  488. 

Jehennam,  Gr.  Tiiwa,  Gehenna,  L  269, 
273. 

el-Jeib,  W.  iL  118,  120,  174. 
Jel'ad,  Heb.  GUead,  L  527,  570. 
Jelameh,  iL  319. 

Jelbon,  Heb.  Gilhoa,  iL  316,  325. 
Jemrurah,  iL  70. 
Jenbeh,  ii.  101. 
Jendal,  i.  41. 

Jenin,  Gr.  Tivaia,  Ginaa,  Heb.  En-gan- 

nim,  iL  314,  315. 
Jennabeh,  iL  16. 

el-Jerafeh,  'the  gullying,'  L  180,  199.  iL 

124,  125. 
Jerish,  vilL  ii.  16. 
Jerba,  iL  314. 
Jerf,  see  Jnrf. 
el-Jerrah,  \V.  iL  104. 
el-Jerur,  comp.  Heb.  Gerar,  i.  188,  189. 
el-Jesmaniyeh,  Get/isemane,  i.  234. 
Jezlrat  Fai'on,  '  Pharaoh's  island,'  L  161. 
Jezirat  el-Yehudiyeh,  L  50. 
Jezzin,  ii.  436,  439. 
el-Jib,  Heb.  Gibeon,  L  455.  iL  256. 
Jibia,  iL  265. 
Jifna,  see  Jufnii. 
Jil'ad,  see  .Jel'ad. 
Jiljilia,  ii.  265,  266. 

Jiljideh,  Heb.  Gilgal,  Gr.  TaXyov\<i,  iL  243. 
Jimrin,  iL  16. 

Jimzn,  Heb.  Gimzo,  ii.  249. 

el-Jish,  Rabb.  Gush  Halab,  Gr.  ^^(rxaA.a, 

Gigcala,  ii.  445,  446. 
el-Jisr,  'the  bridge.' 

Jisr  Benat  Ya'kob,  '  bridge  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  Jacob,'  ii.  441. 

el-Jiyeh,  iL  487. 

Jubb  Jenin,  iL  484. 

Jubb  Yiisuf,  '  Joseph's  pit,'  ii.  418,  419. 

Jnfha,  Gr.  To^va,  Tov<pv(i,  Gophna,  Heb. 
Ophni?  iL  263,  264. 

el-Jughamileh,  L  601. 

Juneid,  iL  303. 

Jurf,  '  gully,'  or  more  properly  '  a  bank 
washed  away  and  undermined  by  a 
torrent,'  i.  173. 

Jmf  el-Mukiwa,  '  guDy  of  AL'  L  39. 


584 


FIRST  INDEX. 


Jurfa,  ii.  16. 

Jiiseir,  dim.  '  bridge,'  iL  34. 


K 

el-Ka'a,  'plain,'  i.  73,  111,  150. 

Ka'a  el-Ban'ik,  i.  603. 

ka'a  en-Nukb,  i.  176. 

el-Ka'abineh,  Arabs,  i.  499,  527.  ii.  155. 

Kabr,  '  tomb,'  ii.  90.— ii.  370. 

Kabr  Plairan,  '  tomb  of  Hiram,'  ii.  456. 

el-Kabu,  '  vault,'  ii.  5. 

Kadita,  ii.  444. 

el-Kady,  'judge,'  ii.  454. — Riv.  and  bridge, 
■  ii.  488. 

el-KAhirah,  '  the  conquering,'  Cairo,  i.  23. 
Kaid  Beg  (g  for  Kaf),  i.  38. 
Kaisariyeh,  Gr.  Kaiadpeta,  CcBsarea,  ii.  241. 
Kalawuii,  ii.  237. 

kana,  Heb.  Kanah,  W.  ii.  273.— Vill.  ii. 
455,  456. 

Kana  el-JelO,  Heb.  Kanah,  Gr.  Kava  rrjs 
ra\i\alas,  Cana  of  Galilee,  ii.  340, 
346. 

Kaneitar,  i.  88. 

Kanubin,  Gr.  Koiv6$iov,  Cmnohium,  ii.  506. 

Kashheya,  see  Kuzheiya. 

el-Kashury,  '  sterilis,  infaustus,'  ii.  281. 

el-Kasimiyeh,  ii.  472. 

Katherin,  Catharine,  i.  95,  109. 

Kaukab,  '  meteor,'  ii.  340. 

Kaukab  el-Hawa,  '  meteor  of  the  air,'  ii. 

328,  356,  361. 
el-Kaus,  '  arrow,'  ii.  221. 
el-Kebir,  '  the  great,'  ii.  473. 
Kedes,  Heb.  Kedesh  of  Naphtali,  ii.  439. 
el-Keferein,  '  the  villages,'  i.  569. 
Kef  iyeh,  i.  64,  162. 
kefr  Adan,  ii.  319. 
Kefr  'Akab,  i.  576. 
Kefr  Kenna,  ii.  347,  369. 
Kefr  Kud,  Gr.  KaiTapK6Tia,  Gaparcotia,  ii. 

317. 

Kefr  KfiUin,  ii.  274. 

Kefr  el-I.ebad,  ii.  303,  308. 

Kefr  Mcnda,  ii.  340. 

Kefr  Murr,  '  bitter,'  i.  452.  ii.  262. 

Kefr  Musr,  ii.  356. 

Kefr  Saba,  Gr.  Ka<f>ap(ra$d,  Antipatris,  ii. 

242,  243. 
Kefr  Siibt,  ii.  369. 

Kefr  Selwan,  Heb.  Shiloah,  Gr.  "SiXud/i, 

Siloam,  i.  232,  342. 
Kefr  Som,  '  fasting,'  ii.  6. 
Kefrnii,  ii.  356. 
Kei.s,  Kcisiyeh,  ii.  17. 
e'l-Kelb,  '  the  dog,'  ii.  492,  498. 
el-Kelt,  Heb.  Cherith?  i.  441,  657,  658. 
Kemenjeh,  ii.  205. 

Keniseh,  Chald.  i<lri''33,  'a  synagogue, 
church,'  ii.  281. 


Kerak,  '  castle,'  i.  236,  502,  507,  519.  ii. 

85,  166,  mL—TarichoBa,  ii.  387. 
Kerazeh,  ii.  405. 
el-Kerr,  Burckh.  ii.  166. 
Kersenna,  vetches,  ii.  83. 
Kesla,  Heb.  Chesalon,  ii.  30. 
el-Kesrawan,  ii.  507. 
Khaibar,  Arabs,  i.  207. 
el-Khait,  ii.  435. 
Khalifeh,  comm.  Khalif. 
el-Khamis,  i.  469. 
Khan,  '  lodging-place,  inn.' 
Khan  el-Minyeh,  ii.  403,  404. 
Khan  et-Tuyar,  'Khan  of  the  merchants,' 

ii.  368' sq. 
Khanzlreh,  ii.  117,  157. 
Kharaj,  toleration  tax,  L  426. 
Kharas,  ii.  16. 
Kharub,  carob,  ii.  250. 
Khashm  Usdum,  ii.  107. 
Khatib,  '  orator,'  i.  483. 
el-Kheishfim,  dim.  '  cartilage  of  the  nose,' 

ii.  16,  30,  232. 
Khirbeh,  see  KhGrbeh. 
el-Khiibarah,  i.  202.— L  498,  501. 
Khudeir,  pr.  n.  i.  139. 
el-Khudr,  St.  George,  L  217.  ii.  4.— ii.  474. 

ii.  492. 

el-Khulasah,  Gr.  'E\ou<ro,  Elusa,  i.  201. 
Khulda,  khuldeh,  ii.  226.— Khan,  ii.  489. 
cl-Khulil  (Hebron),  '  friend,'  as  an  epithet 

of  Abraham,  i.  213.  iL  90. 
el-Khaius,  i.  202. 

el-Klmmileh,  'low  ground,'  i.  80,  81,  177. 
Khuneifis,  or  Ukhneifis,  ii  323. 
el-Khuneifit,  ii.  101. 

Khuraib  er-Ram,  '  ruins  of  er-Ram,'  i.  677. 
el-Klmraizeh,  i.  184. 
el-Khurar,  ii.  177. 
Khiirbata,  ii.  255. 
Khurbeh,  '  ruin.' 

Khurbet  en-Nusarah,  '  ruins  of  the  Chris- 
tians,' i.  215. 

Khiirbet  en-Nusrany,  '  ruins  of  the  Chris- 
tian,' ii.  216. 

Khureitun,  i.  481,  486,  487. 

el-Khureity,  i.  176. 

Kburmet  el-Jurf,  '  rupture  of  the  gully,'  L 
173. 

Khursah,  ii.  216. 

el-Kh'uweilifeh,  i.  207.  ii.  217. 

el-Khuza'y,  i.  203. 

el-Khuzneh,  '  treasure,'  ii.  132,  146. 

Kibleh,  Kibla,  i.  241. 

kibrin,  W.  i.  111. 

Kidron,  Heb.  KiJron,  i.  257,  269,  631. 
kineh,  town,  i.  23.— W.  i.  83. 
kirdhy  (dh  for  Dad),  plant,  i  84. 
kirkis,  ii.  206. 

el-Kiyameh,  '  the  resurrection,'  i.  377. 
Kolzum,  Gr.  KKvirfia,  Klysma,  i.  47. 
el-Kubab,  ii.  232. 
I  Kubaliiu,  ii.  272. 


ARABIC  NAMES  AKD  WORDS. 


585 


Kubatiyeh,  Kubatieh,  ii.  314. 

Kubbeh,  'dome.' 

kubbet  el-Baul,  ii.  198. 

Kubbet  Rabil,  '  dome  of  Rachel,'  i.  218,  469. 

cl-Kubeibeb,  dim.  '  dome,'  ii.  50,  255. 

e!-kiideirah,  i.  440. 

el-Kudeirat,  i.  1S9.  iL  200. 

Kudiia,  ii.  24. 

el-Kuds,  '  tbe  Holy,'  Jerusalem,  i.  258. 
el-Kufafiyeh,  ii.  177. 
Kufeir,  dim.  'village,'  ii.  314. 
Kufin,  i.  217. 
el-Kulial,  antimonv,  L  80. 
el-Kul'ah,  '  the  castle,'  iL  278,  493. 
Kui'at  er-RCibiid,  i.  445. 
Kuleh,  ii.  232. 

kuleib  Haurin,  dim.  '  dog  of  Hanrfn,'  ii. 
432. 

KMonieh,  Kiilonia,  Gr.  KovUy,  L  461. 
Kuliindia,  i.  455,  458,  576. 
el-Kuly,  ashes,  '  alkali,'  L  506. 
Kulzum,  see  Kolznm. 
Kumieh,  ii.  323,  356. 
el-Kuneitirah,  i.  545.  ii.  394,  439. 
el-Kura,  ii.  522. 
el-Kurah,  ii.  494. 
el-Kftrahy,  ii.  104,  112. 
Kuratiyeh,  ii.  34. 
Kurawa,  ii.  266. 
kurdhy,  see  Kirdhy. 
el-Kiirdhiyeh\dh  for  Dad),  W.  i.  63. 
el-Kureiklreh,  '  the  callous  spot  on  a  cam- 
el's breast,'  L  175. 
el-Kureis,  i.  699. 
el-Kureiyeh,  W.  i.  184. 
el-kurey,  and  el-Kureiyeh,  '  village,  min,' 

■  i.  i60,  161. 
Kuriet,  see  Kuryet. 
Kiiriyut,  Gr.  Kopeai,  Corece?  ii.  267. 
kurmul,  Heb.  Camiel,  I  494,  495,  496. 

iL  97.— M.  ii.  337. 
el-Kum,  '  horn,'  i.  200-202. 
Kurnub,  Tfiamara,  iL  197,  202. 
Kurrishy,  Arabs,  i.  133,  138. 
kunin  Hattin,  'horns  of  Hattin,'  iL  370. 
kuruutul,  Quarantana,  i.  567. 
kurvet  el-'Enab,  Heb.  Kirjaih-Jearim,  ii. 
11. 

Knryet  Jit,  Gr.  Tlrra,  ii.  308. 
kuryet  es-Sa'ideh,  ii.  6. 
el-Kuryetein,  Heb.  Kerioth?  iL  101. 
el-kujaby,  i.  602. 
el-kusaimeh,  L  190. 
Kuslmr,  ii.  55. 
el-Kuseib,  iL  118. 
el-kuseifeh,  see  Tell  el-Kuseifeh. 
el-Kuseir,  dim.  '  castle,'  iL  198. 
Kusr,  'castle.' 
ku-T  'Antar,  i.  486. 
kusr  el-Bedawy,  L  168,  174. 
ku^r  L'm  el-Leimon,  '  lemon,'  i.  486. 
kii.-r  el-Yehud,  'castle  of  the  Jews,'  L  536, 
'  545. 


KuF.«abeh,  ii.  48. 
el-kiistineh,  ii.  30. 
el-ku?tul,  Lat.  Castellum,  ii.  6. 
Kuta,  bird,  ii.  200. 
kutrah,  iL  227. 

el-Ku\veiseh,  dim.  '  bow,'  W.  L  70. 
Kuza,  iL  273. 

kuzheiva  (K  ?  h  ?),  Burck.  Kashheya,  ii. 
507. 


L 

el-Ladikiyeh,  Gr.  AaoSlKcua,  Laodieed,  iL 
503. 

Lanteh,  Gr.  AeSyros  ■Koran6s,  Leontes,  iL 

■472,  473. 
Latron,  Lat.  Lafro,  iL  232. 
Leben,  soured  mUk. 
el-Lebweh,  '  the  lioness,'  W.  L  83. 
el-Lehyaneh,  W.  i.  180. 
el-Leimon,  '  lemon,'  ii.  402.  n. 
el-Leja,  'asylum,'  W.  L  89,  112. 
el-Lejah,  distr.  ii.  394. 
el-Lejjun,  Gr.  Aeytdy,  Legio,  Megiddo,  iL 

316,  323,  328. 
Liblabeh,  '  convolvulus,'  W.  L  38. 
Libmin,  Heb.  "(isab ,  ii.  437,  493. 
Lifta,  viU.  L  458.' {i.  2. 
el-Litany,  Leontes,  iL  437,  438,  472. 
el-Livathineh,  Ar.  ii.  156. 
el-Lubban,  Heb.  Lehonah,  iL  271,  272. 
el-Lubieh,  '  bean,'  ii.  370. 
Ludd,  Heb.  LocL,  Gr.  Au55a,  Lydda,  ii. 
244. 

el-Luhham,  ii.  14. 

fl-  Lussan,  Gr.  Av<ra,  Lysa,  i.  187. 

M 

Ma'an,  Heb.  Maon,  Maoniies,  iL  168. 
el-Ma'az,  Ar.  ii.  143,  153. 
Ma'a.zeh,  Ar.  i.  139. 

el-JIab'iik,  wells,  i.  49.  • 

Ma'dad,  L  440. 

Ma'derah,  ii.  356. 

Madsus,  M.  L  111. 

Madiirah,  ii.  179. 

el-Ma'ein,  '  two  waters,'  i.  185. 

Ma'in,  Heb.  ^faoll,  i.  493,  494.  iL  97. 

Makiim,  see  Mukam. 

el-Makbul,  L  181. 

Makhriin,  L  448. 

el-Mak-huL  ii.  203. 

el-MalUi,  '  the  salt,'  F.  i.  77. 

el-Malili,  '  salt,  brackish,'  well,  iL  155. 

el-MaUhah,  L  469. 

el-MamiUa,  i.  326. 

el-5I;milhur  (dh  for  Dad),  L  537. 

el-Maiif I'lr,  '  the  conqueror,'  ii.  156. 

el-Manj urah,  '  the  victorious,'  ii.  226. — ^iL 


586  FIRST  INDEX. 


M4r,  'lord,'  a  title. 
Mar  Saba,  see  Deir  MSr  Saba. 
Maron,  ii.  447,  449. 
el-Maslmk,  ii.  460,  472. 
el-Mas'udv,  Ar.  i.  571. 

^\^^'^-'''- 
el-Matariyeh,  i.  25. 

Mawaiih,' Plur.  '  salt  places,'  i.  40,  172. 
Mawarid  el-Hiiclhera  (dh  for  Dadj,  'paths 

to  Hudhera,'  i.  151. 
Ma'yan,  ' fountain,'  i.  102,  109. 
el-Mayein,  '  two  waters,'  W.  L  185. 
el-Mebruk,  '  kneeling-place  '  for  camels, 

W.  i.  159. 

Medafeh,  '  place  of  entertainment,'  i.  445. 
'  ii.  19. 

el-Medineh,  '  the  city,'  ii.  370. 
Meiron,  Meirum,  ii.  430,  444. 
Meithel  .n,  ii.  312,  314. 
Mejami'a,  i.  538. 

Mejd  el-Ba'a,  i.  494.  ii.  205,  206. 
el-Mejdcl,  Heb.  Migdal,  Gr.  MaySoAo,  Mag- 

dala,  ii.  396,  397.— ii.  232. 
el-Melahin,  Ar.  iL  156. 
el-Melihv,  ii.  125. 
el-Mellihah,  F.  iL  435. 
Menf,  Heb.  qt,  Memphis,  i.  27. 
Menzil,  '  guest-chamber,'  ii.  19. 
el-Merakh,  W.  i.  159,  160. 
Merj,  '  meadow.' 

Merj  'Ayun,  Heb.         Jjon,  ii.  438. 
Merj  el-Ghuruk,  'meadow  of  sinking  or 

drowning,'  ii.  313. 
Merj  Ibn  'Amir,  plain  of  Esdraelon,  ii.  324, 

362. 

Merj  Ibn  'Omeir,  ii  253. 

el-Mersed,  i.  506. 

el-Mes'adiyeh,  ii.  411. 

Mesa'id,  Sing.  Mas'udy,  reL  adj.  from  Mas- 

'ud,  pr.  n.  i.  159. 
Mes-hed,  ii.  356. 
Meshghurah,  ii.  484. 
el-Meshhad,  ii.  350. 

el-Me.'jid,  'place  of  adoration,'  temple, 

mosk,  i.  301. 
el-Mesmiyeh,  ii.  30. 

Metuwileh,  Sing  Mutawaly,  ii.  448,  511. 

el-Metn,  distr.  ii.  606. 

el-Mez  .rik,  i.  159,  161. 

el-Mezra'ah,  i.  520.— ii.  331.— ii.  455. 

Mil.irab,  'niche  of  prayer,'  i.  241. 

el-Milli,  'salt,'  Moladah,  Malalha,  ii.  200, 

201. 
Min'In,  ii.  26. 
el-Minyav,  i.  602. 
el-Minyeh,  Khan,  ii.  403,  404. 
Mird,  i.  545. 
Mirv,  tribute,  ii.  98. 
el  Mirzaba,  ii.  125,  176. 
Misilya,  ii.  312,  314. 
Mijr,  see  Musr. 


el-M6jib,  Heb.  Arnon,  i.  502,  507, 
Monn,  '  manna,"  Heb.  '(Q  ,  i.  75,  115. 
el-Morak,  ii.  219. 
el-Mu'addamJyeh,  W.  ii.  446. 
el-Mu'adh-dhem,  pr.  n.  i.  317.  ii.  426. 
el-Mu'allakah,  '  suspended,'  ii.  489. 
el-Mudareij,  i.  158. 
Mudha'in  (dh  for  Dad),  M.  i.  80. 
el-Mudhaiyat  (dh  for  Dad),  i.  603. 
Mudhebbih  Sa'id  'Obeideh,  i.  527. 
Mudir,  i.  482.  ii.  315. 
Muf  irik  et-Turk,  '  fork  of  roads,'  L  175. 
el-Mughar,  ii  227.— ii.  371. 
el-Mugharibeh,  'western  Africans,'  i.  43, 

164,  263. 
el-Mughullis,  ii.  30. 
el-Muhash,  i.  157. 
el-Muliauwat,  "W.  ii.  104,  107. 
el-Muiidy,  '  the  Guide,'  ii.  278. 
Muheirid  el-Kunas,  L  111. 
el-Mulielleh, 'ii.  176. 

Mukam,  '  station,  tomb  of  a  saint,'  ii.  16. 
Mukarv,  Plur.  Mukariyeh,  'camel  driver, 

muleteer,'  i.  436,  461,  580. 
el-Mnkatteb,  '  the  written,'  i.  73,  128. 
el-Mukattem,  '  the  concealed,'  i.  37,  38. 
el-Mukberah,  '  burying-place,'  i.  81. 
Mukeibil,  pr.  n.  ii.  146. 
el-Mukeibileh,  ii.  319. 
el-Mukhafeh,  '  fear,'  i.  44. 
el-Miikhlefeh,  '  disagreement,'  W.  L  146. 
Mukhmas,  Heb.  Michmash,  i.  441,  442. 
Mukhna,  ii.  273,  279. 
Mukhsheib,  i.  45. 
Mukhshikeh,  ii.  455. 
el-Mukrah,  L  179,  186,  199. 
el-Mukril),  i.  40,  154. 
Mukriii  el-Ibna,  i.  602. 
Mukrili  el-\Veberah,  i.  40. 
el-Muktadir,  ii.  237. 

Muktul  edh-Dhuleim,  '  place  of  the  VilHilg 

of  the  oppressed,'  i.  602. 
el-Mukubbeleh,  '  the  kissed,'  W.  i.  158. 
el-Mukutta',  '  ford,'  riv.  Kishon,  iL  363, 

365." 

Mukutta'  et-Tawarik,  W.  L  177. 
el-Muneiderah,  M.  i.  148. 
el-Munettisheh,  L  478. 
el-Muntir,  ii.  39. 
el-Muutula',  '  the  ascent,'  L  44. 
el-Miiriik,  L  77. 

Murbtit  Ka'ud  el-Wasileh,  L  156. 
el-Moreidhah  (dh  for  Dad),  '  the  sick,'  ii. 
177." 

el-Mureikhv,  dim.  of  el-Murkhah,  pass,  i. 

76,  rJl,  l'J8,  601. 
cl-Murkhah,  '  relaxed  ?  '  i.  72,  73. 
Murkus,  Gr.  MipKos,  Marcus,  iL  229. 
Murrah,  \V.  i.  149,  150. 
el-Miirtubeh,  W.  i.  203. 
el-MuriL^fu.',  ii.  356. 
Miisa,  Moses. 


ARABIC  NAMES  AND  WORDS. 


587 


el-Museik,  ii.  102. 

el-Mushalikhah,  Ar.  i.  571. 

el-Musheh-hem,  i.  G02,  603. 

el-Muslim,  '  Muhammedan.' 

Mu?r,  Egypt,  usual  name  for  Cairo,  L  23. 

el-Mu?rv,  el-Musriyeh,  'Egyptian,'  i.  161, 

162,  171,  174. 
el-MusuUabeh,  '  the  Cross,'  convent,  i.  424. 

ii".  3. 

el-Mnsiirr,  W.  ii.  5,  13,  20. 
Mutawaly,  see  Metawileh. 
Muteir,  pr.  n.  i.  139. 

el-Mutesellinj,  el-Mutsellim,  'governor,'  i. 
246. 

el-Mutyah,  '  descent,'  i.  444,  575. 
Mnweilih,  dim.  of  Mawalih,  prob.  Leuke 

Kmie,  i.  172,  599.  ii.  160.— F.  i.  190. 
el-Muzeikah,  ii.  197. 
Muzeiny,  Ar.  i.  134. 
el-Muzeiri'ah,  dim.  'plantation,'  i.  188. 
el-Muzeiri'at,  Plur.  dim.  'plantations,'  i. 

191. 

N 

Naba',  F.  i.  61. 
Nablus,  comm.  for  Nabulns. 
Nabulus,  Gr.  NetfToAii,  Neapolis,  ii.  275, 
287. 

en-Nahl,  '  bees,'  ii.  224. 

Nahr,  '  river.' 

en-Na'imeh,  ii.  489. 

en-Nakurah,  iL  304. 

Nakus,  '  sounding-board,' L  111. 

Na'lin,  iL  232. 

en-Nar,  'fire,'  L  273,  531. 

Na.'ir,  iL  237. 

en-Nafirab,  Gr.  NoCape,^,  Nazareth,  ii.  333- 
343. 

Nawa'imeh,  W.  i.  569,  571,  572. 
en-Nawatir,  '  watchmen,'  i.  599. 
Nazir  (z  for  Dha),  '  warden,'  i.  452. 
Neba,  Heb.  Nebo,  L  509,  510. 
en-Nebk,  ii.  507. 

Nebv  Bulus,  '  prophet  Paul,'  L  e.  St  Paul, 

ii.  16,  223. 
en-Neby  DaAd,  '  the  prophet  David,'  i.  262. 
Neby  Harun,  'prophet  Aaron,'  ii.  152,  519- 

521. 

Xeby  Xuh,  '  prophet  Noah,'  ii.  55,  214. 
Xeby  Samwil,  'prophet  SamueL'  i.  457- 
460. 

Neby  Yunas,  'prophet  Jonah,'  L  216. — i. 

489.— ii.  487. 
en-Nehedein,  '  two  teats,'  W.  L  38. 
Nein,  Gr.  Not;/,  Kain,  ii.  356,  361. 
en-Xejd,  ii.  105,  106. 
Nemela,  ii.  123,  125,  152. 
Netsh,  a  plant,  L  493. 
Nijid,  ii.  35. 

Nimrin,  Heb.  Nimrah,  Nimrim,  L  445, 
551. 

Norej,  Heb.  S'^ia,  'threshing  sledge,' L  550. 


Nfiba,  ii.  70. 

Xubk,  '  lote-tree,'  i.  505,  560.  ii.  388. 
Xulilialiu,  ii.  13. 
Xukb,  '  pass,  defile.' 
Nukb  Hawy,  'windy  pass,'  i.  87. 
X^ukei'a.el-Ful,  dim.  '  plain  of  beans,'  L  68. 
en-Nukeirah,  dim.  'cavity,'  M.  i.  174. 
Nukhl,"  'palm  trees,'  i.  172,  176,  198,  602. 
Xunkur,  ii.  214. 
Nuris,  ii.  323,  340. 

en-Nu5airiveh,  comm.  Anfairiyeh,  which 

see,  ii.  436,  512. 
Xusara,  Xu.^arah,  Christians;  Sing.  Nus- 

rany,  iL  341. 
en-Xufb,  '  erection,  pillar  ?  '  L  75,  76,  77 ; 

105,  110,  147. 
Nufib,  Heb.  a^S5,  Nezih,  iL  17,  57,  220. 
Xu?s  Ijbeil,  ii.  308. 
Nuttar  Abu  Sumar,  i.  601. 
Nuttar  el-Lukiyeh,  '  watchman  of  a  thing 

"found,'  i.'208. 
en-Nuweibi'a,  dim.  'springing  up  like  a 

fountain,'  i.  155,  156. 


0 

el-'Obeidlyeh,  ii.  387. 
el-'Odha  (dh  for  Dad),  L  111. 
'Odheib,  '  sweet  water,'  i.  50. 
el-'Ojmeh,  i.  76,  179. 

'Ojrat  el-Feras,  '  hillock  of  the  horses,'  i. 
149. 

'Omar,  pr.  n.  ii.  27,  215. 
el-'Orf,  'crest,'  i.  87. 
el-'Orfan,  i.  147. 

'Oi-eis  Themman,  dim.  '  bride  of  T.'  i.  71. 
'Osh,  '  bird's  nest,'  W.  L  85. 
'Osheh,  ii.  355. 
6sha',  i.  527. 

el-'Osher,  tree,  i.  505,  522. 
el-'Ozeiz,  i.  455.  iL  256. 


R 

Rabba,  Heb.  Rahhah,  ii.  166,  524, 
Rafat,  L  453,  454.— ii.  226. 
Raf  idia,  ii.  303. 

er-Rahah,  i.  45,  48,  61 ;  89,  95,  107. 

Rahamy,  Arabs,  i.  134. 

er-Rahib,  'monk,'  \V.  i.  273,  531. 

er-Rahmeh,  '  mercv,'  i.  322. 

er-Rakib,  '  rider,'  \.  208. 

er-Rakim,  Rekem,  ii.  521. 

er-Rakineh,  '  the  painted,'  i.  76,  198,  601, 

er-Ram,  Heb.  Ramah,  L  576. 

Ram-Allah,  i.  453. 

er-Rameh,  i.  569. 

Ramet  el-Khulil,  i.  216. 

Ramin,  ii.  303,  308. 

Rami  el-Murak,  i.  77. 

er-Ramleh,  '  sand,'  ii.  229,  234. 


588 


FIRST  INDEX. 


er-Ramliyeh,  '  the  sandy,'  i.  585. 
Ra'na,  ii.  24. 

Ras  el-Ahmar,  '  the  red,'  ii.  447,  n. 
Ras  el-'Ain,  '  fountain-head,'  ii.  457-459. 
Ras  el-Burka',  'veil  cape,'  i.  155,  157. 
Ras  Kerker,  or  Ras  Kerka',  i.  453.  ii.  250, 
253. 

Ras  en-Nukb,  'head  of  the  pass,'  i.  175, 
599. 

Ras  esh-Shuraf,  'head  of  tlie  height,'  i. 
599. 

Ras  Um  Haiyeh,  '  Cape  mother  of  ser- 
pents,' i.  157,  158. 

Ras  el-Wadv,  '  head  of  the  Wady,'  i.  50. 

Rashaideh,  Sing.  Rashidy,  Ar.  i.  491,  506, 
527. 

Rasheiya,  ii.  433,  437,  438. 

Raudh  el-Humarah  (dh  for  Dad),  '  brook 

of  the  she  ass,'  i.  183 
Raujlb,  ii.  274,  280. 
er-Rawajifeh,  Ar.  ii.  156. 
er-Rawak,  '  portico,'  L  602,  603. 
er-Refai'a,  Ar.  ii.  156. 
er-Reineh,  ii.  349. 
er-Reiy;ineh,  '  the  wet,'  i.  39,  148. 
er-Kejim,  i.  601. 
Rejum,  '  tlirowings,'  i.  42. 
Rejum  el-Khail,  '  throwings  of  the  horses,' 

i.  50. 
Retameh,  i.  84. 

Retem,  Heb.  nri,   '  broom-plant,'  L  84, 

203,  205,  500. 
Ribah,  Wady,  ii.  273. 
Ribba,  ii.  70. 

Kibleh,  Heb.  Riblah,  ii.  507,  n. 
er-Riddadeh,  'the  repulsing,'  W.  i.  175. 
Ridhan  (dh  for  Dad),  'brooks,'  Plur.  of 

Raudh,  i.  183. 
Ridhan  esh-Shuka'a  (dh  for  Dad),  '  brooks 

of  S.'  i.  150. 
Riha,  for  Eriha,  which  see,  i.  552. 
Rishrash,  Agnus  castus,  i.  535,  544. 
er-Rizkah,  W.  i.  174. 
er-Ruba'y,  ii.  122,  139,  175. 
Rubin,  Reuben,  ii.  5,  227. 
er-Rubi'y,  Ar.  i.  181. 
er-Rubudiyeh,  \V.  ii.  401,  402. 
er-Ruhaibeh,  '  the  spacious,'  comp.  Heb. 

itehoboth,  i.  196,  197,  202. 
Rujeim  Selameh,  LL  102. 
Riikhama,  ii.  201. 
er-Rumany,  ii.  14. 
Rnmeish,  'ii.  447,  450. 
Rumeilet  Ilamid,  dim.  '  place  of  sand,'  i. 

203. 

Rnmmaneh,  Heb.  Jtimmon,  u.  340. 
Rummon,  Heb.  Rimmon,  i.  440,  444,  445. 
er-Ruweihibiych,  rel.  adj.  fem.  from  dim. 
'monk'  or  'Uon,'  i.  152,  153. 

S 

Saba,  see  Deir  Mar  Saba. 


es-Sa'deh,  i.  154. 
S'afed,  ii.  420-432. 

ep-Safieh,  'the  clear,'  Heb.  Zephathahf 

Tell,  ii.  29,  31.— Ghor,  iL  112. 
Safirlyeh,  ii.  232. 
es-Saherah,  i.  269. 
Sahil,  'plain,'  ii.  378. 
.Sahyun,  Heb.  Zion,  i.  323, 
Sa'id,  proper  name. 

Saida,  Heb.  Zidon,  Gr.  ^ISuy,  Sidon,  iL 

476-485. 
Saidanaya,  ii.  503. 
es-Sa'idat,  W.  i.  189. 
es-Sa'idin,  Sing.  es-Sa'idy,  Ar.  L  186. 
es-Sa'idiyeh,  Ar.  i.  133,  186. 
Saidon,  ii.  226. 
Sa'ir,  L  488. 

S.ikieh,  '  a  water-machine,'  L  19,  581,  582. 

Sakieh  tedur  bir-rijl,  i.  582. 

Sa'l,  W.  i.  147-149. 

es-Sa'l  er-Reiyany,  '  the  wet,'  L  148. 

Salah  ed-Din,  Saladin. 

Salih,  pr.  n.  i.  83,  133,  142. 

Salim,  Heb.  Skalem,  ii.  275,  279. 

es-Salt,  i.  527,  537. 

Samary,  Plur.  Semarah,  Heb.  Samaritan, 

iL  282. 
Sanik,  see  Senlk. 

Santa  Hanneh,  St.  Anne,  iL  26,  28,  51. 
Sanur,  ii.  312,  313. 
Sarbut  el-Jemel,  L  74. 
Sa'sa','  ii.  445,  446. 
es-Sa'udiyeh,  Ar.  ii.  156. 
Saulam,  see  Solam. 
es-Sawafir,  Heb.  Saphir,  ii.  34. 
.Sawahhah,  Sing.  Salihy,  Arabs,  L  133. 
es-Sawarikeh,  Sing.  Sarlkj,  Ar.  L  186.  iL 
48. 

es-Sa>\deh,  ii.  272. 

es-Seba',  'lion,'  also  'seven,'  L  204.  iL 
199,  200. 

Seba'  Biyar,  '  seven  wells,'  i.  50,  585,  587. 
es-Seba'iyeh,  W.  i.  104,  105,  145. 
Sebbeh,  Masada,  i.  502,  525. 
Sebustieh,  Gr.  ^efidarT],  Sehaste,  Samaria, 

ii.  303,  311. 
SefiTiirieh,  Gr.  2fv<pa)pls,  Sepphori*,  iL  337, 

344. 

es-Seheb,  '  open  desert,'  L  86. 
Seif  ed-Din,  pr.  n.  ii.  79,  237. 
es-Seih,  i.  81,  82. 

Seili  en-Nusb,  '  flowing  of  N.'  L  77. 

Sell  Abu  Zeid,  '  torrent  of  A.  Z.'  W.  L  42. 

Seilun,  Heb.  Shiloh,  Joseph.  ii\<i,  %i\ovv, 

ii.  267-271. 
Sekakch,  ii.  267. 
es-Scliim,  'peace,'  i.  437,  439. 
Sehva,  quail,  ii.  200. 
Selwad,  ii.  265. 

Selwan,  Heb.  Siloah,  Gr.  Siloam, 

i.  232,  333,  342. 
Semak,  W.  ii.  386. 
Semaldi,  iL  387. 


ARABIC  NAMES  AND  WORDS. 


589 


es-Semeklyeh,  Arabs,  ii.  402,  408. 
Semermer,  locust-bird,  ii.  340,  379. 
Semmaneh,  a  bird,  i,  62. 
Semr,  a  tree,  i  505. 

es-Semu'a,  Heb.  Eshtemoa,  L  211,  494.  ii. 
204. 

Semunieh,  Gr.  ii/jiayids,  Simonioi,  iL  344. 

Semu'y,  iL  432,  n. 

Senik,  ii.  476. 

Serab,  '  mirage,'  i.  42. 

es-Seram,  L  191,  192. 

Serbal,  '  cloak  ? '  M.  i.  70,  77,  86,  111,  117, 

118,  590. 
es-Seru,  '  cypress,'  M.  i.  95. 
Seval,  '  acacia,'  i.  68,  75,  82,  149. 
Sha'fat,  L  579.  u.  261. 
esh-ShAfi'y,  pr.  n.  iL  42. 
esh-Sha'feh,  'summit,'  M.  L  174. 
esh-Shaghur,  ii.  371. 
esh-Shahibiyeh,  F.  iL  193. 
Shahrur,  W.  ii.  490. 
esh-Sha'ib,  L  182,  537,  651,  569. 
esh-Shajerah,  ii.  356. 
Sha'lek,  ii.  308. 

esh-Sham,  Syria,  usual  name  for  JDamas- 

cut,  ii.  498.    See  Dimeshk. 
esh-Shawaghiriveh,  Ar.  i.  42. 
Shedid,  i.  140.  "iL  156. 
Shehab,  iL  506. 

esh-Shehabeh,  esh-Shebabtyeh,  L  179.  iL 
193.    See  also  esh-Shahibiyeh. 

esh-Sheikh,  '  the  aged,  elder,'  W.  i.  85,  89, 
96,  121,  146. 

Sheikh  el-Beled,  '  Sheikh  of  the  village,'  L 
447. 

SheUal,  W.  L  72. 

esh-Sheriiat,  i.  469. 

Sherafeh,  M.  L  158. 

esh-Sherah,  '  tract,  region,'  iL  155. 

esh-Sherarat,  Ar.  iL  204. 

esh-Sheri'ah,  ■  watering-place,'  W.  L  203. 
ii.  44,  48.    The  Jordan,  L  537. 

esh-Sherif,  '  the  noble,'  L  244. 

esh-Sherm,  L  105,  110. 

esh-Shi'ah,  'Shiites,'iL  448,  511,  512. 

Shih,  artemisia  Jndaica,  i.  84. 

esh-Shivukh,  Plur.  of  Sheikh,  i.  486,  488. 

esh-Sh6bek,  ii.  123,  154,  164,  168. 

Shnbeikeh,  '  net,'  i.  71. 

Shubra,  i.  18. 

Shn'eib,  Jethro,  L  89,  95. 

Shukk  Musa,  '  rent  of  Moses,'  i.  109. 

Shukaf,  i.  527. 

esh-Shukeirah,  L  148,  149. 

esh-Shukif,  castle,  ii.  450,  453. 

esh-Shnnnar,  '  partridge,'  F.  L  109. 

esh-Shnreif,  dim.  'eminence,'  L  601. 

esh-.^hurkiyeh,  fern.  '  the  eastern,'  L  37,  52. 

esh-Shurky,  masc.  '  the  eastern,'  Anti-Le- 
banon, ii.  437. 

esh-Shurm,  see  Sherm. 

esh-Shatein,  W.  L  200. 

Shutta,  Heb.  Btth-Shittah ?  ii  35^ 
Vol.  II.— 50 


Shuweifat,  ii.  490. 

esh-Shuweikeh,  dim.  of  Shankeh,  Heb. 

Soc(A,  I.  494,  495.— iL  16,  21. 
esh-Shuweir,  ii.  505. 
es-Sidr,  lote-tree,  i.  437. — i.  505. 
es-Sifia,  '  the  lower,'  ii  14. 
es-SLk,  ii  126,  130. 
es-Sikakin,  'knives,'  ii.  153. 
Sileh,  ii  312.— ii.  319,  323. 
Silet  ed-Dahr,  '  S.  of  the  sumnait,'  iL  312. 
Silleh,  plant,  L  84. 
Simsim,  '  sesame,'  iL  29,  35,  45,  46. 
Sindian,  '  ilex.'  Li  72,  81. 
Sinjil,  iL  266.' 
Sirhan,  W.  ii.  204 
Sirin,  ii.  356. 
Siris,  iL  314. 

Sitty  Meryam,  '  my  Lady  Mary,'  i.  262. 
Soba,  Heb.  Zuph,  Zophim  ?  iL  6-10. 
Solaf,  i.  87. 

Solam,  Heb.  Shunem,  Gr.  Souya/x,  SoifX^/K, 

Lat  Sidenu,  ii.  324,  325. 
Soleif,  i  86. 

es-Subat,  '  the  tribes,'  gate,  i.  263. 

es-Subeibeh,  iL  437. 

Sudeid,  iL  102. 

Sudeir,  dim.  of  Sudr,  i.  527. 

Sudr,  '  breast,'  W.  L  63. 

Sudud,  Heb.  Zedad-,  iL  507,  n. 

es-Sufa,  W.  ii  412. 

es-SMah,  Heb.  Zephath,  ii.  178,  181. 

es-Sufey,  dim.  of  es-Sufah,  ii.  178,  181. 

Siiffa,  ii  250. 

es-Sufra,  '  the  yellow,'  i  500. 
es-Sufsafeh,  'willow,'  i  104,  106,  107. 
es-Snhao,  "W.  i  80. 

Suk  et-Tnjjar,  '  mart  of  the  merchants,'  il 
'  369. 

el-Sukeirat,  Sing.  Sukeiry,  Ar.  i.  186. 
es-Sukhrah,  '  the  rock,'  i.  244,  300. 
es-Sukkariyeh,  '  the  sugary,'  ii  49. 
es-Suleim,  i  437. 

Suleiman,  '  Solomon,'  W.  ii.  249,  252,  253, 
256. 

es-Suleisil,  dim.  '  chain,'  iL  115. 
es-Sulit,  Arabs,  iL  99. 
Sulsul  Zeit,  L  95. 
es-Sultan,  i.  554. 

es-Sumghy,  '  the  gmnmy,'  L  152-154. 

Summeil,  ii.  33,  513. 

Sumr  et-Tinia,  i.  101. 

es-Sumrah,  ii  387,  n. 

es-Siimt,  for  es-.Sunt,  which  see,  ii  5,  15, 

20,  21,  226.' 
e.^Sunam,  ii.  412. 
Sunasin,  ii.  6,  14. 
$undela,  ii  319. 
Sunir,  Heb.  Senir,  u.  440. 
Siinnin,  ii  437,  492. 

Sunt,  also  Sunt,  Forsk.  Sunt,  acacia  vera, 

u.  21.' 
es-Suny,  i.  203,  204. 
§ur,  Heb.  Tyre,  ii  459-471. 


590 


FIRST  INDEX. 


Cf-Shr,  W.  ii.  221. 

Sur  Bahil,  i.  480. 

Surabit  el-Khadim,  i.  73,  77-79. 

Surafend,  Heb.  Zarephath,  Gr.  I.i.pcirra, 

Sarepta,  ii  474,  475. 
Surafend,  Gr.  Sapupaia,  Sariphcea?  ii. 

242. 

Sur'ah,  Heb.  nsiS ,  Zorah,  il  14,  16,  31, 
224. 

es-Surar,  ii.  5,  15,  224,  226,  227. 
es-Surey,  dim.  '  cypress,'  i.  95. 
Surra,  ii.  303. 

Surtabeh,  i.  536,  558,  569.  ii.  280. 
Susieh,  L  494.  ii.  205. 
Sutuh  Beida,  '  white  terraces,'  ii.  139. 
Sutiih  Harun,  'Aaron's  terrace,'  ii.  127, 
139. 

es-Suweikeh,  dim.  'market,'  M.  i.  179. — 

i.  675. 
es-Suweimeh,  i.  569. 
es-Suweinit,  i.  441. 
es-Suweiriyeli,  rel.  adj.  fem.  i.  146. 
Suweis,  Suez,  i.  46. 
SuwTik,  i.  77,  80. 


Ta'amirah,  Sing.  Ta'mary,  Arabs,  L  467, 
482-485 ;  Wady,  i.  470,  474,  528. 

Ta'annuk,  Heb.  Taanach,  ii.  316,  318. 

Taba',  i.  160,  161. 

et-Tabighah.  ii  405,  406. 

et-Tahta,  '  the  lower.' 

et-Taiyib,  '  the  good,'  ii.  101. 

et-Taiyibeh,  fem.  '  the  good,'  Wady,  i.  71. 
Vill.  \.  444-447,  550.— ii.  70,  71,  72. 

Tannur,  Heb.  "lUn,  'oven,  furnace,'  ii. 
406. 

"Tarabulns,  Tripolis,  ii.  503. 

Taset  .Sudr,  '  cup  of  Sudr,'  K  i.  62,  63. 

Tauran,  i.  150. 

et-Tawal,  '  the  long,'  i.  603. 

et-tawaneh,  i.  498.  ii.  104. 

Tawarah,  Sing.  Tiiry,  '  Arabs  of  Tiir  '  or 

Sinai,  i.  133,' 135,  137. 
Tawurif  el-Belad,  '  curtains  of  a  tent,'  i. 

176. 

Tawarik,  i.  48,  62,  585. 
'rebbiii,  i  50. 
Tebuk,  ii  522. 

TefFiih,  Heb.  Tappuah,  ii.  71. 

et-Teim,  ii.  437,  438. 

Teitebeh,  ii.  445,  n. 

et-Tekiyeh,  hospit.  i.  385.  ii.  3. 

Teku  a,  Heb.  Tckoa,  i.  486,  487. 

et-Tell,  'hill,'  Bethsaida,  Julias,  ii.  410, 

412,  413. 
Tell  'Arid,  Heb.  Arad,  ii  101,  201. 
Tell  'Asur,  Heb.  Hazor?  i.  448.  ii.  264. 
Tell  el-Ful,  see  Tuleil  el-Ful. 
Tell  Hattin,  see  Kurun  Ilattin. 
TeU  I.iuni,  u.  406,  408.  ' 


Tell  el-Kuseifeh,  ii.  200. 
TeU  es-Safieh,  '  the  clear,'  Blanchegarde, 
ii.  29-32. 

Tell  et-Tnrmus,  'hill  of  lupines,'  ii.  30. 

Tell  et-Tawaneh,  ii.  104 ;  comp.  i.  498. 

Tell  el-Yehud,  'hill  of  the  Jews,'  j.  25. 

Temsah,  '  crocodile,'  i  50. 

Terabe'h,  'Ain,  i.  528,  529. 

Terabin,  Sing.  Terbany,  Arabs,  i.  63,  68, 

137,  156,  186. 
Terkumieh,  Gr.  TptKu^ids,  Tricomias,  iL 

54,  220. 
Tershihah,  ii.  450. 
Tevahah,  see  Tiyahah. 
ThVil,  W.  i.  70. 
eth-Thelj,  '  snow,'  ii.  440. 
Themail,  'water-pits,'  i  203.  ii.  197,  199. 
Themail  Um  es-Sa'ideh,  i.  601. 
eth-Themed,  i  176,  198,  602.— ii.  226. 
Themileh,  'water-pits,'  i.  181. 
Tibneh,  Heb.  Timnah,  Timnath,  ii.  16,  17, 

225. 

Tibnin.  castle,  ii.  450-453. 

et-Tih,  'wandering,'  M.  i  68,  75,  111,  150, 

151,  157,  158,  180,  198.    Desert,  i. 

177,  178,  186.    Wady,  i.  585. 
et-Tin,  '  fig  tree,'  ii.  403. 
Tinia,  M.  i.  95,  105,  111. 
et-Tiriin,  i  105,  110. 
et-Tireh,  ii.  450. 

Tiyahah,  Sing.  Tihv,  rel.  adj.  from  et-Tih, 
Arabs,  i.  137,  186.  ii.  99,  156. 

Tubariyeh,  Gr.  Ti^epias,  Tiberias,  ii.  380. 

Tubas,  Heb.  Th^bez,  ii.  317. 

el-Tubukah,  Gr.  Tiya&a?  ii  47,  517. 

et-Tiifileh,  Heb.  Tophcl,  ii.  156, 167, 187. 

et-tuheishimeh,  i.  217,  474. 

et-Tujjar,  '  the  merchants,'  ii.  368,  ^69. 

Tul  Keram,  ii.  308. 

Tiilah,  thorny  tree,  W.  i  95,  111,  113. 

Tuleil  el-Fid',  dirain.  of  Tell  el-Ful,  'hill 
of  beans,'  Giheah  of  Saul,  i.  439,  677- 
579. 

Tulh,  acacia,  i  68,  75,  149. 

Tulluza,  TuUuzah  (z  for  Dha),  Heb.  Hrzah, 

ii.  317. 
Tumilat,  i.  50. 
Tumrah,  ii.  356. 
1  iinnur,  ii.  48. 

Tur,  '  mountain,'  i.  95,  120. — i.  274. — ^iL 

276.— ii  351.— To%vTi,  i  73. 
Tur  Sina,  '  Mount  Sinai,'  i.  95. 
et-Turaibeh,  ii.  196. 
Tur'aii,  ii.  309. 

Tiirf  er-llukn,  '  end  of  the  foundation,'  L 

176,  179,  180. 
Tiirfa,  tamarisk,  i.  68,  115,  149. 
Turnius  'Aya,  ii.  266,  268. 
Tury,  see  Tawarah. 

Tuwcileb,  dim.  'a  seeker,'  i.  116,  146, 149, 
210. 

et-Tuweimeh,  ii.  14, 


ARABIC  NAMES  AST)  "WOBDS. 


591 


u 

TTkhneifis,  see  KhaneLfis,  ii.  323. 
Vm  'Alawy,  i.  104,  111,  U7. 
Um  el-'Amad,  '  mother  of  columns,'  L  ^93. 
— ii.  206. 

Um  ed-Deraj,  'mother  of  stepe,'  F.  L 
337. 

Um  Eshteiveh,  iL  16. 

Um  el-Fahm.  ii.  319,  325,  340. 

Um  Hash,  L  156. 

Um  el-Hammam,  i.  528. 

Um  Jina,  iL  224. 

Um  Jndei'a,  iL  52,  65. 

Um  Kiirif,  W.  L  111. 

Um  Lakifi,  '  mother  of  a  reproacher,'  not 
Heb.  LaehM,  iL  46,  47. 

Um  Lanz,  '  almond,'  L  104,  147. 

Um  er-Rumamln,  '  mother  of  pomegra- 
nates,' ii.  218. 

Um  er-Rus,  iL  16. 

Um  RiUh,  iL  249. 

Um  Shanmer.  L  110.  200. 

Um  esh-Shr.kaf;  iL  219. 

Um  Suwellih,  dim.  '  good,'  L  70. 

Um  ZtighaL  iL  107. 

Um  ez-Znweibin,  L  74. 

eUUrdan,  Heb.  Jordan,  L  537.  iL  414,  n. 

Crtas,  L  474,  477. 

el-f'4.4ny,  Ar.  i.  181. 

el-t%b:.t" '  the  tribes,'  L  322. 

t'sdakah.  Zodocatha,  iL  168,  172. 

Usdmn,  Heb.  Sodrym,  L  502.  iL  107-110. 

Useit,  see  Wnjeit,  L  70. 

Ustak,  iL  30. 

W 

TTadr. 

Wadv  Musa,  iL  127  sq. 
el-Wahadineh,  L  569. 
el-Wahiideh,  Arabs,  iL  44,  48. 
el-Wa  rah,  'rocty  place,'  W.  L  104. 
W'aran,  lacerta  Xilotica,  L  534. 
Warden,  L  6-5. 

el-W^t,  '  middle  division,'  L  156. 
el-Wastlyeh,  iL  438. 

el-Weibeh,  'hole  with  water,*  iL  173-176. 
194. 

Wekaleh,  iL  479. 
el-Welejeh,  iL  5. 

Wely,  '  one  beloved  of  God ; '  also  a  saiaf  s 
tomb. 

el-Werd,  'roses,'  L  219,  469.  iL  4. 

Wetir,  L  1.53,  155. 

"Wezar,  u.  316,  319,  323. 

■VN'ndey,  dim.  of  Wady,  iL  178. 

el-Wnr^ah,  L  76. 

Wnscit,  dim  '  middle,'  i.  70. 

Wutah^  '  treading,'  L  69,  76. 

Y 

Yafa,  Heb.  Japho,  Gr,  'l6mi,  Joppa,  L 

249.  iL233. 
Yafa,  Heb.  Japhia,  iL  332.  343. 


Ya'kob,  Jacob,  iL  405. 

Yalo,  F.  L  326,  469. 

Yalo,  Heb.  Aijalon,  iL  232,  253. 

el-Yamon.  iL  319,  323. 

Yarmnk.  Heb.  Jamvjih^  Eu?eb.  'Upuux^t 

Jerome  Jarmucha,  iL  16,  17,  21. 
Yaron,  ii.  447,  449. 
Yasur,  Heb.  Hazor  /  iL  34 
Yebm,  Heb.  Jahnek,  iL  227. 
Yebriid.  ii.  264. 

YehoshafT.t,  Heb.  Jehothaphat,  L  269. 
el-Yehodiveh,  'Jewish,'  Heb.  JekuJ?  iL 
242.' 

Yelek,  '  white,'  i.  185,  188. 

Yemameh,  iL  522. 

Yemen,  Yemeniyeh,  iL  17. 

el- Yemen,  Pass,"LL  178,  179,  182,  196. 

Yermnk,  see  Yarmiik. 

Yetma.  iL  272. 

Ydhanna,  Johannes. 

Yukin,  'certaintT,'  L  491.  iL  85. 

Yntta,  JuttfiA,  L  491,  494,  495.  iL  206. 


Z 

ez-Za'feraneh,  'safiroti,'  L  488. 

ez-Zahary,  'the  floweiy,'  L  262. 

ez-Zaherany,  iL  476. 

Zahleh,  iL  494,  n. 

Za'k,  iL  218. 

Zakariya,  iL  16,  17,  21, 

Zaknan,  plant,  ii.  126. 

Zanu'a,  Heb.  Zaruxih,  iL  16,  17,  224. 

Za'notah,  iL  204. 

Za'rur,  '  hawthorn '  L  109. 

Za'ter.  ocvmtmi  zatarhendi,  L  110,  213, 

444.' 
Zawata,  ii.  303. 
ez-Zebir.  L  84,  88,  IIL 
ez-Zeit,  LIU. 
Zeita,  iL  .302. 

Zeitun,  mount  of  Olives,  L  274. 

Zerln,  Heb.  Jezreel,  Gr.  'ZtrtpcefiXa,  Etdrae- 

Stradda,  iL  319-323. 
ez-Zerka,  see  ez-Zurka. 
I  ez-Zevadat,  Arabs,  iL  48. 
Zi£,  Heb.  Ziph,  L  492,  495,  498. 
Zo'ara.  see  Zu'ara. 

i  Zoghar,  Heb.  Zoar,  iL  106,  517,  518. 
Zn'ara.  Edria  for  Zoar,  iL  517. 
Znb  el-Bahry,  L  83. 
ez-Zngherah,  W.  L  147. 
ez-Zuk,  iL  436. 
Znkkam,  tree,  i.  559,  560. 
ez-Znlakah,  '  the  slipping,'  L  148,  153. 
ez-Zurinik,  L  148. 
ez-Znrka,  '  the  bine,'  L  444.  iL  441. 
ez-Zurka  Ma'in,  i.  502,  529,  532. 
Ziiitut,  i.  499. 

ez-Zaweirah,  not  Zoar,  iL  103,  104,  106. 
ez-Znweirah  el-Foka,  '  Upper  Z.'  u.  103. 
ez-Zuweitin,  dim.  '  olive,'  W.  L  1 1 1. 


» 


OBEX  11. 


AXCIEXT  GEOGEAPHT,  AXTIQUiriES,  ETC. 


Modem  Arabic  Names  will  be  found  in  the  preceding  Index.  For  more  general 
matters,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  very  foil  Table  of  Contents  prefixed  to  each 
Tolmne. 

Ancient  Names  d  Places,  and  llie  like,  &re  here  printed  in  Italic. 

Ancient  places  now  first  visited  or  identified,  are  miu-ked  by  an  asterisk  (•). 


Acco,  Ptolemais,  iL  336,  366. 
Acddama,  i.  35-t. 
Acrabi*  Acrabatene,  iL  280. 
Adoraitn,"  Adora,  ii.  214,  215. 
Adrian  rebuilds  Jerusalem,  L  367-371. 
Adullam,  i.  481,  482. 
^ta,  i.  e.  Jerusalem,  i.  370. 
Ai*  i.  443,  574. 
Aijalon,'  ii.  253,  254. 
AUcA,  i.  163,  170.    Diploma  Secnritatis, 
ii.  162. 

'Ain,  a  Heb.  letter,  rarelv  dropped,  L  255, 

456.  ii.  316,  344,  361. 
Ah-a,  i.  265,  605. 
Alrabbim,  ascent  of,  iL  120. 
Albus  Poffus,  iL  160. 
Alexandria,  L  13-17.  ii.  498. 
Amathxis,  L  569. 
Amrmus,  Hanunath,  iL  385. 
Anah*  i.  494,  495. 
AnaOwth,*  L  438. 
Amm  of  Judah,  ii.  204. 
Anne,  see  St.  Anne. 
Anti-Lebanon,  ii.  437,  438. 
Antipatris,*  ii.  242. 

Anloma,  fortress,  L  292-295.    Its  trench 

now  called  Bethesda,  L  293. 
Apollonia,  now  Arsuf,  ii.  242. 
Apples  of  Sodom,  see  Sodom. 
Aqueduct  from  Solomon's  pools,  i.  347, 

470,  473,  476.    Aqueduct  near  Tyre, 

ii.  457,  458,  460,  472. 
of  .Moab,  ii.  166. 
'Arahah,  Heb.  'plain,'  L  169.  li.  186,  187. 

Vou  II.— SC* 


Arabia  Petraa,  iL  159-166. 

Arabia  Prima,  Secunda,  Tertia,  iL  163, 

Arad,*  ii.  101,  194,  201. 

Arbela*  of  Galilee,  iL  379,  398,  399.  Its 

fortified  caverns,  iL  398,  399. 
Arhela  beyond  Jordan,  iL  399. 
Arch  of  ancient  Bridge  from  tempk^  L  287, 

606. 
Aiy:helais,  L  569. 
Areopagus,  i.  7. 
Areopolii,  iL  166. 

Arimaihea,  not  at  Piamleh,  ii.  239-241. 
Arindda,  iL  117. 

Arrwn,  now  el-Mojib,  i.  502,  607.  ii.  166, 
440. 

Aroer*  of  Judah,  iL  199. 
Arsinoe,  i.  48,  588. 
Ashdod,  ii.  33. 
Athelm,  iL  33. 
Asphaltum,  see  Dfod  Sea. 
Atabi/rion,  L  q.  Tabor,  ii.  357. 
Ataroth*  in  Benjamin,  L  575. 
Ataroth'  of  Ephraim,  ii.  265. 
Athens,  i.  6-11. 
Aulon,  i.  508,  537,  569. 
Azotus,  see  Ashdod. 


B 

Baal-Zephon,  i.  56. 
Babylon  in  Egypt,  i.  24. 
BaJiurim,  L  433. 

Baking  bread,  i.  485.  ii,  117,  262. 
Bnrucha,*  see  Caphwr  Barueha. 
Basilica,  see  Holy  Sepulchre. 


ANCIENT  aEOGRAPHT,  ANTIQUITIES,  ETC. 


593 


Beer.  i.  452. 

Beeroth,  i.  452.  , 

Beersheba*  i.  204. 

Belvoir,  castle,  ii.  328. 

Bemchah,*  valley,  i.  491. 

Berothal,  not  Beij-tiis,  ii.  494. 

Berytus.  ii.  491^97. 

Betagab(corum  rims,*  ii.  516. 

Beth  reappears  in  Arabic  as  BeU,  i.  464. 

Bethany,  i.  431. 

Beih-Arbel*  ii.  399. 

Beth-Dagon,  ii.  232.— iL  280. 

Bethel,  i.  448-450,  575. 

Bethesda,  not  the  deep  pool  N.  of  the  tem- 
ple, i.  293,  330.  Perhaps  the  F.  of 
the  Virgin,  i.  342  sq. 

Beth-Hoglak,"  i.  544. 

Beih-horon,  Upper  and  Nether,  ii.  250-253. 
Ascent  and  descent  of  Beth-horon,  ii. 
251. 

Bethlehem,  i.  470-473. 
Be/h-Meron,*  Tahn.  iL  43L 
Beth  Niinrah,  i.  551. 
Bethphage,  i.  433. 

Bethsaida  of  Galilee,  ii.  405,  406.    Not  at 

Irbid,  ii.  378,  379. 
Bethsaida  of  Gaulonitis,  ii  413. 
Beih-shean,  Scythopolis,  iL  174,  175. 
Beth-shemesh,*  ii.  14,  16.  223-225. 
Bethshemesh  in  Egypt,  L  25. 
Beth-Shittah  ?  *  ii.  356. 
Beth-TiippuaA  *  ii.  71. 
Bcthulia,  not  at  the  Frank  moantain,  i.  479. 

Not  at  Safed,  ii.  425. 
Beth-Zur,  i.  217.  u.  222. 
Betogahra*  ii.  27,  60. 
Bevelled  stones,  i.  286. 
Bezetha,  L  234,  266. 
Bitumen,  see  Dead  Sea. 
Blanche-garde,*  ii.  31,  32. 
Books  on  Palestine,  i.  32.  iL  633  sq.  On 

Egvpt,  i.  583. 
Bostra,  ii.  167. 

Bostrems,*  river  el-Auwaly,  iL  485,  486. 

Bozrah*  of  Edom,  ii.  167. 

Basrah  in  Hauran,  ii.  167. 

Bread.  iL  82,  210.    Unleavened,  L  223, 

491.    Ordinary,  iL  117,  118,  262. 
Bridge  from  the  temple,  L  287-289,  606. 
Butter,  L  449.    See  Churning. 


C 

Ccsarea,  ii.  241.  , 
Cairo,  i.  17,  23  sq.  583. 
Calcalia?  ii.  253,  n. 
Calvary,  i.  376.    See  Holy  Sepulchre. 
Camel,  its  habits  and  character,  iL  208- 
210. 

Cana  of  Galilee,  ii.  346-349. 
Cona*  in  Asher,  see  Kanah. 


Canal,  ancient,  from  the  Nile  to  the  Red 

Sea,  i.  586.    Mounds  of,  i.  60. 
Can^a  in  Crete,  i.  10. 
Caparcotia,  ii.  317. 

Capernaum,  ii.  401,  403-405.    Not  at  Tell 

Hiim,  ii.  408. 
Cnphar  Barvcha.*  i.  490. 
Caphorcotia,  see  Caparcotia. 
Caphamaiim,  fountain,  ii.  401. 
CajAar  Saba.*  iL  42. 

Carmel,  of  Judah,  i.  493,  495-498.  iL  97. 

Carmel,  Mount,  ii.  319,  336. 

Cedars  of  Lebanon,  iL  493. 

Cedron,  see  Kidron. 

Charac  Moab,  ii.  166. 

Cherith,*  brook,  i.  558. 

Chesalon,*  ii.  30. 

Chesulloth,  see  Chisloth. 

Chishth-Tabor,  ii.  332. 

Chorazin,  Kerazeh  ?  iL  405. 

Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  see  Holy 

Sepulchre. 
Churning,  Arab  mode  of,  i.  485.  iL  418. 
Cisterns,  ancient,  i.  324,  573. 
Cleopairis,  48. 

Climate  of  Jerusalem,  L  428. 
Code-Syria,  iL  437. 
Coenaculum  on  Zion,  i.  241  sq. 
Constantine  builds  churches,  L  373,  376. 
Constantinople,  ii.  499. 
Corece,*  ii.  267. 

Crater,  near  Safed,  ii.  444,  445. 
Crete,  i.  12. 
Crypts,  see  Vaults. 


Daberath,  Dabira,  Dabaritta,  ii.  351. 
Damascus,  ii.  498. 
Damouras,  see  Tamyras. 
Dan,*  iL  439. 
Daroma,  iL  38. 

Dead  Sea,  first  view  of,  i.  501-504.  Bathe 
in  it,  i.  506.  ii.  110.  Length  and 
breadth,  i.  509.  Its  environs,  etc.  L 
510.  Analyses  of  its  waters,  L  513— 
615.  Contains  no  animal  nor  vege- 
table life,  i.  516,  517.  Asphaltum,  L 
617.  Peninsula,  L  518.  Ford,  L 
621.  Apples  of  Sodom,  L  522.  Birds, 
i.  524.  Scenery,  i.  525.  Was  origi- 
nally smaller,  ii.  188.  Causes  of  the 
catastrophe  of  the  plain,  pits  of  bitu- 
men, volcanic  action,  etc.  ii.  187-192. 
Letter  of  L.  von  Buch,  iL  524,  525. 

Desert  near  Gaza,  iL  41,  514. 

DioccEsarea,  see  Sepphoris. 

Dio!poli.'<,  i.  q.  Lydda,  which  see. 

Doch,*  L  572. 

Dora,*  ii.  215.    See  Adoraim. 
Dothaim,  not  at  Jubb  Yusuf,  ii.  419. 
Dragon  fountain,  i.  347. 


594  SECOND 
E 

Earthquake  at  Safed,  etc.  ii.  422,  423,  529- 
531. 

Ebcd,  Mount,  ii.  275,  276,  279. 

Eboda*  i.  194,  600. 

Edam,  its  mountains,  etc.  ii.  154. 

Edomites,  in  Palestine,  ii.  68,  158.  His- 
torical notices,  ii.  157-159. 

Edumia,'*  ii.  280. 

Eglon*  ii.  49. 

Ehron*  ii.  227-229. 

Elak*  valley,  ii  21. 

Ekaleh,  i.  561. 

Elaih,  i.  163,  169-171. 

Meutheropolis,'*  ii.  19,  27,  53,  57-66. 

Eleuthenis,  river,  not  the  Kasimiyeh,  ii.  473. 

Elim,  i.  69,  72. 

Ebtsa*  i.  201  sq. 

Emesa,  I  190,  ii.  503. 

Emmam,  Nicqpdis,  city,  ii.  30,  225,  232, 
255. 

Emmaus,  village,  not  at  Kubeibeh,  ii.  255. 
Endor,  ii.  356,  360. 
Eni-Gwnmm,  i.  q.  Giruea,  Jenin,  ii.  315. 
En-gedi,*  wilderness,  L  500.    Fountain,  i. 

504.    Site,  i.  506,  508. 
En^Rogd,*  i.  240,  331-333. 
Ephraim,*  i.  447. 
Ephron*  i.  447. 

Esdraelon,  Plain  of,  ii.  318,  320,  330,  352, 
353.  Water-shed,  ii.  320,  356.  Scene 
of  battles,  ii.  366. 

Esheol,  i.  214. 

EsMemm,  *  i.  494.  ii.  205. 

Etam,  i.  348,  477. 

Etliam,  i.  55. 

Exodus  of  the  Israelites,  i.  51-59.  Ronte,  i. 

55.  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  i.  56  sq. 
EzUm-geber,  i.  169,  170. 


F 

Flocks,  usually  of  both  sheep  and  goats,  i. 
477.  Waiting  at  wells,  ii.  26,  35, 
226,  378. 

Fountains  at  Jerusalem  ;  see  Siloam,  Vir- 
gin's Fountain,  Well  of  Nehemiah  or 
Job,  Gihon,  Dragon,  Samson,  and  the 
next  article. 

Fountain  near  the  Haram,  i.  343  sq. 

Fountains  near  Tyre,  Ras  el-'Ain,  iL  457- 
459. 


G 

Gabata,*  ii.  344. 
Gabe,*  Gibeah,  ii.  312. 
Galgula, '  ii.  243. 

Gateway,  subterranean,  under  el-Aksa,  i. 
304. 


INDEX. 

Gath,  ii.  66. 

Gath-Hephir?,u.  ZoO. 

Gaih-Rimnum,*  ii.  67. 

Gaidmitis,  Golan,  now  Jaulan,  ii.  432, 

Gaza,  ii.  36  sq. 

Geba*  of  Benjamin,  i.  440. 

Geba*  of  Euseb.  ii.  265. 

Gedor,*  ii.  13. 

Gennesareth,  tract,  ii.  400,  402,  404. 
Gennesartth,  Lake  of,  see  Tiberias, 
George,  see  St.  George. 
Gerar,  i.  189.  ii.  43,  44. 
Gerasa,  see  Rasa,  i.  187. 
Gerizim,  Mount,  ii.  275-280. 
Gelh  of  Jerome,  ii.  350. 
Geihsemane,  i.  234,  270. 
Gibeah*  of  Saul,  i.  577-579. 
Gibeak*  of  Judah,  iL  6,  16. 
Gibeah*  of  Phinehas,  iL  265. 
Gibeon,  i.  455,  456.    Pool,  i.  456. 
Gi/im,  fountain,  i  239,  345. 
Girmo,*  ii.  249. 

Gilboa,*  mountains,  ii.  316,  317,  325. 

Gilead,  mount,  i.  236.  iL  354. 

Gilgal,  i  557.    Near  the  coast,  ii.  243. 

Ginwa,  ii.  315. 

Giscala,*  iL  446. 

Gitta,*  ii.  308. 

Golan,  see  Gaulonitis, 

Golden  Gate,  i.  233,  263,  296,  322. 

Golgotha,  i.  376.    See  Holy  Septdchre. 

Gomorrah,  see  Sodom. 

Gophna,*  ii.  263,  264. 

Goshen,  Land  of,  i.  52. 

Grinding,  see  Hand-miU. 

Giish  Halab,  see  Giscala. 

Gypsaria,  i.  187. 


H 

ffalhul,*  i.  216.  iL  489. 
Hammalh,  385. 

Hand-mills  described,  i.  485.    Grinding,  i. 

485.  ii.  45,  100. 
el-Haram,  the  Grand  Mosk,  i.  244,  298, 

300,  301. 
Harvest,  various  times,  i.  431. 
Hauran,  ii.  432. 
Hazeruth,  i.  151. 
Uazor*  of  Judah,  ii.  34. 
Hebron,  i.  213.  ii.  73-94. 
Heldua,  ii.  489. 

Helena,  her  visit  to  Palestine,  i.  372.  Finds 
the.  Holy  Sepulchre,  the  true  cross, 
etc  i.  372-375.  Erects  only  three 
cluirches  in  Palestine,  i.  376. 

Helupolii,  i.  24,  25. 

Ilermon,  Mount,  ii.  266,  337,  354,  437,  440. 

Little  Hermon,  ii.  326,  327. 
IJerodium,  at  Frank  motmtain,  i.  480. 
Ileroopolis,  i.  54,  588. 
Heshbon,  i.  551. 


ANCIENT  GEOGRAPHY,  ANTIQUITIES,  ETC. 


595 


Ilieromax,  river,  i.  537. 

Binnom,  Valley  of,  i.  239,  273. 

JTijypicus,  tower,  i.  306-309. 

Hiram's  Tomb,  ii.  456. 

Holy  Sepulchre  fixed,  i.  372-375.  Church 
erected,  i.  376.  Destroyed  by  the 
Persians,  i.  387.  By  the  Khalif  Ha- 
kim, i.  395.  Built  anew  by  the  cru- 
saders, i.  405.  Burned,  i.  406.  Gen- 
eral question  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
spot,  i.  407-418. 

Honev,  perhaps  Dibs,  symp  of  grapes,  ii. 
81. 

Hot,  mount,  ii.  104,  119,  125,  144,  152, 

519  sq. 
Horeh,  see  Sinai. 
Hormahf*  u.  198 

Hospitality,  Arab,  i.  81,  445,  571.    ii.  18, 

19,  70,  268. 
Husks  of  Scripture,  iL  250. 


I 

Idunuta,  see  Edomiles.    Later  Idumsea,  ii. 

68,  158. 
Ijon*  ii.  438,  n. 

Inscriptions  at  Sinai,  i.  74,  81,  82,  84,  88, 
109,  J 13.  Their  character,  contents, 
etc.  i.  127,  128.  Deciphered  by  Pro- 
fessor Beer,  i.  593-595.  Later  inves- 
tigations, results,  595,  596.  Inscrip- 
tions at  Beit  Jibrin,  ii.  52,  515,  516. 

Irrigation  in  Egypt,  i.  581. 

Ir-shemeshy*  L  q  Bethshemesh,  ii.  225. 

Israelites,  their  exodus,  etc.  i.  51-59.  Their 
route  along  the  Dead  Sea  and  to  Si- 
nai, L  61,  67,  69,  70,  72,  73,  119,  120. 
From  Sinai,  L  151,  187.  Through 
the  'Arabah  to  Kadesh,  ii  192-195. 
Stations,  ii.  526-528. 

Itabyrion,  i.  q.  Tabor,  ii.  357, 

Ithaai,  Theaki,  i.  4,  6. 


J 

Jahbok,  now  Zerka,  i.  444.  ii.  441,  n. 

Jabneh,  now  Yebna,  iL  227. 

Jacob's  WeU,  ii.  285,  286. 

Jamnia,  Jabneh,  now  Yebna,  ii.  66,  227. 

Japhia,  ii.  343. 

Japho,  Joppa,  now  Yafa,  ii.  233 

Jarmuih,*  ii.  17. 

Jattir*  i.  494.  iL  204. 

Jedna*  iL  54,  69-71,  219. 

Jehoshaphat,  VaUey  of,  L  231  sq.  239,  268- 

273,  531. 
Jehud,*  iL  242. 

Jericho,  L  547-568 ;  see  Contents  of  Vol. 
I.  Sec.  X. — Fountain  of  Elisha,  i.  554, 
555.    Ancient  site,  L  563-565. 

Jerome  at  Bethlehem,  ii.  378. 


Jerusalem,  el-Kuds,  i.  221  sq.  See  Con- 
tents, Vol.  I.  Sec.  VI,  VII,  VIII.— To- 
pography of  Josephus,  i.  277-281. 
Geogr.  position,  i.  259.  Circumfer- 
ence, L  268,  315.  Destruction  by  Ti- 
tus not  total,  i.  366.  Rebuilt  by 
Adriati,  i.  3G7.  Made  a  Patriarchate, 
i.  380.  Taken  by  the  Persians,  i. 
387 ;  by  the  Muhammedans,  i.  388, 
389  ;  by  the  Crusaders,  i.  405.  Sta- 
tistics, i.  418.  Climate,  i.  428.  Shut 
up  with  the  plague,  ii.  1,  258-260. 
Farewell,  ii.  261.  Descr.  of,  in  12th 
century,  in  old  French,  ii.  556-562. 

Jews'  place  of  wailing,  i  237.  Synagogue, 
i.  243.  Cemetery,  1.  349.  Number 
of  Jews,  i.  421,  422.  War  imder 
Adrian,  i.  367.  Attempt  to  rebuild 
the  temple,  i.  377.  Jews  in  Hebron, 
iL  83.  At  Tiberias,  ii.  381,  391  sq. 
At  Safed,  iL  421,  428  sq. 

Jezreel,  iL  321-323.  Valley  of,  ii.  819, 
320,  '327.    Fountain,  ii.  320,  323. 

Joppa,  now  Yafa,  ii.  233. 

Jordan,  the  lower,  i.  535-544.  Upper  Jor- 
dan, iL  409,  414,  415. 

Josephus,  his  topography  of  Jerusalem,  i. 
277-281.  Descr.  of  the  Temple,  i. 
281-283.  Not  always  trustworthy,  L 
277. 

Julias,  see  Befhsaida  of  Gaulonitis,  ii.  413. 

Juniper,  put  for  the  Retem  or  broom-plant, 
i.  203,  205.  ii.  124. 

Justinian  erects  a  convent  at  Sinai,  i.  124 
sq.  556 ;  and  a  church  at  Jerusalem, 
i.  296  sq.  His  orthodoxy,  i.  382.  A 
builder  of  churches,  i.  384.  Subdnea 
the  Samaritans,  ii.  294  sq. 

Juttah,*  i.  494.  ii.  206. 


E 

Kadesh,''  ii.  175,  194. 
Kanah,*  ii.  456. 
Kedesh  of  Naphtali,  ii.  439. 
Kerioth,*  iL  101. 

Kidron,  Valley  of,  i.  231,  268-273,  641. 
Brook,  i.  232,  273. 

Kir  Moab,  ii.  16G. 

Kirya/h-Jearim,*  ii.  11. 

Kishm,  river,  il.  363-366.  Not  perma- 
nent throughout  the  plain,  ii.  363- 
365.    Permanent  sources,  ii.  365. 

Klysma,  Kolzum,  i.  47. 

Kokum,  i.  47. 


L 

Lachish,  not  at  Um  Lakis,  iL  47. 
Laish,*  see  Dan. 
Laodkea  of  Sjnria,  ii.  503. 


596  SECOND 

Lanrsa  in  Palestine,  i.  378. 

Lebanon,  Mount,  ii.  437,  439,  486,  493. 

Cedars,  ii.  493. 
Leben,  soured  milk,  i.  671,  ii.  70,  2H. 
Lebonah,  ii.  272. 

Legio,  ii.  316,  321  sq.    Probably  ^i^tidb, 

ii.  328-330,  364. 
Lentiles,  i.  167.  ii.  83. 
Leonies,  riv.  ii.  437,  472,  473. 
Leontopolis,  ii.  473,  n. 
LeontopoKs  m  Egypt,  i.  25. 
Lepers,  i.  243.  ii.  287. 
Leuke  Kome,  ii.  160. 

Locusts,  ii.  204,  340.    Bird  which  follows 

them,  ii.  340,  379. 
Lod,  see  Lydda. 
D)dda,  ii.  244-248. 
lysa,*  I  188. 

M 

Mabortha,  former  name  of  Neapolis,  ii.  291. 
Maeharus,  i.  570. 
Magdala,  ii.  397. 
Magoras,  riv.  ii.  492. 
Maina,  i.  5. 
MalcUha,*  ii.  201. 
■  Mamre,  i.  216.    ii.  89. 
Mamortha,  see  Mabortha. 
Manna,  i.  75,  116,  590. 
Moon,*  i.  493-495.    ii.  97. 
Maonit  s,  ii.  168. 
Marah,  bitter  fountain,  i.  67. 
Marsha,*  Maresa,  ii.  67. 
Mars'  Hill,  i.  7,  8. 
Masada,*  i.  525. 
Mearak  ?  ii.  474. 

Meffiddo,*  prob.  Legio,  ii.  329.    Waters  of 

Megiddo,  ii.  330,  364. 
Mehunims,  ii.  168. 
Memphis,  i.  27. 

Merom,  lake,  iL  440  ;  comp.  435,  436. 
Meron,*  see  Beih  Meron. 
Messaloth,"  see  Arbela,  ii.  398. 
Michmash,*  i.  440,  442.    Passage  of  Mich- 
mash,  i.  441. 
Migron,  i.  463. 

Milestones,  Roman,  ii.  161,  476,  488. 
Mill,  see  Hand-milL 
Mizpeh,*  i.  460. 
Modin,  ii.  6,  7. 

Mohaila,  Muweileh,  ii.  160;  161. 
Mdadak,*  ii.  201. 
Monasteries  in  Palestine,  i.  378. 
Moph,  Memphis,  i.  27. 
Moresheth-(ktth,*  ii.  68. 
Moriah,  i.  266  sq. 
Mount  Giiead,  see  Gilead. 
Mount  of  Olives,  see  Olivet, 

N 

Nabathceans,  ii.  158,  169. 


INDEX. 

Nain,  ii.  356,  361. 

Nazareth,  ii.  333-343. 

Neapolis,  Shechem,  ii.  275,  287-302. 

NebaUat,*  ii.  232. 

Nebo,  i.  569,  570. 

Netopha,  not  Beit  Nettif,  ii.  17. 

Nezib,"  ii.  64,  221. 

Nile,  the  river,  i.  16  sq.  18,  19. 

Niccpdis,  ii.  232,  266. 

Nimrah,  i.  551. 

Nob,*,  L  464. 

Nobe,*  now  Beit  Nubah,  ii.  254. 
Nqph,  Memphis,  i.  27. 

O 

Oboda,*  see  Eboda. 

Olives,  Mount  of,  i.  235,  274  sq.  604. 

On,  Heliopolis,  L  25. 

Onomasticon,  L  264. 

Ophel,  i.  231,  267. 

(^hnt,*  ii.  264. 

(^hrah,*  i.  447. 

Omithonpolis  ?  ii.  474. 

OroiUes,  riv.  ii.  507,  n. 

P 

« 

PalcBsftna  Prima,  Secunda,  Tertta,  ii.  161, 
162. 

Pdketi/rus,  ii.  471. 
Paneas,  ii.  439. 
Paran,  see  Pharan. 
Paula  at  Bethlehem,  i.  378. 
Pelusiac  Nile,  i.  52,  687. 
Pentacomia,*  ii.  312. 

Petra,  ii.  168-173,  521-524;  comp.  127- 
145. 

Peutinger  Tables,  ii.  533,  634. 
Pharan,  of  Sinai,  i.  126  sq.  592. 
Pharaoh  buys  the  Egyptians,  i.  29. 
Phasaelis,*  i.  569. 

Pistacia  Terebinthus,  Butm,  ii.  222, 

Plague  in  Jerusalem,  i.  248  sq.  The  city 
shut  up,  ii.  258-260. 

Platanum,*  Pla/ana,  ii.  488. 

Pools ;  Upper,  i.  238,  326.  Lower,  L  327, 
Hezekiah's,  i.  329.  Sheep-pool,  see 
Bethesda.  Pools  of  Hebron,  ii.  74,  76. 

Porphyreon,  ii.  487. 

Psephinos,  tower,  i.  309,  314. 

Ptolemais,  see  Acco. 

Q 

Quails,  not  the  Kiit&,  ii.  200. 

B 

Rdbbath  Amman,  see  Anmon, 


ANCIENT  GEOGRAPHY,  ANTIQUITIES,  ETC. 


597 


liabhath  Moah,  ii.  166. 

Richers  Tomb,  i.  218,  469. 

Rainv  season,  early  and  latter  rains,  L 

429,  430. 
I^nmak"  in  Benjamin,  L  576. 
Ramah  of  Samuel,  not  at  Neby  Samwil,  i. 

458.    Not  at  Ramleh,  ii.  239.  Its 

possible  site,  ii.  8-10. 
Ramnlha,  Rnmathem,  iL  239,  240. 
Rameses,  L  54,  55. 
Risa,  Gerasa,  L  187. 

Reem  (unicorn,)  prob.  the  oriental  buf- 
falo, ii.  412. 

RehobittA,  not  at  Rubaibeh,  i.  197. 

Rcphmm,  plain,  L  219,  469. 

RepMdim,  i.  120,  121. 

Reservoirs,  see  Pools. 

RiMak,  iL  507,  n. 

Rimmon,*  rock,  i.  440,  443. 

Rimmon  of  Zebulun,  iL  340. 

Roads,  Roman,  L  187,  554.  iL  161,  262, 
487. 

Robootk,  L  197,  n. 
Rogel,  see  En-Rogd. 
Roman  Roads,  see  Roads 


S 

Sabas,  see  St  Sabaa. 

Salem,  see  Shalem. 

Salt,  Valler  of,  iL  109.    City  of,  ib. 

Salt,  mountain  of,  L  502.    ii.  107-110. 

Samaria,  see  Sebaste. 

SamarUans,  visit  to,  ii.  276-283.  Hist. 

and  Literature,  iL  288-301. 
Samson's  fountain,  ii.  64. 
Sandals  of  fish-skin,  L  116. 
Saphir,*  ii.  34. 
Sarepta,  see  Zarephath, 
Sariphcea,  ii.  242. 
Scop'is,  L  276.    ii.  261. 
Scythopolis,  see  Beth-shean. 
Sebaste,  Samaria,  ii.  303,  308-311. 
Sepphoris,  Dioccesarea,  ii.  337,  344-346, 
Sepulchres,  see  Tombs.    Holy  Sepulchre, 

see  Holy. 

Serfs  of  the  convent  at  Sinu,  i.  135,  598. 
Shalem,*  ii.  279. 
Sharon,  plain  of^  iL  233 
Shechem,  see  Neapolis. 

Sheep,  all  broad-taUed,  and  usually  min- 
gled with  goats,  L  477,  485. 
Shiloh,"  iL  267,  269-271. 
Shishak  on  Theban  temple,  L  22 
Shittim-vrood,  ii.  20. 
Shunem,  ii.  325. 
Sichem,  see  Xeapolis. 
Sidon,  ii.  477-485. 

SUoam,  i.  231,  333,  338-341.  Irregular 

flow,  i.  341. 
Simonias,*  ii.  344. 
Sin,  desert  of,  i.  73,  120. 


Sinai,  plain,  i.  89,  94-96,  107.  Present 
extent  of  the  name,  L  95.  Place  of 
the  giving  of  the  law,  107,  119. 
Names  Siuai  and  Horeb,  i.  120,  590 

Sinaitic  Inscriptions,  see  Inscriptions. 

Sirocco,  et\Tnology,  L  207,  n. 

Smyrna,  ii.  499. 

Socoh"  of  the  mountains,  L  494. 

Socok*  of  the  plain,  ii.  16,  21. 

Sodom,  apples  of,  L  522.  Site  and  over- 
throw, iL  187-192. 

Solomon's  Pools,  i.  218,  474-476. 

Song  of  Moses,  i.  61. 

South  of  Judah,  ii.  98,  203 

St.  Anne's  church,  i.  233. 

St.  George  and  his  church,  iL  244-246, 

St  Sabas,  his  activity,  etc.  L  382,  383. 

Succoth,  L  55. 

Suez,  i.  46-50,  584. 

Sycarmnum,  ii.  340. 

Sychar,  ii.  290-292. 

Syra,  i.  11. 

Syria  Sobal,  iL  163. 

T 

Taanach,  iL  316,  329,  330. 

Tabor,  Mount,)!.  ZM-Z&O.  Not  the  place 
of  the  Transfiguration,  ii.  358.  Site 
of  a  fortified  city,  ii.  357-359. 

Tabula  Peutingeriana,  ii.  533,  534. 

Tagabxorum  tncus,*  ii.  516,  517. 

Tamyras,  Damouras,  riv.  ii.  488. 

Tarichtea,  ii.  387. 

Teixxi,  i.  486,  487. 

Temple,  according  to  Josephns,  L  281-283, 

Temple-area ;  immense  stones,  L  232,  285 ; 
bevelled,  i.  286.  Arch  of  bridge,  L 
287,  288,  606.  Identity,  287-290. 
General  description,  i.  283-290. 
Height  of  the  ancient  porticos,  i.  290. 
Extent  of  the  area,  L  291-295.  Sub- 
sequent history,  i.  295. 

Temples  at  Wady  Musa,  ii.  142.  145. 

Temples  on  Mount  Lebanon,  iL  493. 

Tents,  L  485,  499,  571. 

Terebinth,  L  208.  ii.  222. 

Thamar,*  Thamara,  iL  198,  202. 

Tkamna,  iL  239,  240. 

Thana,  or  TTwana,  ii.  168. 

Thebes  in  Egypt,  i.  19-23. 

Thebez*,  ii.  317. 

Thoana,  see  Thana. 

ThoUt,"  i.  113. 

Threshing,  by  treading  out,  i.  550.  iL  35, 
83.    By  a  sledge,  ii.  306  sq. 

Tiberias,  Lake  of,  its  scenery,  ii.  380.  Fish, 
ii.  386.  Extent,  stones,  volcanic  re- 
gion, iL  415-417.  S.  end  of  the 
lake,  ii.  387.  Depression,  i.  613.  ii. 
183,  388. 

Tiberias,  city,  ii.  380-394.  The  Jews,  ii. 
381,  391  sq.    Ancient  site,  il.  383. 


598  SECOND 

Hot  springs  and  baths,  ii.  383-385. 

Celebrated  Jewish  school,  iL  391  sq. 

Mishnah  and  Talmnds,  ibid. 
Tbratah,'  ii.  17. 
Thzah,'  ii.  317. 

Tombs ;  of  Absalom,  Zechariah,  etc.  L  236, 
349-352.  Sonth  of  Hinnom,  L  353,  ' 
609.  Of  the  Judges,  i.  241,  355.  Of 
Helena,  called  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  L 
240,  336-364,  610.  Of  the  prophets, 
L  364. — Tomb  of  Abraham  at  He- 
bron, ii.  77.  Tombs  at  Petra,  iL  129— 
143.    Tomb  of  Hiram,  iL  456. 

Tophel*  ii.  107,  187. 

Tower  of  Hippicns,  i.  306-309.  Of  Pha- 
saelis,  Mariamne,  Psephinos,  309. 

Tradition,  monastic,  often  legendary  and 
of  no  value,  L  251-255.  Native  tra- 
dition, L  255,  256. 

Triamias*  iL  220. 

Ti/re,  ii.  461-471.    Fountains,  Ras  el-'Ain, 

ii.  457—459. 
Tipvpcem,  L  231,  260,  263,  265,  267,  333. 


U 

Uhmah,*  iL  356. 
Unicom,  see  Reem. 
Upper  Room,  iL  229,  477. 

V 

Vaults  beneath  the  Temple-area,  L  302- 
306. 

Via  dolorosa,  i.  233,  n. 

Virgin's  Fountain,  L  232,  336,  337  eq.  342. 

Virgin's  Tomb,  L  234, 


INDEX. 


Water,  scarcity  turonnd  Sinai,  L  73.  No 
running  streams,  i.  87,  n.    Supply  for 
Jerusalem,  i.  323.    For  Tyre,  ii.  467. 
WeU  o{  Jacob,  ii.  283-286. 
:  Well  of  Nehemiah  or  Job,  L  240,  272,  331. 
Wells,  see  Flocks. 

Wheel-carriages,  never  practicable  on  the 

mountains  of  Judah,  i.  214  sq. 
Winnoicirtff,  L  550.  iL  35,  83. 

X 

XalotA  of  Josephu-s,  iL  332. 
Xytiut,  L  310,  312. 

Z 

Zanoah,"  iL  16. 

Zarephath,  Sarepta,  iL  474-476.  ' 
Zedad,"  ii.  507. 
Zehak,  iL  10. 
Zephath,"  iL  181,  198. 
Zephathahj*  valley,  iL  31. 
Zered,  brook,  iL  157. 
Zidcn,  see  Sidon. 

Zion,  cemeteries,  L  229-231.  Buildings,  L 
241-243.  Described,  L  263  sq.  The- 
ory of  Dr  Qarke,  L  605. 

Ziph,"  L  492,  495. 

Ztz,*  cliff,  i.  508. 

Zoar,  not  Znweirah,  iL  p.  106,  519.  Its 
site  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  ii.  107,  517- 
519. 

Zophim,  see  Zuph. 

Zorah,*  iL  14,  16,  17,  31  224. 

Zupk,  Zophim,  iL  8. 


INDEX  III. 
— »•  * — 

PASSAGES  OF  SCRIPTURE  ILLUSTRATED. 


Genesis. 

xviu.  4.  Washing  the  feet,  ii.  230. 

sxi.  14.  Hagar's  bottle  of  water  on  her 

shoulder,  i.  232,  473,  549. 
ssii.  3.  He  "  arose  and  saddled  his  ass," 

ii.  219. 

XXV.  34.  Lentiles  and  pottage,  i.  167. 
sxviL  9  sq.  Isaac's  savoury  meat,  i.  206. 
xxis.  2,  3.  Great  stone  upon  the  well's 

mouth,  i.  490. 
sxxiii.  4.  Shalem,  now  Salim,  ii.  279. 
slviL  18-26.  Pharaoh  buys  the  Egyptians, 

L  29. 

Exodus. 

viu.  27,  28.    [23,  24.]    Israelitish  Eaj, 
i.  79. 

xiv.  1-31.  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  L  66- 
59. 

XV.  25.  Sweetening  bad  water,    i.  67. 
xviL  8.  Amalekites  fight  with  Israel,  i. 
121. 

Numbers. 

xL  5.  Food  in  Egypt,  i.  53. 

sxii.  21.  See  Gen.  xxiL  3.    ii.  219. 

Deuteronomy. 

1.  1.  The  Red  Sea,  Tophel,  etc.    ii.  187. 
xi.  10.  Watering  with  the  foot,  L  581,  582. 

iL  22,  226. 
xL  14.  Early  and  latter  rain,  i.  429,  430. 
xxy.  4.  Muzzling  the  ox,  i.  550.   ii  216. 

Joshua. 

iiL  15.  Overflowing  of  Jordan,  i.  540,  541. 
X.  11.  Going  do^vn  of  Beth-horon,  ii.  251. 
X.  12.  Standing  still  of  the  sun  and  moon 
on  Gibeon  and  Aijalon,  iL  253,  254. 


Ruth. 

ii.  8.  Field  of  reapers  and  gleaners,  iL  50. 
iL  14.  Parched  com,  ii.  50. 
ii.  17.  Beating  out  gleanings,  ii.  45. 
iiL  2—14.  Watching  the  threshing-floors  at 
night,  ii  83. 

1  Samueu 

xiL  17.  Rain  in  harvest,  L  430. 

xiv.  4,  5.  Jonathan's  adventure  with  the 

Philistines,  i.  441. 
xviL  1  sq.  David  and  Goliath,  ii.  21. 
xxii.  2.  David  and  his  outlaws,  ii.  498. 
XXV.  8,  9.  David's  message  to  Nabal,  iL 

498. 

1  Kings. 

xiii.  37.  See  Gen.  xxii.  3.    iL  219. 

xiv.  25.  Shishak,  i.  22. 

xix.  4,  5.  Elijah  sleeping  under  a  juniper, 
L  203,  205. 

2  Kings. 

iiL  11.  Pouring  water  on  the  hands,  L  87. 

Comp.  iiL  26. 
xviiL  17.  Conduit  of  the  upper  pool,  L 
327,  345  sq. 

1  Chbos. 

xii.  15.  See  Josh.  iii.  15.    L  540,  541. 

2  Chbon. 

xiL  2-9.  See  1  Kings  xiv.  35.    i.  22. 

Nehkmtah. 
iL  1*-16.  Night-excursion,  L  320. 


600 


THIRD  INDEX. 


Job 

XXX.  4.  Juniper  roots,  i.  203. 
xxxix.  9,  10.  Unicom,  ii.  412. 

Psalms. 

Ixv.  13.  Pastures  clothed  with  floclss,  ii. 
216. 

cxx.  4.  Coals  of  juniper,  i.  203. 

Proverbs. 

xvL  15.  See  Deut.  xi.  14.    i.  429,  430. 
XXV.  1.  See  1  Sam.  xii  17.    L  430. 

Isaiah. 

vii.  3.  See  2  K.  xviii.  17.    i.  327,  345  sq. 
ix.  1.  Way  of  the  sea,  ii.  405. 
X.  28-32.  Approach  of  Sennacherib,  i. 
463. 

xxxvi.  2.   See  2  K.  xviii.  17.    L  327, 
345  sq. 

Jeremiah. 

V.  24.  See  Deut.  xi  14.    L  429,  430. 
XXV.  10.  Sound  of  the  mill-stones,  i.  485. 
xlviii.  6.  Heath,  i.  e.  jumper,  ii.  124. 
xlix.  16.  Dwelling  in  the  cleft  of  the  rock, 
ii.  142. 

EZEKIEI.. 

viiL  8-10.  Tombs,  L  21. 

HOSEA. 

vi.  3.  See  Deut  xL  14.    L  429,  430. 
Joel. 

iL  23.  See  Deut.  xi.  14.    i.  429,  430. 
Nahum. 

iil  8.  The  "  sea"  for  the  Nile,  L  20,  582. 

Zechariah. 
X.  1.  See  Deut.  xi.  14.    429,  430, 

Matthew. 

ir.  13.  Border  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali, 
ii.  404. 

xii  1.  Plucking  the  ears  of  grain,  i  493, 
499. 


xxi.  7.  Garments  in  place  of  a  saddle,  ii 
219. 

xxi.  8.  Strewing  garments  in  the  way,  i. 
473. 

xxiv.  1,  2.  Destruction  of  the  Temple,  i. 
295. 

xxiv.  41.  Grinding  at  the  mill,  i  485.  ii. 
45. 

Mark. 

ii.  23.  See  Matt.  xii.  1.    i.  493,  499. 
xi.  7.  See  Matt.  xxi.  7.    ii.  119, 

xi.  8.  See  Matt.  xxi.  8.    i.  473. 

xiii.  1,  2.  See  Matt.  xxiv.  1,  2.    i.  295. 

Luke. 

i.  39.  A  city  of  Judah,  ii.  206. 
iv.  28-30.  Brow  of  the  hill  in  Nazareth, 
ii.  335. 

vi.  1.  See  Matt.  xii.  1.    i.  493,  499. 

vi.  48.  Digging  deep  to  lay  foundations, 

ii.  338. 

xii.  54.  Cloud  out  of  the  west,  i.  429. 
XV.  16.  Husks,  ii.  250. 

xvii.  35.  See  Matt.  xxiv.  41.    L  485.  ii. 
45. 

xix.  35.  See  Matt.  xxi.  7.  ii.  219. 
xrs.  36.  See  Matt,  xxi  8.    i.  473. 

John. 

iv,  6  sq,  Jacob's  well  and  the  woman  of 
Samaria,  ii  283-286, 

Acts. 

vii.  16.  Patriarchs  buried  at  Shechem,  ii. 

283. 

viii.  26.  The  "  desert "  near  Gaza,  ii.  41, 
514. 

ix.  39.  XX.  8.   Upper  chamber,  ii,  229, 

477. 

xxi  31-40,  "  Castle"  in  Jerusalem,  i  292. 

2  COBINTHIANS. 

xi  32.  Ethnarch  of  Aretas  in  Damascus, 
u.  160, 

James, 

V.  7.  See  Deut.  xi.  14.    i.  429,  430. 

Revelation. 

iv.  7.  Locusts  as  horses,  i.  41. 

xviii.  22,  23.  See  Jer.  xxv.  10.    i.  485. 


End  of  Vol.  II. 


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